Velvet swimming crabs - catch and cook - freediving

Coastal foraging Velvet swimming crabs, delicious but dangerous crabs - caught by freediving / snorkelling under and abandoned military pier. Cooked on the beach.
Filmed in the Scottish Highlands, in Wester Ross.
Shout out Piscator UK - awesome sea fishing channel, requested a catch and cook - hope this delivers for you mate. / piscatoruk-fishing
Check out my instagram for all the pics of my outdoor adventures - theres plenty more than ends up on youtube. / tomashton_outdoors

[@johnchapman4050]

Cracking video thanks.

[@PaulBrown1963]

Nice video Tom. If they are anything like our blue swimmer crabs, there is a morsel or two of meat at the base of the swimming legs too. Don't throw that away! Keep on crabbing!

[@tjashton]

Thanks for the tip. I’ll have a look next time. The legs are really small - but every morsel counts!

[@ryane8881]

Such a cool vid. Look forward to doing something like that in future

[@NicolasValentinScotland]

Tom ! That's excellent ...

[@PiscatorUK-Fishing]

Well done Tom, great video. 😋😋👍

[@connorbenson4675]

Your videos always make me hungry 😂 great content as always!

[@tjashton]

Thanks Connor. I’m gonna catch something bigger next... these are too small!

[@philipmilne9054]

The buggers always grab onto my line at Peterhead, they're maybe too tired to nip me before the pot

[@trevorsamson2522]

Nice video, as always. Try making a bisque from them, half dozen decent sized ones should do enough for two people. And as you've found out there's plenty of meat in the claws!

[@tjashton]

Sounds like a plan - they have a really nice flavour and are pretty easy to find. Cheers!

[@patrickcavanaghkilmartin]

I can't get my wife to agree to eating them. I like the Masai blanket. I have one that colour too.

[@tjashton]

The crabs are tasty. Just a little small. Yeah I love that blanket. It goes everywhere with me.

[@davidray4437]

have caught thousands of them over the years, knew the French had thing going for them but never seemed to catch enough to make profitable. unless they were saved and stored in ulley boxes. and i never heard of anyone collecting them in my area northeast coast tees mouth south to Whitby and as far as the Humber.

[@johnchapman4050]

I think they get thrown back by lots of fisherman even Langoustine and squat lobster fisherman. Just waiting for some to arrive caught here off the Isle of Bute.

[@marcinstrak9282]

I have never tried them, seems a lot of hassle for a little treat ;)

[@tjashton]

That’s true - but if you collect the biggest ones it’s worth it. The flavour is great. Plus the remains are great for soup / stock

[@ianduncan8096]

Hi where is Ross i think velvet he nicer that lobster just not much meat

[@tjashton]

Wester Ross is in the North West of Scotland. Nearest village to this beach is Aultbea. Yeah lovely flavour - if only they were bigger!

[@ianduncan8096]

I have looked on Google maps cant see the piu

[@tjashton]

@@ianduncan8096 look for Mellon Charles - its about 3 miles North of Aultbea. The old Boom defence from WW2.