The coastal area of Banffshire is not only home to the red phone box, which features in the film ‘Local Hero’, but also to its own local heroes. Famed for its fishing heritage, the area has its own real-life ‘characters’ who relish in relaying tall stories to locals and visitors about their journeys and times at sea. This summers Banffshire maritime heritage exhibition pays homage to these men and women of a by-gone era.
John Sellar, who along with his brother used to manage the salmon fishing operation in the area, says, “Going into the salmon fishing business was our family tradition, my great-grandfather started the company J Sellar and Son in 1871, and when my grandfather and his brothers passed away, my father and his brothers took over the business. So when I left school in the early 50’s I went to work in the family business. Our company then was based in Boddam, but fished for salmon from Macduff west to Portessie, so over the years I have seen many different types of fishing. At that time we used cotton nets to catch the fish. These were called bag nets. The bag net was a form of trap; the top rope was buoyed with corks and then submerged on the bottom rope to a depth of ten to sixteen feet. The bag or trap was held in position with rope, wires, which were usually buoyed, and chains which were sometimes shackled to the rocks or held in shore with anchors. The head of the bag was again held off the shore with wire and a length of chain attached to a heavy anchor. The bag was left in the same position for the entire season but was changed with a clean net weekly to save the netting getting covered with marine growth.
“We encountered many storms over the length of a fishing season and one that springs to mind was the Queen Elizabeth Coronation storm in June 1953. Most of our nets were destroyed along the length of the coast. After the storm it took us two or three days to get the nets replaced and put into fishing order again. The wrecked nets were dried and stored with a label stating the extent of damage to be repaired at a later date, as we had to keep up with the daily work of the season. When we did have a spare hour or two we used to mend the nets on the green through the summer. By June we were going to sea at 5am and often I used to fall asleep in the late afternoon summer sun still holding the net, as my father was giving me instructions on how to repair them. Many salmon fishers still use the bag net method to catch fish, however nylon nets with synthetic ropes and buoys are now used, which has made them a lot lighter yet stronger than the cotton ones we had.
“The salmon cobles we used ranged from 25 feet to 28 feet and were built by my father and his brothers in our net factory at Boddam. During the late 1970’s we built a 30 foot coble, as with the modern marine engine, we were covering more coastline with our nets and also carrying more gear. Once that coble was completed we took a fibre glass mould of the hull which allowed us to build in glass reinforced plastic from then on. We did this for many salmon-fishing companies throughout Scotland.
“For many people living on the Banffshire coast, fishing was in their blood, often following in the footsteps of their father and their father’s father, so this exhibition will really be a journey back in time for these people, celebrating their memories of their time at sea. Although I am no longer involved in the salmon fishing today, I still live in Macduff which means I can keep up to date with what’s going on within the fishing industry in the area.â€
Stanley Bruce, chairman of the Banffshire Maritime Heritage Association, says, “The Banffshire Maritime Heritage Association was established because there is a significant interest locally in maritime heritage. During the summer season there will be a continually changing variety of slideshows, videos and films available to view. These will generally be of the local fishing heritage, but will also show local attractions such as the beautiful Banffshire coast.â€
Also on display will be maritime artefacts such as paintings, photographs, boats and oil-rig models, stories and poems. A children’s corner will also feature with fishing boats to colour-in as well as a boat and lighthouse to draw and add to the exhibitions collage.
The Banffshire Heritage Maritime Exhibition is open from July to October 2006. Entrance times are Mon – Sun 1.00pm to 5.00pm, closed on Tuesday. Thursday – 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Entrance fee to the exhibition is Adult: £1.50, Child/ Concession: £1.00, Children 5 years or under: Free, Family ticket: £4.00. Further information on fishing and the history and heritage of the area can be found at www.banffshirecoast.com or by calling 08708 030251.
