MARITIME TRAIL ABERDEEN A guide to Aberdeen’s maritime connections Aberdeen’s Heritage Trail Leaflets Granite Trail March Stones North Sea Trail Old Aberdeen Trail People & Places Sculpture Trail THE HARBOUR OF ABERDEEN Foreword f it were not for the harbour Aberdeen would not exist as we know it Aberdeen Harbour is a working port and busy industrial area. Itoday. The first use of the natural harbour, formed by the River Dee There is heavy traffic, cargo handling and other activities that and its estuary, is very hard to pinpoint. The earliest evidence is in the you should be aware of when walking around. form of tiny flint tools and waste flakes, left by prehistoric flintworkers Access is generally available, but some locations may be around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. temporarily closed for safety, security or operational reasons. Do not enter operational areas at any time. The first written reference to shipping in Aberdeen dates to 1136. The north section of the trail is 2.5 kms in length That charter has been proven to be a facsimile, a later 15th century re (around 1.5 miles) writing of the older charter. The first mention of the ‘key’ dates to The south section of the trail is 3kms in length 1399. The harbour and the quay (or ‘key heid’, as it was sometimes (just under 2 miles) called) were repaired many times and expanded during the medieval period. After 1597, the Burgh Council exercised the right to levy taxes Key to Symbols on all ships entering the harbour for the upkeep of what were called Accessible ‘shore works’. EEP Steep Slope or Gradient ST WITH In the medieval period, the harbour channel and shipping were dogged Wheelchair with assistance HELP by large sand banks known as ‘inches’, only one of which was No wheelchair access permanently visible above the water line. Large ships had to berth at Torry or possibly at Fittie. Their cargoes were then loaded and No public access unloaded by means of small supply vessels. It was only really from Transport the 17th century that efforts were made to deepen the channel. Fittie (or Footdee) can be accessed on the No 15 bus, which stops at the end of New Pier Road (bus stop marked on map) The 19th century saw the greatest period of overall change in the harbour. Increased shipping demanded better facilities and the basis Torry can be accessed on the No 12 bus, which has several for the present harbour layout was developed. stops in Victoria Road. Picture Credits Improvements in the 19th century included the development of Victoria Dock and parts of Waterloo Quay, Matthews Quay and All images © Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and Aberdeen City Council unless otherwise stated Blaikies Quay. The River Dee was diverted to create a new expanse of water and Jamiesons Quay was constructed. Front Cover Aberdeen Maritime Museum A number of shipyards opened around the harbour in the late 17th and No 24 early 18th century. The clipper ship Thermopylae was built in Queen on Forties Aberdeen in 1868 and was one of the fastest ships of its day. Photograph reproduced with the kind permission of the BP Archive No 31 The advent of steam trawling in the 1880’s led to another significant Bottlenose Dolphin increase in activity. Further harbour developments were then Photograph reproduced with the kind permission of Kevin Hepworth, Sea Watch Foundation necessary to accommodate the growing fishing industry and ensure continued success. No 17 Sonar Image of Duke of Sutherland Photograph courtesy of Aberdeen Harbour Board Today Aberdeen’s harbour is best known for its association with the offshore oil and gas industry, but also continues to serve a wide range Thanks to Lizzie Finlayson, Aberdeen Harbour Board, Fiona-Jane Brown of sectors and is a busy passenger port – all making it one of the of Aberdeen & Region Oral History Association, Scottish Natural major trading ports in Europe. Heritage and Brian Robertson, Chairman, TS Scylla NORTH SECTION 3 Aberdeen Harbour Board Busy traffic P Aberdeen Harbour Board are 1 Aberdeen Maritime Museum TEE Cobbled surface, on steep slope S responsible for the administration, Situated on the maintenance and improvement of historic the busy port which covers 378 Shiprow and acres of land and water, including incorporating six kilometres of quays and 20 Provost Ross's deep-water berths over which House, which pass around 5 million tonnes of was built in cargo annually. 