Scottish Fisheries Museum

While touring around the Fife Coastal Route, we came across this wee gem of a museum in Anstruther. Based across from the harbour, the museum looks quite small, however, don't be fooled. In reality it takes up most of the block and is easily navigated thanks to the "follow the fish" decals on the floor. They certainly keep you moving in the right direction.

Notice the bandages on the women's fingers

Fish wives were key to the fishing industry. 

A mourning necklace worn by a fish wife whose husband had died at sea

The museum shares the history of the rising fisheries industry, including the herring boom. It also documents the changes to fishing vessels over time. The museum boasts 19 historic fishing vessels in its vast collection.

Changes to fishing methods are on display and there is also a display dedicated to whaling.

The fisherman's cottage was almost missed, but fortunately we were alerted to the need to look for it when we arrived at the museum. 

Social history museums are key to helping us understand our ancestors and the lives they lived. It is not enough just to see on a document that our ancestor was a fisherman. We need to see how they lived, what the work looked like, how the community came together in order to really understand what it means to have a fisherman as an ancestor. Museums like the Scottish Fisheries Museum provide such an important role in preserving our history and heritage.