New Heritage Attraction for Brough Bay
In 2021 the Brough Bay Association was awarded £4,112 from the Stroupster Wind Farm Fund for the creation of a heritage exhibit which would include the restoration of a display boat; the ‘Seamew’ which had been donated by the family of a local fisherman.
Brough Bay Association is the community group which owns and operates the harbour for local people. As well as the typical duties carried out by a harbour group such as wall repairs and slipway maintenance, the group also strives to provide a community space for locals and tourists to enjoy. The harbour setting is popular for walkers, artists, photographers, family picnics and young folk looking to explore the sea scape. The harbour is also a haven for wildlife and people often spend time there, bird and seal watching. Kayakers and canoeists use the safe haven as a stop off or as a start point for their excursions. Even in winter, the sheltered location attracts daily visitors.
A local resident has donated his late fathers' boat to Brough Bay Association, so that it’s history can be preserved and shared. The Seamew was originally built in the 60’s in Wick by the renowned James MacCaughey Boatbuilders and was bought by Sinclair Coghill, a local crofter and fisherman and founder of Brough Bay Association, who owned it for the rest of his life. The Seamew was a working vessel; used for fishing salmon, lobster and crab with home-made creels using fishing techniques that were typical of the 2nd half of the 20th century. The boat was stolen before it could be handed over to the Association, and there was an overwhelming community reaction to track the boat down and return it to the family so that it could be donated to Brough Bay Association as planned.
The 2021 lockdown’s slowed the project, due to restrictions and the availability of volunteers and so the project didn’t really start until summer of 2022.
Volunteers strimmed and cleared the site and made a plan to layout the site in a way that made best use of the difficult terrain. Contractors were required to scrape and prepare the site and provide gravel so that the site would be kept clear of vegetation in the future. Soil was also provided and seeds sewn for the wild flower patches.
Other volunteers researched in the Brough Bay Archive to create context for the display, which would include an information panel giving background on the Seamew, but also about its place among all the boats that have sailed from Brough. The final version entitled ‘Boats of Brough Bay’ was prepared ready to be installed on the site.
Volunteers were able to unearth a substantial amount of large dressed sandstone which had been piled up in the 1970’s following slipway storm damage. Over the years they became covered with vegetation and had been lost in the ground. These proved to be a great asset for the project, ideal for edging around areas of the display. Another local resident gifted a commemorative bench for the project.
The boat required some repairs including repainting to its original colour before being mounted on a steel stand, custom made for the project. It was finally lifted into place by a local farmer, the day before the unveiling, along with an unexpected donation of a Seagull engine that was originally on the boat so that it was complete and authentic.
A community open day was held where the family unveiled the boat which they had donated, a local dignitary was invited to cut the ribbon to the site and judge the funny hats competition, and act as auctioneer for three pieces of artwork which had been donated by a local artist.
Committee Member Mike O’Donnell said:
This was the perfect opportunity to bring the community together to be present at the opening, and celebrate the achievement by taking part in games and quizzes, enjoying the music of the Pentland Brass Band and local musicians while enjoying a feast from local smoked salmon to BBQ’d beefburgers and fresh strawberries. The event did not disappoint. The community rose to the occasion and attended in greater numbers than at previous events. It brought people together who had not met for a number of years in a great community and social setting. Brough Bay Association gained new members and raised funds but most of all gained the support of the community to continue our work of maintaining and improving Brough Harbour.
Brough Bay now has an added sense of history with the Heritage area, Seamew, the information panel and seating which are great attractions for the visitors. This was made possible with the financial assistance from the Stroupster Wind Farm Fund and the dedicated volunteers who put in many hours of work.