Fisheries Museum Anstruther

The Scottish Fisheries Museum is situated in Anstruther, in the Old Kingdom of Fife, overlooking the ancient fishing harbour. It is also the heart of the East Neuk fishing village of St Monans, Pittenweem - the present home of the East Neuk Fishing Fleet - and Crail, the centre of local crab and lobster fishing. The museum is housed in a group of attractive buildings of historic and architectural interest, around three sides of a cobbled courtyard at St Ayles in Anstruther.

Over the centuries, the association of the St Ayles land with the fishermen and fishing has been maintained. The last private owners, the Cunninghams of Anstruther, carried on a ships chandlering business and leased parts of the buildings as fishermen's stores and net lofts, while the courtyard was used for barking and drying the nets. The barking tanks have disappeared but the "gallows", the wooden structures on which the nets were hung to dry, remain.

The Scottish Fisheries Museum was born of local initiative and officially opened in 1969. The museum expanded rapidly and now covers virtually every aspect of the Scottish fishing industry, including whaling, industrial salmon fishing and the ancillary trades. There were at least four jobs ashore for every fisherman at sea, and probably ten in the heyday of the herring fleets. The many facets of Fisherfolk -life are portrayed in the museum, including the tragedies they face, and the museum is privileged to house the Memorial to Scottish Fishermen Lost at Sea.

The variety and beauty of the old fishing boats are well illustrated by an excellent collection of models, with full size vessels displayed in a former boatyard and the adjacent harbour. The museum currently has 15 full-size boats in the collection. Additional attractions within the museum include a collection of fine paintings and a photographic archive with over 10,000 negatives; displays on the days of sail and steam; a restored wheelhouse and Fishmonger's shop; and a reconstruction of a fisherman's house and garret.
The museum is wheelchair friendly and has a tea-room offering a range of home baking and a gift shop.
The museum library and photographic archive are open to the public by appointment.

Opening Times
April - October Weekdays 10.00am - 5.30pm Sundays 11.00am - 5.00pm
November - March Weekdays 10.00am - 4.30pm Sundays 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Admission
Adult: £4.50
Concessions: £3.50
ccompanied Children (up to 16 years) - FREE (5 per family)

With thanks to: Andrew

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