SCOTCH FISHERIES. 161 



to the half-finished piers at various times by bad wea- 

 ther, that further assistance from the Treasury, in 

 order to bring the work to completion, seemed by the 

 last Keport of the Board of Fisheries to have been 

 thought necessary. It is along part of this side of the 

 Firth, and a little northwards, that beam trawling in 

 comparatively shallow water is carried on at times ; 

 but it is on such a small scale, that it does not require 

 much notice. 



From the Firth of Forth northwar^ to Frazerburgh, 

 the fisheries are as usual by drift net and line; but 

 several important stations are met with on this range 

 of coast, where the herring fishery is prosecuted with 

 considerable success. Montrose, Aberdeen, Peterhead, 

 and Frazerburgh may be mentioned as being stations 

 for large fisheries, and the last two have in recent 

 years taken the principal position on the east coast for 

 the extent of their curing operations. Before speaking 

 of these places, however, I should mention that this 

 part of the east coast has long been famous for its 

 haddock fishery, and that at the village of Findon, 

 between Stonehaven and Aberdeen, the preparation of 

 the celebrated "Finnan haddies" was first attempted. 

 The peculiarity in the fish cured there, and which has 

 brought them so much into favour, is that they are 

 hung in the smoke of peat fires. By this operation 

 the fish acquire a peculiar flavour, which enables them 

 to fetch a higher price than the ordinary smoked had- 

 docks which are largely prepared at Grimsby and 

 many other places both in England and Scotland. 

 The name of "Finnan haddie" is so popular, however, 



