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Arbroath Market has finished its fifth year with a flourish and plans to cement amongst the best in the country.

This summer it has attracted thousands to Victoria Park and accolades by the barrow load from traders, tourists and locals.

The 2021 move from Arbroath High Street to the seafront site was a response to Covid as a way of getting back up and running in a spacious site.

And founder Morag Lindsay says it has paid off big style for the event.

This summer it has seen 40 to 50 stall holders at the monthly market and thousands turning up the last Sunday of the month, drawn by the array of food and drink the area is renowned for.

Morag says it’s been a phenomenal result for the event.

She wanted Arbroath to have its own farmers’ market after being stung by a survey which put the town near the bottom of Scotland’s poverty league.

“I’d been involved in different things and was chair of Keptie Friends for a spell,” said Morag.

“One of the things that got me involved in volunteering was an article in The Courier about how Arbroath was one of the worst places in the poverty league.

“I just thought I would do what I could to try and help.”

With experience as a stockbroker, she put her business acumen to work alongside her desire to help the local community.

The market ran successfully in the town centre until the pandemic struck.

But the easing of restrictions last spring saw the switch to Victoria Park.

It proved a masterstroke as folk as folk wanted to get back out and about.

So the event has remained there and Morag says it is likely to make the park its permanent home.

“We are so lucky to have so many traders offering wonderful produce, and people make it a regular thing to visit because of the high quality.” added Morag.

“But we also try to make it as much of a community day as possible.

“Other groups such as Arbroath FC Community Trust are regulars.

“At the weekend we had the Auchmithie residents promoting their own heritage event which is coming up and the Royal Marines Cadets collecting donations for the fire service foodbank.

“It’s difficult to count the numbers, but it is certainly thousands across the day.

“And we do find that people come from quite a way – not just Angus – so they go into town to the eateries, pubs and shops.”

But the volunteers won’t be putting their feet up in the weeks ahead.

“We are being asked to come up with a market for Christmas,” said Morag.

“We’d normally do it on the High Street or the community centre, but that is still being used for vaccinations.

“So, at the moment we’re looking around for another inside venue.”