Arbroath smokie Arbroath smokie The Arbroath smokie is a type of smoked haddock – a speciality of the town of Arbroath in Angus, Scotland. The Arbroath Smokie is said to have originated in the small fishing village of Auchmithie, three miles northeast of Arbroath. Local legend has it a store caught fire one night, destroying barrels of haddock preserved in salt. The following morning, the people found some of the barrels had caught fire, cooking the haddock inside. Inspection revealed the haddock to be quite tasty. It is much more likely the villagers were of Scandinavian descent, as the 'Smokie making' process
Arbroath registered vessels, totalling 9,100 gross tons. In the same year, 599 vessels docked at Arbroath, 56 from foreign ports (mainly Baltic ports) with the remaining 543 employed on the coastal trade. Bark, flax, hemp, hides, oak and fir timber, and guano for manure, groceries from London, and numerous articles of Baltic produce were imported via Arbroath, with manufactured goods (mainly sailcloth) exported via Arbroath. Driven by the needs of the fishing and commercial sailing industry, in 1795 Arbroath-based sailmaker Francis Webster Ltd had perfected the art of adding linseed oil to flax sails, creating an oiled flax. This developed in