Portknockie Harbour North East Aberdeenshire, Grampian. Scotland. XPL 3256-323
Portknockie is a cliff-top village overlooking the Moray Firth in NE Scotland, midway between Aberdeen and Inverness. Early settlement at this location is suggested by the remains of Iron Age and Pictish fortifications that have been found on a promontory that shelters the harbour known as the Green Castle. The village was founded in 1677 and it became a significant herring fishing port during the nineteenth century. At the height of the herring fishing boom about 100 sailing boats crowded its harbour, many of them being of the famous Zulu design. Between 1883 and 1905 some of these boats were being built in the village. The present harbour features date from 1890 and, as late as 1929, it was still being used by up to 58 steam drifters. Today, Portknockie’s fishing fleet comprises ten modern boats, which land their fish at Scotland’s east and west coast ports with just five smaller boats locally landing creels and mackerel. Portknockie still retains many of the features and the charm of its fishing heritage days. It is a conservation area with some1 300 residents living in 530 houses. The old part of the village is around the harbour and features traditional, single storey housing in north-south rows. In late Victorian times increased prosperity from the fishing led to the construction of larger houses with dormer windows and lofts for storing nets. These houses often have outside stone steps leading to the lofts. Council-built houses were introduced after world war two on the eastern side of the village and, more recently, there has been an expansion of private bungalows to the south and west. The "Portknockie Experience" is an interesting walk that visitors can take around the conservation area of the village assisted by a locally produced guide. In the 1920’s Portknockie had over 48 shops and business premises but today, it is essentially a residential community. Most of the commercial life of the village is around the Square, which contains a signpost to loc
Size: 5288px × 3512px
Location: Portknockie harbour, Moray. Grampian Region. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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