12 IMPROVED FISHERY HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION 



harbour here, and the writer would wish to record his 

 concurrence with the views of Mr. Leslie. 



PETERHEAD. 



This port is almost the chief fishery port in Scotland, 

 Fraserburgh alone being superior to it. It enters not only 

 into the herring and home, but also into the Arctic whale 

 and seal fisheries. It has two harbours connected by a canal, 

 and being seated as well on a peninsula, the entrance of 

 either harbour can be used for arrival or departure, as the 

 wind may render most convenient. 



Mr. Young tells us the north harbour has an area of 9^-, 

 the south of 54- acres, there is also a third and new harbour 

 at Port Henry, of about 5 acres. 



Great improvements have been made, but at times there 

 is so great an influx of boats that the harbour area is in- 

 sufficient. Herrings cured at Peterhead in 1880, 271,850 

 barrels ; 647 boats employed ; tonnage, 6874 tons ; crews, 

 2656 men ; curers, coopers, and fishermen ; total employed 

 afloat or ashore, 6723, in 1880. Boats, 311, first class over 

 30 feet keel ; aggregate tonnage, 5287. The first-class boats 

 far preponderate over the others, and by their size have 

 quite outgrown the harbours ; " deeper and more spacious 

 harbours, therefore," says Mr. Young, "are a matter of 

 national importance, and indeed of absolute necessity, if 

 full advantage is to be taken of the unexhausted and 

 inexhaustible harvest of the sea." 



Peterhead, however, is so situated that much ad- 

 ditional harbour accommodation is requisite, being one 

 of those which from their situation should combine in 

 one locality both harbours of refuge and fishing boat 

 accommodation. 



