Arbroath haddock using traditional methods dating back to the late 19th century where the fish are first salted overnight to preserve them, before being left tied in pairs to dry. Next, the dried fish are hung in a special barrel containing a hardwood fire and covered with a lid. After around an hour of smoking, the fish are golden brown and ready to eat. The preparation of smokies remains a cottage industry in Arbroath, centred almost exclusively at the harbour area. However, one larger processor, RR Spink, supplied Arbroath smokies to several UK supermarket chains. It appears that, nowadays, the firm
Arbroath is Roman Catholic, the remaining schools are non-denominational. There are 2,260 pupils in primary school education in Arbroath with a further 1,720 pupils in secondary education. Arbroath has two secondary schools, Arbroath High School and Arbroath Academy. The high school (the older of the two), was originally a grammar school and the academy a comprehensive. The academy is located near the Mayfield area and the high school near Keptie Pond. Both schools are well regarded with exam results along reading and writing performance indicators above the national average. Arbroath High is the larger of the two with around 1,200 pupils,