Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands

Date 2007

Event ID 929688

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/929688

Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands snd Islands

Banff Harbour

This harbour, because of its position on the western side of the estuary of the Deveron, has always been subject to silting. It has been enlarged twice and, although the layout of the entrance piers has been modified to prevent

the egress of sand, the harbour empties at low water. The quays and piers of the harbour include vertically bonded masonry and stone clamps for rubbing strakes.

The first part of the harbour is believed to have begun in ca.1625 when rocks were removed to form a natural haven. It was subsequently enlarged to a plan prepared by Smeaton in 1770. This work, which enclosed the contemporary middle basin, was completed by local labour in

1775.

As silting continued to restrict access to the harbour, Telford prepared a plan to enclose the outer basin and modify the entrance to the harbour. In 1818 a contract for this work was undertaken by local brothers, John, Jamesand William Smith, who, despite having to rebuild the storm-damaged new quay in 1820 before it was finished, completed their contract in 1828. The resident engineer was John Gibb.

By 1837 the new quay, exposed to the full force of winter gales, had been badly damaged. James Bremner repaired this damage and then ballasted the exterior wall of the quay, which had been built with a shallow slope, with masonry blocks weighing from 15–40 tons These were floated into position.

The use of the harbour is now mainly recreational with some fishing.

R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.

Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers