While Peterhead, which established a new port value record on £171M in 2014, continues to be the main fishing port in Britain by some considerable margin, this selection of photographs, all of which were taken in the past 30 years, illustrates the extent to which times have changed both for Peterhead, and the Scottish whitefish fleet.

The first photo (above), taken round 1990 from the top of the ice plant, depicts a typical scene of two tiers of wooden boats, mainly seine netters together with a smaller number of single boat and pair trawlers, berthed in Port Henry Harbour. Iolair BCK 193, Ocean Trust PD 127, Meldarnic BCK 193 and Ocean Reward II BCK 150 are closest to the camera.

From the back right, boats lying stern-on to the quay are probably Solan BCK 195, Antaeus BCK 36, Hope BCK 59, Ardency INS 262, Rosemary INS 189, Hazelmore BCK 83, Sharona LH 250, Shemariah LH 65 and Rose of Sharon IV LH 119.

Radiant Star PD 251, Moremma BCK 135 and Golden Splendour INS 63 are the three offside boats in the smallest trot of vessels.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 2

Wooden fish boxes, as can be seen in the second photo, were still being used when local skipper Johnny Simpson’s seine netter Regent Bird PD 343 was landing into the Greenhill fishmarket in the mid-‘80s.

The 74-feet Regent Bird was built by Richard Irvin in 1961, within 100 yards of where the boat is photographed landing as Graceful PD 343 for Peterhead skipper Alex Morgan.

Pair trawlers are well represented in the cluster of whitefish vessels landing their shots in the third photo taken towards the end of the ‘90s.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 3

Skipper Andrew Buchan’s Favonius PD 17 is ahead of Pindarus FR 159, Pleiades PD 170, Fair Dawn INS 89, Julie Anne FR, Ocean Challenge BF 85, Karen Ann FR 559 and the Fraserburgh seine netters Faithful FR 120 and Renown FR 246.

Taken in October 1998, the fourth photo shows construction work underway for the new Merchants Quay, on which the new Peterhead fishmarket was opened three years later, by HRH Princess Anne.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 4

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 5

The fifth image is one of whitefish trawlers Fairway PD 197, Sustain BCK 62, Quiet Waters III FR 353, Golden Sceptre BF 354 and Moray Endeavour BCK 17, landing into Greenhill fishmarket in the early hours of a fine summer’s morning in the late 1980s.

If you would like to send in any images for inclusion on our archives pages, with any supporting information, you can email high resolution scans to fishing.archive@kelsey.co.uk. Alternatively you can post pictures to Fishing News Archive, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN15 3AG.

Read more from Fishing News here

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While Peterhead, which established a new port value record on £171M in 2014, continues to be the main fishing port in Britain by some considerable margin, this selection of photographs, all of which were taken in the past 30 years, illustrates the extent to which times have changed both for Peterhead, and the Scottish whitefish fleet.

The first photo (above), taken round 1990 from the top of the ice plant, depicts a typical scene of two tiers of wooden boats, mainly seine netters together with a smaller number of single boat and pair trawlers, berthed in Port Henry Harbour. Iolair BCK 193, Ocean Trust PD 127, Meldarnic BCK 193 and Ocean Reward II BCK 150 are closest to the camera.

From the back right, boats lying stern-on to the quay are probably Solan BCK 195, Antaeus BCK 36, Hope BCK 59, Ardency INS 262, Rosemary INS 189, Hazelmore BCK 83, Sharona LH 250, Shemariah LH 65 and Rose of Sharon IV LH 119.

Radiant Star PD 251, Moremma BCK 135 and Golden Splendour INS 63 are the three offside boats in the smallest trot of vessels.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 2

Wooden fish boxes, as can be seen in the second photo, were still being used when local skipper Johnny Simpson’s seine netter Regent Bird PD 343 was landing into the Greenhill fishmarket in the mid-‘80s.

The 74-feet Regent Bird was built by Richard Irvin in 1961, within 100 yards of where the boat is photographed landing as Graceful PD 343 for Peterhead skipper Alex Morgan.

Pair trawlers are well represented in the cluster of whitefish vessels landing their shots in the third photo taken towards the end of the ‘90s.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 3

Skipper Andrew Buchan’s Favonius PD 17 is ahead of Pindarus FR 159, Pleiades PD 170, Fair Dawn INS 89, Julie Anne FR, Ocean Challenge BF 85, Karen Ann FR 559 and the Fraserburgh seine netters Faithful FR 120 and Renown FR 246.

Taken in October 1998, the fourth photo shows construction work underway for the new Merchants Quay, on which the new Peterhead fishmarket was opened three years later, by HRH Princess Anne.

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 4

Ports in the past: Peterhead

Photo 5

The fifth image is one of whitefish trawlers Fairway PD 197, Sustain BCK 62, Quiet Waters III FR 353, Golden Sceptre BF 354 and Moray Endeavour BCK 17, landing into Greenhill fishmarket in the early hours of a fine summer’s morning in the late 1980s.

If you would like to send in any images for inclusion on our archives pages, with any supporting information, you can email high resolution scans to fishing.archive@kelsey.co.uk. Alternatively you can post pictures to Fishing News Archive, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN15 3AG.

Read more from Fishing News here

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