Having never been on the east coast of Scotland I thought I’d give it a run. The idea was to start in Arbroath, head to Aberdeen and then up to Inverness. Exhaustion & the sudden change of weather with snow forecast in the next few days suddenly made that seem untenable.
“The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. It is in the form of a letter in Latin submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland’s status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland’s right to use military action when unjustly attacked.” It is believed to have been drafted in the Abbey and was one of the documents Jefferson used when drafting the US Declaration of Independence. April 6 is celebrated in parts of America as Tartan Day to honor this document.
This mural is at the train station
Arbroath Abbey
After a 5 hour train trip from Chester I felt a walk was needed to loosen thing up. Victoria Park was dedicated to the Queen for her Golden Jubilee with a walk. High cliffs on one side and crashing sea on the other, bracing was a good word.
The town is also the home of Arbroath Smokies. In the same manner as Wellfleet Oysters or Maine Lobster to use the name, the smokies have to be prepared within 5 miles of the town center. So good.
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