Collection: Scottish Fisheries Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Our collections permit us to exhibit wonderful examples of historic fishing boats and gear. They help us to illustrate the geography and social structures of our fishing communities. They allow us to honour their ways of life, skills, customs, dress, creativity, and resilience, and to improve understanding of the various external environmental, technological, political, and commercial circumstances, which had and still continue to have such an impact upon them.

  The founding collection of the Scottish Fisheries Museum was acquired in 1967 by gift from Provost Carstairs of Anstruther who had amassed a large private collection of objects and artworks relating to the fishing industry throughout his career as a fishing agent, factory owner and public figure.

  This collection was supplemented in the museum’s early years by numerous gifts, loans and transfers from other museums, notably from National Museums Scotland and the Science Museum, and from private individuals.

  The collections have developed in both a reactive and proactive manner, with the aim, from the start, to establish a national overview of the Scottish commercial sea-fishing industry in all its aspects. The inclusion of working objects enables the Museum to support Intangible Cultural Heritage and living heritage. Owing to the location of the museum, and the historical bias of commercialised fishing activity on the east coast, the west coast is less well represented.

  The entire collection cared for by the Scottish Fisheries Museum is a Recognised Collection of National Significance, awarded by Museums Galleries Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collection of SFM consists of over 65,000 items covering the Scottish Fishing Industry from around Scotland with a particular focus on the East coast, and comprises objects, archives, and photographs. The core of the collection comprises 19th and 20th century objects although the period of time to which the collection relates is c.500AD (Loch Doon Log Boat) – to the present day. The Collecting Area for the SFM will be defined by the geographical boundaries of Scotland

  Fine Art

  The Fine Art Collection comprises around 350 works. These include a number of important canvasses by accomplished artists such as Sam Bough, John McGhie, Franc Martin, Andrew Gamley and John Bellany. There a number of watercolours, notably the Thomas Thomson Collection and many other pieces associated with the sea and fishing communities of Scotland. Media include oils, watercolours, pen and pencil drawings, charcoal works, prints, engravings and etchings, sculpture, painted signs, embroidered wall hangings and collage.

  Fishing Vessels

  The Museum’s boat collection consists of 22 vessels used for fishing or of maritime interest in Fife:

  1. Jessie – Nineteenth Century Line Boat (ANSFM : 1993.237)
  2. Jane – Drifter’s Boat, Peterhead (ANSFM : 1993.238)
  3. Creel Boat – from Northern Isles (ANSFM : 1993.240)
  4. Reaper FR958 – restored sailing Fifie (ANSFM : 1993.241)
  5. Research LK62 – 1st Class Zulu (ANSFM : 1993.242)
  6. White Wing – restored sailing Baldie (ANSFM : 1993.243)
  7. Jim – Dysart racing yawl (ANSFM : 1993.244)
  8. Swift (Fiona) PD144 – last used as pilot boat (ANSFM : 1993.245)
  9. Light – Fifie Yawl, used for line fishing North East (ANSFM : 1993.246)
  10. Rab – Leven Beach Yawl (ANSFM : 1993.247)
  11. Swallow – replica Zulu type yawl (ANSFM : 1997.237)
  12. Log Boat – result of research project with Institute of Maritime Studies, University of St Andrews (unaccessioned)
  13. Jubilee – salmon Coble from Montrose (ANSFM : 1994.210)
  14. Lively Hope – 1930s Ringnetter (ANSFM : 1994.353)
  15. Orkney Soo Boat – built at Westray, Orkney (ANSFM : 1995.1)
  16. Fair Isle Yoal – built as a heritage project using traditional design and materials at the National Museums of Scotland (ANSFM : 2003.136)
  17. Silver Spray – Grimsay fishing boat (ANSFM : 2003.319)
  18. Quaver – Largo beach yawl built by David Gillies of the Cardy Net Factory (ANSFM : 2004.76)
  19. Newburgh salmon coble (ANSFM : 2008.51)
  20. Maggie – Scaffie (ANSFM : 2016.83)
  21. Shirley II – motor yawl built by J N Miller, St Monans (ANSFM : 2016.342)

  Model Boats

  The collection comprises 170 models of fishing vessels, builder’s half models, ships in bottles, sailing models and engines. The collection is broadly representative and includes modern fishing vessels. From necessity a number of models are on loan (approx. 10%). There is some material associated with the whaling industry and also the merchant sailing ships associated with Anstruther.

  Associated Industries

  The various industries associated with and supporting the fishing industry are well represented. SFM is particularly strong in wooden boat-building equipment, including the Smith & Hutton Collection and SFM has acquired a large number of items from the Cardy Net Factory, Lower Largo, Fife.

  Fishing Vessel Equipment

  The SFM has a good representative collection of fishing vessel equipment and is particularly strong in electronic equipment, lights, flares and navigational aids. Other areas in the collection include: engines and associated equipment, hauling gear, fish finding, navigation and communication equipment, galley equipment, safety equipment and discharging gear.

  Fishing Equipment

  The Museum has a representative collection of fishing gear and is particularly strong in nets and lines. The Museum houses part of the important Buckland Collection of salmon and eel spears. The main areas of gathering, trapping and hunting methods are well represented.

  Costume

  SFM has good collection of fisher folk costume, both working clothes and Sunday Best. The collection comprises over 1,000 items and is strong on items from the East Neuk of Fife. There are also Newhaven Fishwives Choir costumes based upon the Newhaven “Gala” dress, and an internationally significant collection of knitted ganseys.

  Social and Domestic Life

  The nature of the development of the Museum has led to a strong collection of domestic items from the fisher homes of the East Coast, including furniture, cooking utensils and decorative items. Social history and fishing personalities are well covered in the Photographic and Document Archive.

  Whaling

  The whaling and sealing collection is small but includes a number of harpoons, tools and samples from Christian Salvesen of Leith and whalebone and scrimshaw items.

  Marine Sciences

  There is an extensive collection of fish species plaster casts from the Buckland Collection, and archival holdings relating to scientific study.

  East Neuk Maritime History

  The Museum recognises a subsidiary role as the East Neuk Maritime Museum. In practice this means housing a very good collection of models, paintings and objects associated with the clipper ship activity of the area, such as Captains Keay and Rodger of Ariel and Taeping. This collection is restricted to items which can demonstrate a good connection with the contextual maritime history of the area. It includes the cannonball allegedly fired by John Paul Jones at the May Island.

  Learning Collection

  The Museum holds a small Learning Collection managed by the Learning and Engagement Officer. Acquisitions to the Learning Collection follow the due diligence standards set out in the Collections Development Policy. However, as objects are acquired for the purposes of handling and public display in the knowledge that they will deteriorate and be disposed of, they are not formally Accessioned.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC