Old Photograph Harbour North Berwick Scotland

Old photograph of fishing boats in the harbour in North Berwick, Scotland. The harbour was built around 1150, with the first documented record of its existence coming in 1177. In the early days there were ferry services to Earlsferry near Elie in Fife, with up to 10,000 pilgrims passing through the port every year on their way to St Andrews. When North Berwick received the Royal Charter and became a Royal Burgh in 1373, the design of a ferryboat was incorporated into the town crest, which remains unchanged today. However, pilgrims gradually became few and far between and after over 500 years of operation the ferry services had disappeared by 1692. The focus of the harbour then switched to commerce and fishing. The main exports in 1794 being wheat and barley, and the main imports wood and iron. The harbour was deepened in 1804 and again in 1831 allowing large commercial craft to dock. The arrival of the railway in North Berwick lessened the need for freight to be shipped in but allowed local fishermen to send their catches to all parts of the UK and beyond.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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