A quiet section of Montrose High Street, with stone buildings and cobbled paving, features shops like M&Co and Ladbrokes. A few cars are parked along the kerb beneath an overcast sky, capturing a classic Montrose revival charm.

What is ProMo?

ProMo is a small volunteer group with big ambition: to revive Montrose Town Centre. Passionate about our community, we aim to revitalise Montrose’s historic High Street and wider town centre through sustainable development, heritage-led regeneration and community ownership.

The Story So Far

ProMo began life in 2018 as Mo Revival, emerging from Angus Council’s Montrose Charrette, a week-long community engagement programme focused on shaping a long-term vision for the town. From that process, a small group of like-minded locals came together with a shared belief: that Montrose town centre could be a more vibrant, welcoming and prosperous place for everyone.

Progress slowed during the Covid years, but the ambition never disappeared. Montrose remained firmly on the agenda, and in 2023 the project was re-energised. Mo Revival was reborn as ProMo, aligned with the re-formation of Montrose Community Council, and formally established as a Community Interest Company (CIC).

Since then, momentum has gathered pace. In 2024, ProMo secured funding from Seagreen, enabling the purchase and refurbishment of a new headquarters at 10 High Street. Through a combination of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and other public investment, ProMo has also acquired four town-centre properties, bringing them back into active use and supporting new local businesses to take root.

In March 2025, we appointed Cara Gall as Project Development Officer, strengthening our capacity to deliver on the ground. By August, we opened PoP, Montrose’s first pop-up market shop, creating a flexible platform for local makers and traders. In December 2025, we welcomed our first permanent tenant, Lilybank Bakehouse, marking a major milestone in our mission to re-energise the High Street.

In September 2025, ProMo was awarded charitable status, opening up new opportunities for funding, partnerships and long-term impact. Today, ProMo continues to work with the community, businesses and public partners to drive sustainable, locally led regeneration - putting Montrose’s town centre back at the heart of civic life.

A street scene on Montrose High Street with parked cars, shops, and a church with a tall spire in the background. A bus is stopped on the right-hand side, and fairy lights hint at a Montrose Revival promo under the cloudy sky.

Who We Are

A man with glasses and a beard, wearing a black Crawford Architecture polo shirt and a smartwatch, stands indoors leaning on a counter, with green plants in the background.

David Paton

CoFounder & Trustee of ProMo

A founding member of MoRevival / ProMo, local architectural designer David has been heavily involved in many community-led projects in Montrose, including 10 years as the chair of MoFest, and spearheading the development of The Montrose Playhouse, the town’s cinema and arts space.  David received Montrose Citizen of the year award in 2014 for his work in the community.

David’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The unique Architecture of our Town Centre
A man with short brown hair, a beard, and black-rimmed glasses is facing the camera. He is wearing a black shirt and a lanyard with text around his neck. The background is a plain off-white wall.

Ross Thomson

CoFounder & Trustee of ProMo

Ross moved into Montrose in 1999 when he started working as a biology teacher at Montrose Academy. Since then, he has been actively involved in many community groups within the town and is currently the chairman of the Montrose Community Council.  If Montrose FC are playing at home, you certainly know if they’ve scored, as Ross can often be heard across the town shouting GOALLLLL! 

Ross ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The people I have met and worked with over the last 27 years. They have helped make Montrose my home. 
A woman with straight, shoulder-length grey hair and a fringe is facing the camera. She is wearing a light grey top and a necklace. There is a framed picture and a light switch on the wall behind her.

Maggie Braid

CoFounder & Trustee of ProMo

A founding member of ProMo, Maggie moved to Montrose ten years ago. She has been Secretary of the Montrose Community Council for the past few years and was delighted to became part of the group who founded ProMo.  Maggie's main desire is to be an integral part of the regeneration of the town she now proudly calls home.  

Maggie’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The local people, who are friendly, generous, supportive and kind to folks who are not Montrose born and bred!
An older man with white hair wearing a dark suit and light blue shirt holds up a glass of white wine, appearing to make a toast. He is sitting in front of green curtains and smiling.

Pip Hills

CoFounder of ProMo

Having moved to Montrose ten years ago, Pip recognised the town's historical and cultural heritage. Pip's support and vision was the catalyst to where ProMo is today. 

Pip ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

Montrose's rich history.
An older man with white hair, glasses, and a trimmed beard smiles whilst wearing a grey suit, white shirt, and red polka dot tie. The background is softly blurred in warm tones.

Tom Murray

Trustee of ProMo

Tom moved up to Montrose in 1980, and since then, the people and town have been so good to him that, now he's retired, he wants to give something back. Tom is proud to be involved with ProMo and excited about the way forward.

