3

Fishwives gutting herring in a yard at Point Law. c.1900. Behind them are the barrels into which the herring would be packed with salt ready for export.

47

Crews of fish gutters at work in the open air. The shiploads of barrels full of salted herring are ready for export to the Baltic.

279

Herring boats near the Harbour

502

A Leith registered fifie leaving Aberdeen Harbour. The white building seen behind the sails is the Round House, the Harbour Master's office, on the New Quay at Fittie. The fifie was a fast wind-powered sailing boat favoured for herring fishing on much of Scotland's east coast from the 1850s until well into the 20th century. Its main features were the vertical stem (front) and stern (back) and the wide beam (width) making them stable in the water. Fifies had two masts, a main dipping lugsail and a mizzen sail. Fifie's were increasingly decked following the recommendations of Captain Washington's 1849 report into the Moray Firth fishing disaster. See SCRAN's webpage on Scottish sail powered fishing boats for more information on the subject. The Tidal Harbour is in the background, beyond the landing stage of Pocra Quay's Lower Basin.

630

A George Washington Wilson photograph titled The Herring Season at Aberdeen. It is numbered 2957. It shows sail fishing boats returning through Aberdeen's harbour mouth. The South Breakwater can be seen in the background. The most visible boats are registered in Inverness (INS2092 and INS34).

1105

A George Washington Wilson photograph showing herring being gutted, salted and packed in barrels for export to the Baltic. The image does not show Aberdeen, but another UK harbour, perhaps Stromness.

1505

This image has not yet been indexed. Use the Comments button below the image to enter information about the photograph. Please note: we will not include any personal information provided unless you indicate that you wish to be acknowledged. The standard form for crediting your information is (name, place) e.g. (John Smith, Aberdeen).

1746

Aviation as a commercial proposition came to Aberdeen in the early 1930s. The main individual involved in this development was a Mr Eric Gandar Dower. He it was who pioneered the use of the illustrated aircraft. This D.H. Dragon type biplane was owned by Aberdeen Airways Ltd, a company which was formed and registered by Gandar Dower in January 1934. Early flights took place between Aberdeen and Edinburgh as well as north to Kirkwall in Shetland.

1800

An image entitled Home from the Herring Harvest. It shows the paddle steam tugboat John McConnachie (built 1879) towing a large number of scaffie fishing vessels into Aberdeen Harbour. The south breakwater can be seen in the background. Steam tugboats were greatly useful for the safe and orderly navigation of the harbour by sailing ships. They were also employed in rescue and salvage operations and for the launching of boats.

1914

A portrait of Baillie James Tulloch (30th September 1830 - 16th November 1925). Upon his death, at home at 5 Devonshire Road, The Press and Journal wrote that "Aberdeen has lost one of its oldest citizens and certainly one of the most public spirited it has possessed in the course of the last half-century." Tulloch was the second son of a ship-master who hailed from Shetland. He was a "Fittie Boy", having been born at 14 Clement Street. His primary business was supplying emigrant boats with groceries and other supplies. He was one of the founders of the Party of Progress and entered the council in 1869. He was instrumental in the construction of Victoria Bridge after the Torry ferryboat disaster. He was also associated with the Riverside Road scheme, Ferryhill, Union Terrace improvements and the Public Library movement. Tulloch was also involved in infrastructural improvements to mail delivery, railway and the telegraph. Furthermore, he played a crucial role in the extension of the university.

2700

This is one of two images copies of which were kindly donated to Aberdeen Local Studies in 2015. We believe the photographs show different crews of the St Rognvald that was built in Aberdeen in 1901 by Hall, Russell & Company. It was a steel construction steamship that carried passengers and cargo and sailed routes that included Leith, Aberdeen, Orkney and Shetland. The ship was owned by the North of Scotland and Orkney and Shetland Steam Navigation Company. If you can provide any information on the individuals in this photograph we would be delighted to hear from you. Please use the comment button on the left.

2701

This is one of two images copies of which were kindly donated to Aberdeen Local Studies in 2015. We believe the photographs show different crews of the St Rognvald that was built in Aberdeen in 1901 by Hall, Russell & Company. It was a steel construction steamship that carried passengers and cargo and sailed routes that included Leith, Aberdeen, Orkney and Shetland. The ship was owned by the North of Scotland and Orkney and Shetland Steam Navigation Company. If you can provide any information on the individuals in this photograph we would be delighted to hear from you. Please use the comment button on the left.

3144

An Adelphi series photograph showing a fleet of herring fishing boats in Aberdeen Harbour. The postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries so that we could create a digital copy for public use.

3326

A print of a George Washington Wilson photograph showing a woman carrying kishies (creels) of peat and continuing with her knitting as she walked.

3327

This photograph, taken by George Washington Wilson in Shetland, shows a group of ponies in front of a hut. Shetland had indeed ponies to carry or pull loads.

3328

A print of a George Washington Wilson photograph showing a group of children. Most of them are barefoot.

3330

The women were seasonal workers travelling from coastal villages in Moray and North-east Scotland as they followed the migration of the herring shoals.

3337

A scene of industry at the end of Albert Quay. Fishermen can be seen unloading crans of herring from their steam drifters into barrels on horse drawn carts. Given the location, some way from the more hygienic fish market, and the rough and ready barrels, these may be condemned, waste fish, heading to nearby chemical works to be converted into fishmeal. Looking east, the photograph shows the ferry office in the background on the right. Between the carts part of a pontoon dock marked Aberdeen can be seen in the distance. The photograph was likely taken around the 1920s.

3514

Image looking east along the floor of the graving dock on Commercial Road. This dry dock is shown in the Aberdeenshire LXXV.11 Ordnance Survey 25-inch map published 1902. The photograph depicts multiple steamships set up for maintenance. The third boat along is the Maggie Gault (INS 126). The Aberdeen Built Ships website states that the boat was built by John Duthie of Torry for James and William Gault, Lossiemouth. It was a steam herring drifter that launched in April 1910.

3535

A photograph looking north west from Point Law, across Albert Basin, to Matthews' Quay. This image has been taken from a high vantage point. Possibly a chimney located at the junction of Point Law and Ocean Row. A couple of large merchant vessels are moored at Matthews' Quay. The one of the left looks like the steamship St. Sunniva, built in 1887 by Hall Russell for the North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

3536

This high shot affords north-west views featuring the edge of Point Law and Provost Mathews' Quay. The left of the image contains the ferry terminal structure. To the right of this building, three trawlers sit moored in the foreground. These vessels are quite possibly Fife-Ness (A377), the Blossom (A9), and Star of the North (A633). All three of these vessels were registered in the area between 1903 and 1915. A large merchant ship can also be seen along Provost Mathews' Quay. This looks like the steamship St. Sunniva, built in 1887 by Hall Russell for the North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company Ltd. As their name suggests, the company operated services to the Northern Isles. Beyond Matthews' Quay, Victoria Dock is visible. The commercial traffic taking up the river and bustling townscape in the distance highlights the merchant trade for which Aberdeen was famed.

3541

Photograph looking east along Mearns' Quay. Multiple trawlers with designations from Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth can be seen along the quayside. In the photo can be seen the steam trawler Elysian Dawn (A277) which was built in Glasgow by Mackie and Thomson for The Steam Herring Fleet in Aberdeen during 1909. In 1923 it came into the possession of J. Smith in Buckie and was re-registered as BCK424. In 1948 it was broken up. The ornate granite building on the quay in the distance is one of two Valve House Siphon Outlets of Aberdeen Corporation Sewage Works located on either side of the river. The presence of the A277 in this photo dates it to 1923 or before.

3568

This is a photograph taken from the Pocra Quay looking south-east across the harbour. The hill of Balnagask is visible in the background. The image depicts a line of steam drifters, which were primarily used to catch herring. A number of ships registered in Banff are visible with drifter Winner (BF1805) in the front. It was built in 1905 by William Geddes for John, James and Peter Reid from Portgordon. Between 1915-1919, during the World War I it was a part of Admiralty Service under the number 3153. It served as a net vessel, which laid out anti-submarine or anti-torpedo nets. The ship belonged to the Reid family until it was broken up in 1952 and is known as the last Portgordon drifter.

3569

This photograph depicts Pocra Quay on the left and the South breakwater lighthouse off in the distance on the right. Multiple ships are registered in Aberdeen and Banff, such as Ebenezer (A892) belonging to Thomas Davidson, Callykhan (BF122) of J. Murray & others, and Tarbat Ness (A203) and Buchan Ness (A204) which belonged to the Girdleness Herring Drifting Company Ltd. based in Aberdeen. Buchan Ness (A204) was built in 1908 and over the years had its name and registration changed a couple of times. In 1912 it was renamed to F.H.S. and moved to Yarmouth for John F. C. Salmon. Then, in 1929 it was moved to Banff and renamed again to Thealby for John Wood. The wood screw steamer Vine (A279) also has an interesting story. It was built in 1900 by Forbes & Birnie based in Peterhead for a fish salesman from Aberdeen Thomas Davidson. An article written in The Buchan Observer of 20th March 1900 describes a celebratory banquet in honour of the newly built ship as it was leaving Peterhead to Aberdeen, where it would have a steam engine installed. The vessel was described as an "extraordinary success" due to its appearance and speed. Unfortunately, in 1915, the ship was captured by enemy submarine and sunk with gunfire 30 miles north-east from Out Skerries, Shetland. All crew returned home safely. The photograph was likely taken between the years of 1908 and 1915.