Archaeology Notes

Event ID 770073

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/770073

NO76NE 24.00 centred 79538 66950

Harbour [NAT] (centred NO 7958 6697)

Pier [NAT] (centred NO 7955 6688)

Pier [NAT] (centred NO 7963 6695)

OS 1:10,000 map, 1974.

NO76NE 24.01 NO 79566 66927 to NO c. 79497 66875 South-West pier

NO76NE 24.02 NO 79545 66944 to NO c. 79527 66960 Central Pier

NO76NE 24.03 NO 79587 66932 to NO c. 79613 67014 North-East Pier

NO76NE 24.04 NO 79594 67016 Slipway

NO76NE 24.05 NO 79524 66983 Beacon ('Inner Leading Light')

For adjacent storehouse and lifeboat station, see NO76NE 25 and NO76NE 49 respectively.

(Location cited as NO 796 669). Harbour, Johnshaven, rebuilt 1884. In two parts; the older, rubble-built piers now form a stilling basin for a concrete inner harbour. There is an interesting wood-piled leading light.

J R Hume 1977.

In the 1720's Johnshaven was a very prosperous fishing-town, though a record of perhaps a century earlier dismisses it as 'a little shore for fisher-boats'. In later years, however, the fishing gradually deteriorated as a result of casualties among the crews and the frequent impressment of fishermen into the Navy. By 1795 a small wharf had recently been built, but it was expected to remain unsafe until it could be protected by a breakwater. The ordinary depth of water was then between 10ft (3m) and 12ft (3.7m). Two years earlier, it had been noted that 12 ships, totalling 475 tons, were owned in the village. In 1847 Johnshaven was described as an inlet protected by 'high-water rocks', with no pier or landing-place; it then supported ten fishing-boats and did some small trade in the export of local grain.

A Graham 1979.

Air photographs: AAS/97/03/G6/10 and AAS/97/03/CT.

NMRS, MS/712/29.

The net drying area lies to the SW of the storehouse NO76NE 25.

Information from RCAHMS (SC), 5 October 1999.