The Ports, Harbours, Watering-places and Picturesque Scenery of Great Britain Volume I Part 10

By these means considerable improvements were effected; but as the trade of the city increased, inconvenience was still felt from a deficiency of water on the bar; and Mr. Telford, having been consulted in 1810, on the means of remedying this evil, recommended that the pier should be extended, and that wet-docks should be formed in the harbour. These works were commenced forthwith, and the pier, carried on to the extent of nine hundred feet beyond the head of Smeaton's pier, and again finished with a round head, was completed in 1816. In the course of the following winter, however, this head was destroyed by the storms; but being rebuilt with a slope towards the sea, it has since stood without very material damage. A breakwater, extending to the length of eight hundred feet, was also built on the south side, by which the mouth of the channel was narrowed, and the entrance protected from the storms of the south-east. Wharfs were built along the south-west side of Futtie; the pier opposite Torrie was enlarged; and, latterly, the quay has been extended westward from the old quay-head; and by raising embankments on the Inches, a considerable range of quay-room has been gained there, which is connected with the town by a swivel-bridge, opposite Marischal-street. By all these combined measures, quay-room has been provided to the extent of about four thousand feet; a tide-harbour has been formed, in which, at spring-tides, the depth of water is about _eleven feet_ at the west-end, gradually increasing to _fifteen feet_, where it joins the course of the river; while the depth of the water on the bar has been increased to about nineteen feet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE LIGHT HOUSE, ABERDEEN.]

ABERDEEN LIGHTHOUSE.

Immediately to the south of the small bay of Greyhope stands the Girdleness Lighthouse; an erection by which the trade of Aberdeen has been greatly benefitted. The Girdleness, from which it takes its name, is a conspicuous promontory of which the Commissioners of the Northern Lights took advantage to erect this monitory beacon: it was lighted up for the first time on the night of the 15th of October, 1833, and is a lofty, circular tower, built of granite, and crowned with two copper domes, one within the other, in order to prevent the effects which would follow from the condensation of vapour from the heated air of the lamps.

The dwelling-houses of the keepers are at the bottom of the tower; and a field of considerable extent has been walled in and cultivated for their accommodation. It is on the larboard, or left-hand side, as we enter the port, and is known to mariners as a _double-light_, a distinction produced by placing two lights in the same tower, the one above the other. Of these, the lower light is visible in clear weather at the distance of thirteen, and the higher at that of sixteen miles. They are under the charge of two keepers, one of whom mounts guard at sunset, and in case of emergency can summon a.s.sistance by means of an alarm-bell, placed in the sleeping apartments, which may be rung from the light-room, by means of an air-blast, through tubes laid for that purpose. This edifice, of incalculable benefit to the cause of humanity, was erected after the design of Robert Stevenson, Esq., and does great honour to his talents. The bay of Greyhope, above-named, is memorable as the scene of many a disastrous shipwreck, particularly that of the Oscar, in which, out of a crew of forty men, only two were saved. This occurred on the 1st of April 1813.

For many centuries after the foundation of Aberdeen, the harbour was nothing more than an open expanse of water, washing the base of the Castle-hill on the north, the rising grounds of Torrie on the south, and communicating with the sea by the narrow and shallow mouth of the river.

Of this basin the greater part was left dry at ebb of tide; while several large, but low islands, were never wholly overflowed. The most ancient, and during many years the only erection within the port, was a bulwark extending from the Ship-row southwards, and now known as the Sh.o.r.e-area. Its extremity was called the Quay-head, a name afterwards applied to the wharfs extending from the vicinity of the Trinity Kirk eastward, beyond the present weigh-house. At what time it was built is altogether unknown; but it was in existence in the fourteenth century, and was probably constructed in the preceding age. In 1484, having become ruinous, it was either repaired or rebuilt; and about the same time, beacons for the guidance of ships were erected, and the wreck of a Spanish galley on the southern sh.o.r.e, which had long obstructed the channel, was removed. In 1512, the quay was again repaired; and in 1526, still further operations became necessary, and a great portion of the wharfs was reconstructed. In 1549, repairs being once more required, a stair was added; and in 1582 a crane was erected. In 1621, two corn-mills were built within flood-mark; and about thirteen years later, a weigh-house, which served also for a custom-house, was erected. In the course of the same century, various other additions were made to the wharf, and several munic.i.p.al statutes introduced for the better regulation of the port. In 1566, a lighthouse, containing "three great flaming lights, to burn from daylight to daylight, between the first day of September and the last day of March," was erected on St Ninian's Chapel, on the Castle-hill.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SLAINES CASTLE,--NEAR PETERHEAD.]

SLAINES CASTLE.

Slaines Castle, the feudal residence of the Hays of Erroll, covers a peninsular rock, boldly projecting into the German Ocean and forming an abrupt and imposing landmark on this iron-bound coast. Its position is remarkable: the huge precipice over which it projects on one side, and of which it seems an integral part, descends perpendicularly to the sea, where the water is so deep that vessels of large burden may float within a yard of the rock. It is said, indeed, that a tankard of wine may be lowered down from the Castle window to the yard-arm of a man-of-war under sail. Whether this experiment has been tried we know not; but this we can readily admit, that much good wine has taken the opposite direction.

The situation of this family fortress is rather bleak and cheerless, presenting no leafy bowers, no clumps of trees, few ma.s.ses of verdure or vegetation, to refresh the eye or flatter the imagination.

"La nature maratre, en cet affreux climat, Ne produit, au lieu d'or, que du fer des soldats."

