A History of the Fishing Industry in South Ayrshire
by Catherine Lucy Czerkawska
Reproduced by kind permission of the author.
Fascinating booklet on fishing up the Carrick coast until the mid-1970s, covering the hey-day of the industry.
Dunure takes its place:
- The most characteristic and best preserved of the fishing villages
- 300 people in Dunure at the start of the 20th century
- Fishermen used to go to Culroy to cut hazel wands for creel-making
- Creels were generally fished singly from a tow rope; not in fleets of ten or fourteen as in the North East of Scotland
- Small and large lines were used to catch whiting, haddock and cod
- The younger women of the village went down to the mussel ‘scaps’ and collected enough mussels for the day’s baiting, often as early as 2:00 am
- Dunure men were innovators for fishing gear, including the brailer and a design of winch which became a new standard
- Shoals of herring were often found by looking for gannets ‘strecking’ on the shoal
- Women originally carried creels of herring on their backs to sell fish to nearby towns like Maybole
- Cooking was done on an open fire with two ‘cheekstones’ and a ‘swee’
- Electricity only came to Dunure as late as 1940.
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About the author:
Catherine Lucy Czerkawska is an Ayrshire-based novelist and playwright.
Her blog is here.
If you hurry you can catch a free copy of her book
‘Hera’s Orchard’ on Amazon (until 13th April 2025).
The ‘Fisher-Folk of Carrick’ is based on Catherine’s Masters Dissertation.
We are grateful for her permission to use this book.