PICTURES: Golspie Fishertown book launched as part of ‘inspiring’ community heritage project
A booklet produced as part of a community heritage project to uncover information about Golspie’s Fishertown was launched at an event in the village last Thursday.
Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH Highland) received funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out the project, which began in March 2024.
ARCH project officer Tessa Till, invited local people to help with the research and to contribute any memories, information, and photographs they might have about the Fishertown.
Basket making and Gaelic singing workshops were held as part of the project.
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The results have been compiled in a booklet entitled The Story of Golspie Fishertown, written by Ms Till and local historian Malcolm Bangor-Jones, who was chairman of ARCH HIGHLAND at the time of the project.
A mobile display has also been created as well as an online display. There is also a folder of additional information.
Last week’s launch was hosted by Golspie Heritage Society at its base, The Welcome, Station Road. The heritage society has been heavily involved in the project.
Ms Till said : “This was a project that was born here over tea and biscuits. Looking at the pictures on the wall, we thought it would be really lovely to celebrate the heritage of the fishermen.
“Today is really about celebration - celebrating the fact that this project has really got people going. People have become passionate about it, and there are a lot of things that they want to continue doing as part of it.
“We have produced this booklet which is a lovely way to encapsulate all the information we found out. The people involved have done all the work; they helped us gather these amazing memories.”
Ms Till said there had already been a lot of interest in the booklet from the descendants of Golspie people who had moved overseas.
She revealed that ARCH Highland was in the process of designing and assembling an information panel to be placed by the pier on Shore Street.
“Hopefully that will inform visitors about the fishing heritage of the village,” she said.”
Mr Bangor-Jones described the history of Golspie Fishertown as “extraordinary” and said it touched on a number of much wider issues including the impact of technology, the increase in the size of fishing boat; the impact of steam which led to over-exploitation of fishing grounds, public health - how housing became an issue with efforts to improve it, and coastal erosion.
He added: “I want to thank Golspie Heritage Society members; their input has undoubtedly made the booklet much better, and we are extremely grateful for the wonderful photographs, some of which are reproduced in the booklet. The photograph of the opening of the pier is an extraordinary insight into society in 1895.”
The booklet costs £6 and is available from Golspie Heritage Society with all proceeds going to the society. The folder containing further information and the display can be seen at The Welcome during its opening hours, and a copy of the folder has been placed in Golspie Library.
The mobile display is available to any local organisation who would like to have it for a period of time.
The online display can be found at : https://golspiefishertownproject.my.canva.site/
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