The UK’s oldest surviving fishing vessel, Reaper, is attracting much interest in Fraserburgh harbour this week.
She is visiting the Broch and also Macduff on her way to the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy.
Reaper was a 70ft herring drifter plying waters off the east coast for much of the 20th Century.
She was built by J & G Forbes at its yard in Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh, in 1902.
Her first owners were the Buchan family, who lived in nearby St Combs.
Reaper joined Shetland fishing fleet
She started life with a Fraserburgh registration (FR 958),
But she became a Lerwick-based vessel (LK 707) after she was sold to new owners in Shetland.
In the late 1930s she held the record catch of herring in Shetland- nearly 250,000 fish.
Reaper continued fishing until the outbreak of the Second World War, when she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and saw service off the south coast of England.
After the war she returned to fishing in Shetland, mostly out of Scalloway.
Now, with her original registration number and traditional features restored, she spends most of her time on display at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther.
Whyte family and museum team up to help school pupils learn about Scottish fishing industry
Her visit to Fraserburgh was arranged by the Whyte family, who own and operate the pelagic trawler Grateful (FR249).
The Whytes and museum worked together for months to find a way of using the old vessel and also Grateful to teach children about the fishing industry, past and present.
As a result, hundreds of primary school pupils have been enjoying guided tours of both boats in Fraserburgh harbour. They are also learning how the fishing industry has contributed to coastal communities around the UK and Britain’s economy for decades.
It is estimated that over five days this week, 600 schoolchildren plus teachers and assistants will have had an educational experience centred on the fishing industry.
Veteran north-east skipper William Whyte said: “We are delighted to support the Reaper by offering visits to Grateful. So many schools have taken the opportunity to let their children have a little look at the fishing industry past and present.”
The Reaper will be open to members of the public to have a look around tomorrow, from about 3pm until 5pm, after the last group of schoolchildren have had their tour.
The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival will take place in Portsoy from June 21 to 23.
Conversation