1593, Aberdeen An Act of Parliament established Maritime the Board as an independent Museum tells statutory authority in 1960, beginning an era of the story of the modernisation for which the arrival of the North Sea oil city’s long and gas industry in the 1960s was another catalyst. relationship As a Trust Port – one of the busiest in Britain – all profits with the sea. are reinvested in maintenance and development, with This award- more than £150 million spent in recent decades. An winning ongoing multi million pound investment programme by the museum houses a unique collection covering Board will ensure that facilities and services continue to shipbuilding, fast sailing ships, fishing and port history, meet the requirements of the many port users. and is the only place in the UK where you can see Employing around 120 directly, the Harbour Board gives displays on the North Sea oil industry. Aberdeen high priority to health, safety and the environment in all Maritime Museum also offers a spectacular viewpoint aspects of port operations. over the busy harbour. WITH 4 Virginia Street & Surrounding Lanes HELP EP 2 Site of 15th century Harbour Wall STE Wheelchair access difficult in places Cobbled surface, on slope This street was formed and named in the 18th century and At Shore Brae, a small rescue excavation in 1974 is a reflection of the uncovered portions of an ashlar-fronted stone harbour overseas trading wall dating from the late 14th or early 15th century. This routes of the day. indicates the position of the ‘key-head’ or highest From the 1770s navigable point at that period. It is exciting that much of Aberdeen, along with that site remains untouched and will undoubtedly reveal many other major more in future about early harbour development. Other ports in Scotland, evidence of Aberdeen’s medieval waterfront was found began to trade with during excavations on the line of Virginia Street. More the southern states information about the medieval harbour and rare Virginia Street, showing Bannerman’s Bridge of America. The excavated objects associated with trading and other sea- international borne contacts are on display in Aberdeen Maritime connections are also reflected in other street names in Museum’s Harbour Gallery. Aberdeen, such as Baltic Lane. Sugarhouse Lane As with Virginia Street this street was named for a trade ongoing from the 1770s. On 8 May 1776 a number of merchants in Aberdeen formed a public company and took ownership of the Shorelands, which had previously belonged to the City Council. Here they erected the first Sugarhouse; their business only operated for about 25 years. Weigh House Square Named after Aberdeen’s Weigh House, which was first erected in 1634. This building was also sometimes known as the Packhouse, and was the principal place for weighing goods. It was demolished in 1883 to make way for the Harbour Offices at 16 Regent Quay. Site of 1974 excavation, now a car park EP 5 Marischal Street STE 7 Shipbuilding On steep slope During the last two centuries some 3,000 ships were Marischal Street, built in the 18th built in Aberdeen. Well known shipbuilding companies century, was the first planned including Alexander Hall, Walter Hood, Hall Russell and street in Aberdeen. It runs in a Duthie all built ships there. straight line downhill to the Alexander Hall harbour (it was intended to The Hall yard was the city’s longest serving shipbuilders, provide direct access from the producing vessels from 1790 to 1957. Halls built Britain’s centre of Aberdeen to the port) first clipper ship, the Scottish Maid , in 1839 and later was and incorporates Bannerman’s responsible for some of Aberdeen’s fastest sailing ships. Bridge, a flyover crossing From the 1890s they built hundreds of steel steam trawlers Virginia Street halfway down. that became the backbone of Scotland’s premier fishing The original Georgian houses port. remain on this street, and some Duthie paneled interiors survive. Some For much of the 19th century the Duthie family were are now commercial premises, but the character of the prominent shipbuilders. Established in 1816 by William, a street is largely unaffected by this. former Alexander Hall apprentice, Duthie designed and 6 St Clement’s Church launched many fast sailing ships for the tea and wool Historical records show trade to China and Australia. The yard closed in 1907 with that there has been a church the premises taken over by Hall Russell. here since 1467. However it is Hall Russell very likely that a church Hall Russell started in 1864 building mostly cargo dedicated to St Clement may steamships. They went on to launch a fleet of fishing have been here for much vessels, warships and passenger ships. Aberdeen’s last longer. In fact it has probably ship the St. Helena was launched here on 31st October been here as long as the 1989. When Hall Russell closed its gates for the final time fishing village of Fittie (or in 1992 it brought to an end two centuries of shipbuilding Footdee) has, which dates tradition in Aberdeen. from at least the late 14th Walter Hood century. Often a dedication to The Hood yard built some of the world’s fastest sailing St Clement is associated with ships producing vessels for the Aberdeen White Star Line Vikings although there is no of clipper ships.