Arbroath, Scotland, is home of the Arbroath smokie. That’s what people in Edinburgh call ’em; in Arbroath they’re just called smokies! ANYWAY, enough about smoked fish snacks, because today Arbroath is home to a mystery worthy of Detective Inspector John Rebus! Some kids found a woman’s head on the beach in Arbroath, which prompted a local bigwig to give an amazing quote:

Patricia Millar, 54, chairwoman of the Royal Burgh of Arbroath community council, said: “This is the kind of thing you hear about in big cities. I never expected it to happen here.”

Yes, in cities we’ve grown inured to the near-parade of severed heads. Just this morning, I had to kick two out of the way just to get my recycling bucket out to the curb. Don’t get me started on what I exclaimed when I saw my kids playing Mongolian polo with the neighbors! Give me a home in the country, where severed heads make news again!

Photo by karen119