Portsoy with its l7
th century harbour is one of the best known of the North East fishing towns. There are now two harbours in the town, the Old Harbour, built in 1679, served the town for one and a half centuries before a new one was needed to home the ever expanding fishing fleet in 1825. Unfortunately, the New Harbour was severely damaged in savage storms but, happily, was re–built in 1839.
As well as fish, another famous export from Portsoy is a type of serpentine known as Portsoy Marble. Extensively hewn from a quarry slightly to the west of the town, this beautiful dark marble has been used throughout Europe, most notably in the Palace of Versailles.
Also prevalent is Pegmatite, a reddish rock containing mica, which was quarried commercially before and during the last world war under the name Glitterite Ltd. According to rumour, the mica was used in the manufacture of fighter plane cockpit canopies, being sold by a Mr Alexander Legat. Amateur geologists are recommended to visit local beaches to find pieces of these and several other varieties of rocks common in the locality.
Portsoy people have also been known across the globe. When the fishing boats changed from sail to steam, they grew in size, as did the nets, which became unmanageable by hand. The MacDonald brothers of Portsoy whose foundry stood beside Loch Soy provided the answer by designing and building a steam driven capstan as well as a line hauler. Sales of the capstan were generally confined to the British market where it was used for hauling the herring nets, but the line hauler had a large market across the globe as it was used almost exclusively in deep–sea fishing. The foundry closed in the late sixties, but after over a hundred years trading world wide, the MacDonalds helped put Portsoy on the world map.
As well as its fascinating history, Portsoy is rich with countryside walks and wildlife. For more energetic hikers, the old railway line may be followed to Banff in the east. The Durn Hill to the south is also a favourite target for walkers, the view from the summit being one of the finest in the area. Less energetic, but still extremely worthwhile is a walk to the west of the town, down to the open–air swimming pool. This is ideal for getting children into the open air. Leading further West is the coastal pathway to Cullen, past the sandy beaches at Sunnyside and Sandend, and the ruins of Findlater Castle.
Portsoy is no longer a thriving fishing port and like much of the North East now relies more on the growth industry of tourism. With this in mind, great provision is made for visitor and local alike. Excellent accommodation is readily available, lively bars often with live music or discos and quiz nights are the norm. A regular bus service is run with many stops between Elgin and Aberdeen, allowing easy access to other historic towns and villages in the area.
The annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, held in Portsoy, gives an impression through its re–enactments of everyday life, of what it was like to live in the town over a hundred years ago. This is combined with a fleet of traditional boats and demonstrations of time honoured maritime crafts such as rope making, net mending, filleting and curing fish. More modern tastes are also well catered for with live music, dances, the 13km "Follow the Herring" road run and many more activities for young and old alike. This has ensured that the Festival has won international acclaim with many visitors coming from the other side of the globe and returning year after year. All this combined with the friendliness of the locals ensures that time spent in Portsoy, is time never forgotten.
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