Pier

Reviving Collieston Pier: Community Efforts and Repairs

Towards the end of the century, when about 50 yawls, manned by 200 fishermen, of the 19th century were fishing out of Collieston, proposals to provide a deep, sheltered harbour were widely mooted.

On 17th October 1894, Lady Gordon Cathcart of Cluny Castle laid the foundation stone for a pier that would close the gap called ‘the North’ entrance through the Black Rig rocks on the eastern side of the haven.

Unfortunately, this closure led to sand accumulation in the harbour, and the rise of steam trawlers from Aberdeen resulted in many fishermen and their families leaving Collieston for Torry. By the mid-1920s, only a dozen small fishing boats remained, and the Harbour Trustees had disbanded. After World War II, the pier fell into disrepair, battered by winter storms.

In 1957, an Amenities Committee was formed, which organised annual summer galas to raise funds for pier repairs. By the late 1980s, the inner face of the parapet needed renewal. Villagers and local councils raised £60,000 for repairs in the summer of 1990. To mark the harbour’s transition from commercial fishing to leisure use, the Collieston Harbour Act of 1894 was updated in 1991, re-establishing the Harbour Trustees. Today, management is shared between the remaining Harbour Trustees from Aberdeenshire Council and the Collieston Harbour Heritage Group, which consists of volunteer community members. They hold their Annual General Meeting in September and welcome everyone to attend. Recently, significant repairs were made to the pier, including the replacement of ladders, handrails, and guardrails.

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