Arbroath
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Arbroath
Getting around Angus | Arbroath | Montrose | Brechin | Guide to Dundee | Forfar and Glamis | Kirriemuir | Angus Glens | Buy A Pass
The A92 coast road to Aberdeen bypasses the little coastal town of Carnoustie, whose championship golf course is revered worldwide, and heads to Arbroath, 17 miles northeast of Dundee. This is the home of that great Scottish delicacy, the Arbroath smokie - haddock smoked over oak chips - which you can buy in the tiny smokehouses around the harbour. But though Arbroath was once a thriving fishing and trading port, today it has the look of a place that's down on its luck, with high unemployment and a town centre blighted by insensitive planning.
Phone code: +44 (0)1241 Population 23,500
Travelling There
The train station is on Keptie St, about 5 mins' walk from the tourist office. The bus station is nearby, on Catherine St, Tel. 870646. Arbroath is on the Dundee-Aberdeen rail line and there are trains every 30 mins to and from Dundee ( 20 mins).
There are Scottish Citylink buses every 2 hrs to Aberdeen (1 1/2 hrs) via Montrose and Stonehaven, and to Dundee (25 mins). Strathtay Scottish, T01382228054, runs regular buses to Brechin via Montrose, and less frequently to Auchmithie.
The Tourist Information Centre is on Market Pl, right in the centre of town, Tel. 872609.
Apr-May Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 1000-1700; Jun-Aug Mon-Sat 0930-1730, Sun 1000-1500; Sep Mon-Sat 0930-1730; Oct-Mar Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 1000-1500.
Interesting Sights
Arbroath Abbey
Buy A Pass The chief attraction is undoubtedly Arbroath Abbey, on Abbey Street, near the top of the High Street not far from the tourist office. Founded by William the Lion in 1178 (who's buried here), it went on to become one of the wealthiest monasteries in the country. It is also one of the most important sites in Scottish history. It was here, on 6 April 1320, that the Declaration of Arbroath was issued, asking Rome to reverse its excommunication of Robert the Bruce and recognize him as King, thus asserting Scotland's independence from England. Pope John XXII finally agreed to the claim four years later. You can buy copies of the declaration (the original is in Edinburgh) which contains the stirring words: "For so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no least way to English dominion. For we fight, not for glory, not for riches, nor honour, but only for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life".
After the Reformation the abbey suffered badly and, like so many other important ecclesiastical buildings in Scotland, was used as a quarry for the building of the town. However, enough of the abbey survives to give you a good idea of just how magnificent it must have been; in particular the massive west front and the south transept (containing a circular window which was once lit up as a beacon to guide ships). In 1951 the Stone of Destiny found a temporary home here following its theft from Westminster Abbey by Scottish Nationalists. It was duly returned, where it stayed until its recent move to Edinburgh Castle.
Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 0930-1830, Sun 1200-1830; Oct-Mar Mon-Sat till 1630, Sun 1400-1630. £1.80, £1.30 concession, Tel. 878756.
The Signal Tower Museum
Beside the harbour is the Signal Tower Museum, housed in the elegant Regency building that was once the shore base and family living quarters for the keepers of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, 12 miles offshore. The museum has some interesting local history displays, including re-creations of a fisherman's cottage and a schoolroom.
Mon-Sat 1000-1700, also Sun 1400-1700 in Jul-Aug. Free. Tel. 875598.
St Vigeans
A mile northwest of the town centre is St Vigeans, where the red sandstone church is perched right on top of a hill in the centre of the village. Beside the hill is tiny St Vigeans Museum, which contains an excellent collection of Pictish and medieval carved stones.
Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 0930-1830, Sun 1400-1830. Free (collect the key from No 7).
Sleeping and Eating in Arbroath
There are several B&Bs around the centre, including the Harbour Guesthouse, 4 The Shore, by the harbour, Tel. 878047; and Scurdy Guesthouse, 33 Marketgate, Tel. 872417, near the High St. A mile south of town on the A92 to Dundee and overlooking the golf course is D-E Five Gables, Tel. 871632.
The best place to eat is the cosy But'n'Ben restaurant, Tel. 877223, by the harbour in Auchmithie. Their seafood is superb and great value (mid-range).
Open daily except Tue 1200-1500 for lunch, 1600-1730 for high tea and 1900-2200 for dinner.
Four miles northwest of town, signposted off the A933 Brechin Rd, is the Letham Grange Resort, Tel. 890373, www.lethamgrange.co.uk, a beautifully restored baronial mansion now functioning as a top-class golf resort hotel. It has a more formal restaurant (mid-range) and a conservatory for lunches and light meals (cheap).
It will come as no surprise that Arbroath boasts an excellent fish and chip shop Peppo's at 51 Ladybridge St, by the harbour (closed Sat).
Self Catering Cottages in Arbroath
- Pear Tree Cottage Sleeps 4