Where in Grampian?
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Jann Gray took this picture of Portknockie Harbour.
In the late 17th Century a few fishermen from along the coast at Cullen started to operate from the natural bay sited at Portknockie.
And so things would continue on a small scale for many decades.
That is until the advent of the so-called Herring Boom.
Culinary fashions saw the fish become a delicacy on the continent, especially in Germany and Russia.
Herring was relatively easy to catch off the east and north coasts of Scotland.
Along with many other villages along the North East coast, Portknockie began to expand.
A railway station was built in 1886, followed four years later by the harbour.
By the end of that century some 150 fishing boats were based in the village, which boasted a population of 1300 people – virtually the same number as today.
Small traditional cottages lined the narrow wynds above the harbour.
However, increasing levels of prosperity also saw the building of larger "captain's houses" around the village.
Their lofts – some of which were accessed via external stairs – were often used for storing nets.
The First World War put a temporary halt to the herring fishing industry and also marked the beginning of its decline.
If you have any photos of Moray or Aberdeenshire that you're happy to share, send them to alistair.whitfield@hnmedia.co.uk
