A Fishy Business

We decided to venture a little further up the coast today, so we hopped on a train this afternoon and headed to Arbroath. M and I have both been really impressed by the Scottish approach to mask-wearing on public transport and in shops where, unlike in England, it’s still a legal requirement (with the usual exemptions) and still seems to be very largely complied with. It’s made us feel so much safer on this trip and it’s great to see people apparently taking each other’s safety so much more seriously than they appear to do where either of us live. I’m still very angry with the way that Covid/public health messaging has been handled in England… but perhaps I’d better not get started on that!

On arrival, we headed for the lovely harbour and wandered around the Fit o’ the Toon, the traditional home of the town’s fisherfolk, where there are still several artisanal fishmongers producing the famous Arbroath Smokies. One of the big local producers is clearly the Spink family, whose name was quite prominent as we walked through the area. Despite having loathed fish my whole life (and not having eaten any in the best part of 40 years!) it’s impossible not to feel respect for the generations of people who’ve made their living through the fishing industry, in often very difficult circumstances.

We then headed along the coastal path towards Auchmithie where there are some spectacular cliffs and inlets. I’ve added a few Extra shots.

Once safely back at Arbroath harbour we made light work of a takeaway from Marco’s on the Shore before catching the train back to Dundee; no fish for me, obviously, but I can certainly recommend the chips!

In a ‘sort of’ tribute to the Arbroath Smokie, here are Grab Grab the Haddock with ‘Nothing You Say’ https://youtube.com/watch?v=fY5yhbud4TU