"A Fishing Fleet" - watercolour - 18 x 26 cm
My
latest project has been a series of paintings of old fishing boats.
These sailing vessels were once a common sight around the coasts of
Scotland. In Caithness they were used to fish for herring and they
supported a large industry. People travelled from far away to find
seasonal work processing the fish that were brought ashore. The town
of Wick became prosperous as a result of its large fishing fleet and
its link by railway to the south. Unfortunately numbers of herring,
or "Silver Darlings" as they were known, declined and the
industry collapsed. Where Wick harbour was once full of fishing
boats, there are now only a few modern vessels. Some of the old boats
still survive in Scotland, lovingly restored, and occasionally they
come together for special events.
