Bygone Arbroath

Arbroath grew up around the abbey, where in 1320, a group of barons famously made the ‘Declaration of Arbroath’, petitioning the Pope to recognise Scotland as an independent country and Robert the Bruce as king. As the centuries rolled by, the town enlarged, and industry developed. Spinning mills provided yarn, and power loom factories made linen, principally for ships’ sails and brown linen. Fishing was important too, with navigation aided by the Bell Rock Lighthouse. The 19th century brought the railways encouraging further town development and tourism. The photos in this book show the town from the Edwardian period to the 1950s and are a mix of social history and streets of this busy and industrious seaside town. Also included are the villages of Auchmithie, Arbirlot, St Vigeans, Colliston and Marywell. Lengthy and informative captions accompany the illustrations.