Yawls in Collieston Harbour circa 1890, prior to the building of the pier and looking north to the part of the village known as the Cliff.

Yawls have returned to the natural harbour under sail. These smaller boats would each have had a crew of three or four men who would have had to row when there was no wind to assist them. During the 1840s and 50s, 250 people were employed in the fishing industry in Collieston. According to the 1843 Statistical Account:

‘The haddock-fishing yields L.1 weekly per man, when the weather permits their going to sea, and they are not allowed to go oftener than twice a-day, a regulation properly introduced by the tacksman of the river Ythan, to prevent the extravagant consumption of bait mussels and in order to reserve a sufficient quantity for the neighbouring villages…….. but the fishermen here pay a stipulated sum yearly, - the young men L.3 each, and those above sixty years of age L.2. They are allowed to gather the mussels only on their side of the river.’

The enormous quantities of empty mussel shells were put to good use and became the many ‘roadies’ (rights-of-way) of Collieston. One roadie, the Shellie Roadie, is still used today and leads from the harbour to the Braehead. 

1843  Statistical Account contd: 

‘The cod-fishing continues from October to February inclusive, and the fish are contracted for by a merchant who pickles and barrels them for the London market, at the average amount of L.1, 8s. per barrel, each containing about seventy fish for which he pays to the fishermen 4d. a-piece over head. The number of barrels during the season is 293, which produces a handsome revenue to all concerned. Of late years, five boats with the requisite complement of men and women, have gone to Peterhead for the herring-fishery, which has hitherto proved a profitable speculation, and not so detrimental to morals as might have been expected from the accounts given of the demoralising effects of this sort of occupation.’ 

According to the above account, fishing was seen as a rather demoralising occupation, but this did not seem to be the case with the Collieston fishing community. On the contrary, all records indicate that towards the end of the 19th century, Collieston fishermen and their families were enjoying a period of relative prosperity.  However, for this prosperity to continue, the fishermen decided that they would have to invest in bigger boats to enable them to compete with the other north-east fishing communities. This posed a significant problem for the forward-thinking men due to the fact that bigger boats would require deeper water and a sheltered harbour.  Undeterred, the fishermen set up the Collieston Harbour Committee and thus it came to pass that, after several years of petitioning, on 9th April 1894, permission was granted by the Fishery Board for a pier to be constructed at the north end of Collieston’s natural harbour.

Find out what happened after the pier was built in next month’s Old Photo of the Month.

If you have any further information or wish to have any of your photos featured please e-mail colliestononline@yahoo.co.uk