Old travel Blog photograph of a man fishing by the harbour at Girvan in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The old town of Girvan stood on the left bank of the Girvan Water where its lowermost reach curves from South and straightens out westwards to finish its course to the sea. It was the seaward part of this reach that formed the original harbour. In 1794, while it was still unimproved, the harbour was considered reasonable, as its entrance gave from 9 feet to 11 feet of water at high tides and vessels were able to get out in all moderate winds. Profits accruing from a glut of herrings which occurred in the 1760s, as well as from the contraband trade, had resulted in the growth of what had previously been a very small town. By 1837 a quay on a very limited scale¿ was constructed, which improved conditions for the trade in coal and grain, and further improvement was contemplated. Further improvement was recorded in 1847. The harbour could accommodate vessels up to 10 feet draught, and Girvan ranked as a large fishing station, supporting 34 boats and 90 men.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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