TheScottish Fisheries Museum is amuseum inAnstruther,Fife, that records the history of the Scottishfishing industry and its people from earliest times to the present day.
Opened in 1969, the museum is situated on the harbour front in Anstruther, in the heart of theEast Neukcrab andlobster fishing villages ofSt Monans,Pittenweem,Cellardyke andCrail. It has grown over time into a sizable complex, occupying a number of converted buildings set around three sides of a cobbled courtyard. These include two Category 'A'listed buildings: the 16th century Abbot's lodging and an 18th-century merchant's house, both of which have historical associations with the fishing life of the village.
The museum collection contains many model boats, fishing gear, a significant historicalphotographic archive andpaintings. In addition to the traditional exhibits, the museum also boasts a collection of 18boats, the pride of which is the 104-year-old twinmastedFifie herring drifter,Reaper. This vessel was restored by the museum's boat club and sails regularly in the summer months. Between 2003 and 2005 she visited 26 ports around Britain, including a visit to theFestival of the Sea inPortsmouth, attracting 44,000 visitors. When not sailing, the boat is berthed in Anstruther harbour opposite the museum.
In total, the collection comprises over 66,000 items. In 2007, the museum was one of the first in Scotland to have its entire collection awarded Recognised Collection status byMuseums Galleries Scotland (previously the Scottish Museum Council), designating it as being of national or international importance.[1] The museum also incorporates a small privatechapel, which commemorates the Scots who perished at sea while fishing.
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56°13′19″N2°41′48″W / 56.2219°N 2.6968°W /56.2219; -2.6968
