Scottish Jaunt 2013: Wick

Old photo of the herring fleet in Wick: wooden casks for herring in foreground.
Harbour packed with boats  

Gutter lassies – could gut and pack up to 40 herring a minute 

  

Outer harbour full of boats

We spent much of yesterday in Wick – once the biggest herring port in the World - 1907 was apparently the height. CRM's grandfather was a fisherman in Wick with his own boat. We spent some time at the extensive Wick Heritage Museum, which devotes considerable space to the fishing industry with much of the history captured by photos from the Johnson Collection.

Wick harbour today – another part is now a marina  

Silver Fjord – one of the very few fishing boats in the harbour

 Wick Herring Mart built in 1892 (above and below)

Ruined warehouse in harbour area

Wick Heritage Museum  

Rose Street leading to the marina  

 Bank Row and the marina 

Sign for Bank Row 

Bank Row: where the first daytime bombs fell in World War Two on the afternoon of 1st July 1940. 15 people were killed including eight children out playing as it was the summer holidays. The attractive Memorial Gardens in Bank Row are close to the Heritage Museum.

     

Poem about the bombing by William Lyall

Part of the garden

Mosiacs in the garden 

Leading up from Bank Row are the Black Stairs 

made famous by LS Lowry's painting: Steps at Wick 

(above and below)

Plaque commemorating the spot where Lowry painted his picture

Williamson Street

Cyclist on Williamson Street