Tom ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

We have a wonderful town, golf course, football team, cinema, history and people. So let's make a difference!
A man with dark hair and a beard is smiling. He is wearing a dark blazer over a blue and white striped shirt. The background is blurred, showing warm indoor lighting and what appear to be shelves or a cupboard.

Iain Gall

Trustee of ProMo

Iain Gall is a Montrose-based farmer and Angus Council councillor for the Montrose & District ward. He helps run his family farm and serves as a director of ProMo, supporting local regeneration and economic development in Montrose.

Iain ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

Scotland's widest High Street!
A person with shoulder-length light brown hair wearing large round glasses and a dark jumper is smiling slightly while facing the camera against a plain, light-coloured background.

Cara Gall

Project Development Officer

Montrose-born Cara has extensive experience in strategic development, with previous roles at Aberdeenshire Council in Health & Social Care and Baker Hughes. Passionate about community development, she runs the day-to-day operations of ProMo, supporting tenants, fundraising activities, events and meetings.

Cara’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The people - It's home, and always will be!
A man with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a green hoodie, stands behind a white counter in an office or shop, resting his forearms on the counter and smiling slightly at the camera. Shelves and office equipment are visible behind him.

Harvey McMillan

ProMo Committee Member

Local printshop owner and artist Harvey is one of the newer members of the ProMo team. He helps out with design and printing work and helps organise the PoP art showcases.

Harvey’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The Montrose Playhouse
A woman with short light brown hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a black blouse with white polka dots and standing in front of a green panelled wall.

Sue Taylor

ProMo Committee Member

As someone who grew up in Montrose, Sue cares deeply about our town and wanted to support the great work ProMo is doing. She was inspired by the group’s passion for improving the community and felt her experience in event planning and fundraising could be useful. She's delighted to be involved and to contribute to positive projects for Montrose, especially MUGS which she leads on.

Sue ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

Our lovely independent shops!
An older woman with short grey hair, glasses, and black earrings is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a dark top and standing in front of a patterned beige wall.

Joan Murray

ProMo Committee Member

Joan is retired but doesn’t fully understand the concept of retirement. She is heavily involved as a volunteer in several local businesses/charities. She is very proud and excited about being part of ProMo and looks forward to seeing Montrose become the trailblazer for other small towns.

Joan ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The Mid Links.
A woman with long brown hair and a necklace smiles at the camera in a restaurant with red tablecloths, chairs, and framed artwork on the walls in the background.

Dawn McNeal

ProMo Committee Member

Dawn McNeal is a local hairdresser and entrepreneur in Montrose. She is the owner of 3Sixty on Murray Street, where she supports a team of self-employed businesses delivering creative and personalised hair and beauty services to the community. Dawn wanted to get involved with ProMo as she is passionate about improving our town centre.

Dawn ’s favourite thing about Montrose:

The Beach and the people!

Our Impact

4

buildings bought

1

tenants moved in

£399359

funding received

293

bags of litter removed

103

hours of volunteer time

A street scene on Montrose High Street with parked cars, shops, and a church with a tall spire in the background. A bus is stopped on the right-hand side, and fairy lights hint at a Montrose Revival promo under the cloudy sky.
A circular black and white logo features the words Lilybank Bakehouse surrounding an illustration of a round, sliced loaf of bread with detailed texture—a nod to Montrose High Street and its vibrant revival. The background is light brown.

Sweet Success: Lilybank Bakehouse

"Transitioning my business from a home microbakery to a proper brick and mortar one simply wouldn't have been possible without ProMo. They gave me the support and confidence I needed to navigate through this quite stressful period of growth. Helping me with the layout and design of both the internal and external features of the Bakery, organising volunteers to help with cleaning and moving equipment, not to mention huge financial support by covering the cost of renovating and decorating the premises. The work they're doing is so valuable for the town of Montrose. And I can't wait to see all the big plans they have come to fruition. "

Lilybank Bakehouse became our first new tenant as owner Stuart King proudly picked up the keys to 6 Castle Street.

After a thoughtful renovation process, the bakery opened to an eager queue of customers January 2026 as locals got in line to get their hands on some of Stuart's delicious bakes!

Our Values

Our core values were chosen to maximise positive impact for everyone in our community, and we keep them at the heart of everything we do.

Sustainable Development

Our work is rooted in the principles of the National Planning Framework 4 of Scotland, championing sustainable, inclusive and community-led urban development.

Holistic Approach

We take a holistic stance on urban planning, considering social, cultural and environmental aspects alongside economic development to ensure the project is beneficial to all aspects of community life.

Heritage-Led Regeneration

We embrace our town’s history as a cultural beacon in Scotland, evoking the spirit of the early 20th century luminaries like William Lamb, Hugh McDiarmid and Violet Jacob, who called Montrose home.

Get Involved

Are you a business looking for support, a local looking to help out or donate, or just someone with a good idea? No matter how you’d like to contribute, we’d love to hear from you.
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