FISHING STATIONS— SCOT!. AND. 291 



This portion of the coast, comprising' the shores of 

 the Moray Firth continued to their farthest limits east- 

 ward and northward, has an essentially fishing popula- 

 tion, and includes no less than eight districts according 

 to the divisions made by the Fishery Board. These 

 are Fraserburgh, Banff, Buckie, Findhorn, Cromarty, 

 Helmsdale, Lybster, and Wick. The same drift and 

 line fisheries are carried on in all these districts, but 

 Fraserburgh and Wick are important among the her- 

 ring stations, while the Buckie men are distinguished 

 for the enterprise and industry with which they prose- 

 cute the fishery for cod and ling ; not only fisliing on 

 their own coast, but going away to Caithness and even 

 the northern islands for that purpose. In the Beauly 

 Firth there is a considerable sprat fishery in winter, 

 subject to the usual fluctuation in the setting-in of the 

 shoals, and the same complaints of catching young- 

 herrings in the sprat nets are made here as we have 

 already noticed as occurring in the Firth of Forth. 



We have said nothing hitherto of the style of fishing 

 boat generally used on the coast of Scotland, but we 

 may here notice it, especially as in parts of the Moray 

 P'ii'th there are still in use boats of a different build and 

 rig from those in fashion on most parts of the coast of 

 Scotland. 



There is little difference at first sight in the apjoear- 

 ance above water of the general run of Scotch fishing- 

 boats, but there are many distinctions below the water- 

 line, which, however, can hardly be made clear without 

 giving the lines of each local type. The boats are all 

 sharp at both ends and have a great deal of beam, but 

 differ much in depth and in the extent of rise to the 

 floor. Ten years ago the large-class boats at Wick were 

 about 15 tons, 30 feet keel, 34 feet 6 inches over all, 



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