Mr. Spink and Arbroath Abby

Before Edith (the Scotland Program coordinator) left for the States, she took us on a Saturday trip. We left the flats around 9 and traveled by bus for an hour and 1/2. Most of my photos of the Scottish country side were taken on this bus ride. We arrived in Arbroath and went to our first stop. Arbroath is a harbor town with a lot of history. The fishing industry has been a vital part of this small town's economy for many years. So, upon arrival, Edith lead us to Mr. Spink's to view his famous "little smokies." I was expecting a grand operation. It turned out to be quite simple. Mr. Spink led us in the back of his store and said, "This is where I smoke them and that is the wood that I use." The whole tour literally took about 2 min. Edith was nice enough to purchase a smoky for the group. I think I was the only one who was excited to get free food even though it needed to be prepared. We took a group picture and headed toward the Abbey.

Arbroath Abbey, or what is left of it, represents a very important time in Scottish History. During the fight for independence, the Scottish declaration was drafted and sent to Rome. The document is a great sight. The guide was constantly asking us dates and names that correspond to this time period. We were able to answer some questions. Most of the answers we gave were from our experience with "Braveheart." The one thing that I found most interesting deals with the way the monks housed their wealth. Very few rooms still exist today on the grounds. One such room was used as a changing room for the monks before they performed the mass. In this room, about 20 feet up the wall, there is a small doorway. We were told that inside that opening was a large room with no windows or exits. This is where the wealth of the monastery was kept. Each night, A monk would have to guard the room. Using only a rope, the guard would climb up into the room. He would then send the rope back down so that he could not come down and nobody could go up. In the morning, someone would throw a rope up to the monk so that he could climb down. The guide told us that nobody has been up in the room in over 30 years. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I somehow felt directly connected with history.