Spotlight on Arbroath's fishing heritage

ANGUSalive is growing the range of attractions at Arbroath’s Signal Tower Museum, with a Spotlight on Arbroath’s Fishing Heritage.

The Signal Tower, next to Arbroath’s picturesque harbour, was built in 1813, as shore station for the Bell Rock Lighthouse. Over almost 150 years, lighthouse keepers’ families lived there. The keepers used the tower to watch over their colleagues on the lighthouse, 11 miles out to sea.

In 1974, a museum was opened at Signal Tower. Since then, generations of enthusiastic visitors have sung the praises of the museum’s displays about Arbroath’s lighthouse and maritime history. Signal Tower Museum has been inducted into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, for achieving a certificate of excellence every year for the last five years.

Now operated by ANGUSalive, the culture, sport & leisure trust for the county of Angus, Signal Tower Museum will offer visitors an extra attraction, from Autumn 2019, through the Spotlight on Arbroath’s Fishing Heritage project.

The project will allow two cottages, previously only used as office and storage areas, to be accessible to visitors for the first time, as extra exhibition and activity spaces. These will feature exciting new displays on Arbroath’s fishing heritage and on the local textile and engineering industries that exported worldwide from Arbroath.

In recognition of this fresh celebration of Arbroath’s industrial history, Spotlight on Arbroath’s Fishing Heritage has received funding assistance from Museums Galleries Scotland, the North East Scotland Fisheries Local Action Group and Arbroath Common Good Fund.