Auchmithie

Human settlement in Scotland

Angus

Angus

CountryScotlandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townARBROATHPostcode districtDD11Dialling code01241PoliceScotlandFire Scottish AmbulanceScottish UK Parliament

Angus

Scottish Parliament

Angus South

List of places: UK; Scotland

56°35′22″N 2°31′22″W / 56.589517°N 2.522639°W / 56.589517; -2.522639

Auchmithie is a small fishing village in Angus, Scotland, three miles north east of the town of Arbroath.^[1] It sits atop a cliff of red sandstone conglomerate of Devonian date, approximately 120 feet above a shingle beach. Among the pebbles on the beach, derived from those weathered out of the cliffs (themselves derived from pebbles deposited by a massive ancient river-delta), a significant percentage are jasper, predominantly dark red, with rarer examples green or yellow.

In the dilapidated harbour, which began construction in 1889 and was designed by James Barron,^[2] there are still some small fishing boats.

The Arbroath smokie (haddock hot smoked in a particular way) is said to have originated in Auchmithie.^[3] Local legend has it a store caught fire one night, destroying barrels of haddock preserved in salt. The following morning, the people found some of the barrels had caught fire, cooking the haddock inside. Inspection revealed the haddock to be quite tasty.

Sir Walter Scott stayed in the Waverley Hotel in Auchmithie and described Auchmithie in his novel The Antiquary (1816), under the name 'Musslecrag'.

Bus Services

From Auchmithie, Travel Wisharts^[4]^[a] operate services 35 and 140 daily. Both serve Arbroath bus station, but service 140 continues to Friockheim & Stracathro via Brechin on most journeys.^[7]^[8] The company's bus depot is in Froickheim.^[9] Once a night between Monday & Saturday, Stagecoach Strathtay also serve the village with their service 44 to Arbroath bus station.^[10]^[11]

Gallery

Auchmithie harbour
Auchmithie, 1881, photograph by James Cox

Notes

^ Also known as: Wisharts Froickheim,^[5] and Wisharts G & N Ltd^[6]

References

^ "Dundee and Montrose, Forfar and Arbroath", Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (B2 ed.), 2007, ISBN 0-319-22980-7
^ "James Barron". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
^ Bold, Alan (1989). Scotland: A Literary Guide. Routledge. p. 30. As well as being credited with the creation of the Arbroath Smokie [...]
^ "Travel Wisharts". bustimes.org. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "Wisharts Froickheim". yell.com.
^ "Wishart G & N Ltd · Transport Yard/Station Rd, Arbroath DD11 4SF, United Kingdom". Wishart G & N Ltd · Transport Yard/Station Rd, Arbroath DD11 4SF, United Kingdom. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "140 - Stracathro Hospital - Auchmithie". bustimes.org. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "141 - Stracathro Hospital - Friockheim". bustimes.org. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "Wishart G & N Ltd · Transport Yard/Station Rd, Arbroath DD11 4SF, United Kingdom". Wishart G & N Ltd · Transport Yard/Station Rd, Arbroath DD11 4SF, United Kingdom. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "44 - Arbroath - Cliffburn & Timmergreens". bustimes.org. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ "Auchmithie – Bus Times". bustimes.org. Retrieved 14 February 2024.