Scottish Fisheries Museum facts for kids
The Scottish Fisheries Museum is a special place in Anstruther, Fife. It tells the story of Scotland's fishing industry. You can learn about the people who fished and how they lived. The museum covers fishing history from long ago until today.
It opened in 1969. The museum is right by the harbour in Anstruther. This area is famous for its fishing villages like St Monans, Pittenweem, Cellardyke, and Crail. The museum has grown into a big place. It uses many old buildings around a stone courtyard. Some of these buildings are very old, like a 16th-century house and an 18th-century merchant's home. They all have ties to the village's fishing past.
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What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has a huge collection of items. You can see many model boats and old fishing tools. There are also lots of historical photographs and paintings. These show what fishing life was like.
Meet the Reaper Boat
A very special part of the museum is its collection of 18 boats. The most famous one is the Reaper. This boat is over 100 years old. It is a Fifie herring drifter with two masts. The museum's boat club worked hard to restore it.
The Reaper often sails in the summer. Between 2003 and 2005, it visited many ports around Britain. It even went to a big event called the Festival of the Sea. Over 44,000 people came to see it there. When the Reaper is not sailing, you can find it in Anstruther harbour. It is right across from the museum.
A Collection of National Importance
In total, the museum has more than 66,000 items. In 2007, its whole collection received a special award. It was named a "Recognised Collection" by Museums Galleries Scotland. This means the collection is very important for Scotland and even the world.
Remembering Those Lost at Sea
The museum also has a small private chapel. This chapel is a quiet place. It remembers all the Scottish people who lost their lives at sea while fishing.
See also
- Fishing industry in Scotland
