Arbroath Signal Tower Museum
A free museum in the former shore station of the Bell Rock Lighthouse beside Arbroath harbour, covering the lighthouse, local fishing and a guided climb up the signal tower.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Signal Tower was built in 1813 as the shore station for the Bell Rock Lighthouse, which stands on a reef about eleven miles out in the North Sea. The tower took its name from the signals used to communicate between the lighthouse keepers and the staff on land, and the complex beside the harbour also held a sea wall, storehouses and homes for the keepers' families.
The station served the lighthouse for well over a century. After the keepers' families moved to new housing elsewhere in the 1950s, the buildings were let as council housing for around two decades, and the Signal Tower opened as a museum in 1974.
Today the museum is run by the local trust ANGUSalive and tells the story of the Bell Rock Lighthouse together with Arbroath's fishing, maritime, social, industrial and church history. New galleries opened in September 2019, including a display on the town's fishing heritage with audio-visual games and quizzes, and a smaller cottage gallery is used for changing exhibitions. In season, staff lead visitors up the spiral stairs and ladders to the tower room at the top of the building.
Highlights
- Displays about the Bell Rock Lighthouse and its shore station
- Spotlight on Arbroath's Fishing Heritage gallery with interactive games
- Guided climb to the signal tower room (seasonal)
- Free entry beside Arbroath harbour
- Virtual tower tour in four languages
Permanent exhibitions
- Spotlight on Arbroath's Fishing Heritage – A gallery opened in 2019 on the town's fishing history, with audio-visual games and quizzes.
- Bell Rock Lighthouse and the Signal Tower – Displays on the lighthouse, its shore station and the tower that was used to signal to the keepers.
- Founded
- 1974
- Operated by
- ANGUSalive
- Director
- Angus
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Guided tours, talks and workshops for school groups from Angus are free but must be booked. |
|---|
Admission to the museum is free, and the guided tower tour is also free, although donations are welcome. The museum takes card payments only.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The lower floors have wheelchair access, and the upper floor is presented through a computer system for visitors who cannot reach it. The tower room is reached by about 70 spiral steps and a vertical ladder, so a virtual visit is offered in English, Gaelic, Polish and Romanian. Accessible toilets and changing facilities are available. Dogs are welcome if kept on a short lead and under control.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
The fishing heritage gallery includes games and quizzes that children can play. Birthday parties can be booked at the museum. The tower climb is not suitable for children under 8.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Arbroath railway station · 15-min walk
The museum is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Arbroath railway station and about a 10 minute walk from Arbroath bus station; there is no bus stop outside.
By car
Parking available
A small car park stands in front of the museum. When it is full, a pay-and-display Angus Council car park is nearby at the harbour.
The museum stands beside Arbroath harbour on the A92. There is a bike rack outside the museum gates.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is available for visitors. The museum shop sells local artwork, jewellery, books and prints. There is no café on site. The museum takes card payments only.
Events & venue rental
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tower tours run at noon from Friday to Monday between 1 April and 31 October and can be booked on arrival. They are not suitable for children under 8, for people who are not fit enough for the climb, or for visitors with vertigo or claustrophobia; flat shoes are essential and staff may refuse entry for safety reasons. School groups can book through the ANGUSalive creative learning advisers. |
