The Arbroath Guildry was incorporated in 1725 as a result of an
agreement made by the Town Council with the town’s merchants
regarding the building of a new harbour to improve trade. At that
time, the Guildry comprised the town’s principal merchants as well
as other prominent citizens who became members so their
subscriptions could help with the harbour costs.

Circa 1780 a Guild Hall (or Guildry building), with a meeting room
and a variety of offices, was constructed on the High Street site. This
building was also used by burgh officials until a new town house was
completed in 1808

This new building was designed by William Scott initially a builder,
and later an architect, in Arbroath. He was Inspector of Harbour
Works and architect to the School Board. His design was a plain,
three storey building echoing the scale and style of the then High
Street.

Fire and Rebuilding

After a fire in 1860 the building was redesigned by William Smith, an
Arbroath architect and builder, between 1880 and 1881, and is a rare
and good surviving example of a purpose-built guild hall. Purpose
built guild halls are a rare as many guilds would have had meeting
rooms in other buildings – only 10 guild halls remain in all of
Scotland.

The Guild Hall has significant streetscape presence in the town
centre because of its symmetrical design and wealth of good
stonework detailing to the principal elevation. This detailing includes
a decorative doorpiece, pilastered and keystoned windows and a
sculpture panel of the Arbroath Guildry Incorporation’s crest, which
indicates the building’s original function and was carried out by
James Fillans Jnr of Glasgow.

Features and Fines

In 2000 the Scottish Court Service purchased the guildry building and
connected it, internally, to the adjacent 1808 former town house.
As part of this renovation work the interior of the guildry building
was substantially refurbished to provide an additional courtroom,
and increase witness, sheriff, jury and office accommodation.
The ceiling in courtroom 2 was substantially repaired, having been
covered by a suspended ceiling and when uncovered it was found to
be badly damaged. Etched glass panels were relocated to the former
town house at this time. The building reopened in June 2001.