If you were to ask someone to describe a traditional, quaint north-east fishing village they would probably end up telling you all about Johnshaven.
This tranquil spot can be picture perfect, with its still-working harbour – home to lobster boats – and its fishing cottages with traditional pantile roofs.
The village is rich in history, too, dating back to medieval times, a story told in the Benholm and Johnshaven Heritage Museum. Its roots are celebrated each August with the Johnshaven Fish Festival that draws in visitors from across the region. Join us for a look back at Johnshaven over the years.
This aerial view was taken 60 years ago, in 1961. It shows the harbour, with the rows of homes and streets sweeping up from the coast to the rich Mearns countryside.
This atmospheric photo from 1971 show a still and tranquil day at Johnshaven harbour, broken only by the two men hard at work on the boat at berth.
The village is bathed in warm sunshine in this image from half a century ago… when Johnshaven was described as having “an atmosphere which smooths away the ravages of workaday hustle.”
Ernest McFarlane is pictured with a pair of handsome lobsters from his catch in 1975, with a corner of the picturesque old sea town in the background. Once an all-round port with as many as 60 fishing vessels, Johnshaven by then was specialising almost entirely in shell-fish with a peak catching period in the summer.
Taking shape at Johnshaven in 1978, this traditional 23ft 6in boat was being built by local craftsman Richard McBay for a customer on the West Coast.
