# ABP Abbatoir, Bathgate November 2017



## mookster (Nov 13, 2017)

The second of my Scotland posts, and another place I had wanted to see for some time.

Anglo Beef Processors, or ABP, is one of Europe's leading food processing companies. Their facility in Bathgate in Scotland shut down in 2005, which was a major blow for the farm industry as it handled roughly half a million lambs per year - more than a third of all the lambs produced by Scottish farmers annually. The closure had been on the cards for some time, as it specialised in lambs in a seasonal Scottish market so the money simply wasn't there to keep it running.

Since the closure it has sat derelict and deteriorating, there was a fire on the upper floor a few years back which caused a bit of damage but didn't touch the main body of the plant. I have to say I expected to get a bit weirded out by this place but on a lovely sunny weekday morning I was fine. It's been trashed and bashed but a lot of the old mechanics are still present inside, and it's certainly one of the more unique locations I have shot.



































































One thing's for sure, this is not a place to take your vegetarian friends!

More here https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/albums/72157666315226509 ​


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## smiler (Nov 13, 2017)

Well shot Mookster, I don't think I'll be having lamb this Sunday, Thanks


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## Pincheck (Nov 13, 2017)

Yes well the place has fell like brick from the way it was when first closed and power was still on


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## HughieD (Nov 14, 2017)

Good set of a place I probably wouldn't go to myself so thank you Mook!


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## Dirus_Strictus (Nov 14, 2017)

Very nice set of images which never ever record the working atmosphere of these places. Such a politically correct word - abattoir, it just rolls off the tongue, but pretty names cannot disguise the fact that it is just a good old slaughter-house on a mechanised scale.Eat meat and you need proper, fully monitored production facilities. I come from a farming background and some of these places in the '50's were horrendous; my uncle would never use the one most local to the family farm and it wasn't until I read a Min of Ag report some years later, that I understood why!


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## krela (Nov 14, 2017)

Have taken my own lambs to one and walked through the process to start to finish myself (yes I've had my own lambs in the past). It's not a pleasant process, but if you eat meat you should at least know what goes into it getting to your plate.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Nov 15, 2017)

Entertaining little beasts aren't they, especially the ones that need hand rearing to start them off!


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## smiler (Nov 15, 2017)

Never liked it when beast's were sent to the slaughter house, guess that's why farming wasn't for me,


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## RedX_unleashed (Nov 16, 2017)

Posts like this always make me think about going veggie (again). Great report, and definitely food for thought (no pun intended)


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## Potter (Nov 16, 2017)

"One thing's for sure, this is not a place to take your vegetarian friends!"

Well, as a veggie, I think this is the best kind of these places - A closed down one.

Interesting to see though.


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## prettyvacant71 (Nov 22, 2017)

Definitely one of the more surreal explores! I'd probably have felt a little sad in there with all the ceiling rails and signs like "detention pen" but I would have still had a good look around as we can't help ourselves can we


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## THEGART (Nov 23, 2017)

URRRG !!! I have just turned vegan and I find it a little sickening, like Potter said in the previous post .. its the best kind of way to find these places!


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