The prospect, however, which is bounded only by the horizon seaward, is grand and imposing, and fills the mind with corresponding ideas. For a Trappist convent, with Baron Geramb at its head, nothing finer could be imagined; for their nearest neighbour in one direction is the "King of the Norse;" and the hills, on the other hand, are wild and solitary enough to shut out the world and its vanities.

The following is the traditional origin of the Hays of Erroll:--In the year 980, and reign of Kenneth III., the Danes having invaded the country, gave battle to the Scots at Loncarty, near Perth. The latter, being worsted in the fight, gave way; but, while pa.s.sing a defile in their flight, were stopped by a countryman and his two sons, who encouraged the fugitives to rally and renew the struggle. The example, resistance, and reproaches of these three brave men, armed only with the implements s.n.a.t.c.hed hastily from their ploughs, inspired the routed Scots with new life. They rushed back upon their pursuers, encountered the Danes afresh, defeated them at every point, and delivered their country from servitude. The victory being complete, the father, afterwards known by the name of Hay, was enn.o.bled by the king, and rewarded with the best part of the enemy's baggage, and a grant of land in the rich Ca.r.s.e of Gowry, containing as much as "a falcon flew over without alighting." The march stones, being about seven miles apart, are to this day called the "Falcon Stones."

The first of this ancient family who did honour to the Scottish peerage was created Earl of Erroll by James II., in 1452, in recompense of his faithful services, and died at this castle in 1470.

The baronial fortress of Slaines was afterwards demolished by order of James VI., on the rebellion of the Earl of Huntly, and long continued in ruins.

Dr. Johnson thus records his visit and reception within these walls:--"We came in the afternoon to Slaines Castle, built upon the margin of the sea, so that the walls of one of the towers seem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves. To walk round the house seemed impracticable; from the windows, the eye wanders over the sea that separates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence, it must enjoy all the terrific grandeur of the tempestuous ocean. I would not for my amus.e.m.e.nt wish for a storm, but as storms, whether wished for or not, will sometimes happen, I may say, without violation of humanity, that I should willingly look out upon them from Slaines Castle."

The caves and grottoes along this coast are numerous and interesting.

The Dropping, or White Cave of Slaines, extends about 200 feet underground; and through a natural vault the water oozes forth, and forms fantastic pyramids of incrustations or stalact.i.tes. The cave, by this natural process, would soon be filled up, were not the petrified substance frequently cut away and burnt for lime. In this, as in many other caves along the sh.o.r.e, the ancient inhabitants of the district are supposed to have taken refuge when repeatedly hara.s.sed by the sudden descent of Danish marauders; and in later times it may have often served as a secure retreat for smugglers, who formerly abounded in this neighbourhood, and carried on their illegal traffic in comparative safety.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BULLER OF BUCHAN.

(near Peterhead)]

THE BULLER OF BUCHAN.

"If I had any malice against a walking spirit, instead of laying him in the Red Sea, I would condemn him to reside in the _Buller of Buchan_."--SAMUEL JOHNSON.

The Buller of Buchan, one of the most remarkable natural curiosities in Scotland, is about six miles south from Peterhead. It is a vast hollow in a rock projecting into the sea, open at the top, and communicating with the water by means of a natural arched pa.s.sage, about fifty yards high. The basin within is nearly circular, about thirty yards in diameter; and around the extreme edge of the chasm is a narrow footpath, from which to the water in the abyss below, measures about thirty fathoms,[13] more or less, according to the state of the tide. It is a scene upon which all travellers dwell with feelings of mixed awe and admiration. Even Dr. Johnson, the learned philologist from whom we take our motto, visited and retired from the spot with amazement. "We soon turned our eyes," he observes, "to the Buller, or _Bouilloir_, of Buchan, which no man can see with indifference, who has either sense of danger or delight in rarity. It is a rock perpendicularly tubulated, united on one side with a high sh.o.r.e, and on the other rising steep to a great height above the main sea. The top is open, from which may be seen a dark gulf of water, which flows into the cavity through a breach made in the lower part of the enclosing rock. It has the appearance of a vast well, bordered with a wall. The edge of the Buller is not wide, and to those who walk round appears very narrow. He that ventures to look downward sees that, if his foot should slip, he must fall from his dreadful elevation upon stones on one side, or into water on the other.

We, however, went round, and were glad when the circuit was completed.

When we came down to the sea, we saw some boats and rowers, and resolved to explore the Buller at the bottom. We entered the arch which the water had made, and found ourselves in a place which, although we could not think ourselves in danger, we could scarcely survey without some recoil of the mind. The basin in which we floated was nearly circular, perhaps thirty yards in diameter. We were enclosed by a natural wall, rising steep on every side, to a height which produced the idea of insurmountable confinement. The interception of all lateral light caused a dismal gloom. Round us was a perpendicular rock; above us, the distant sky, and below, an unknown profundity of water."[14]

To the above description, written in the autumn of 1773, little needs to be added: the wild features of the scene, and the effect produced upon the minds of travellers, continue to present nearly the same aspect and to awaken the same impressions as in the days of the great lexicographer. The scene of horror, however, is often enlivened by pic-nic parties from Peterhead, during the fine season, and is deservedly considered as one of the great "lions" on this coast, a t.i.tle to which its continual "roar" gives it a more especial t.i.tle.

The geological features of this locality are very interesting. The rocks are of primitive granite, and appear to have been upheaved to the surface by some internal expansive force, and have an inclination from east to west of 25 degrees. Reposing upon the granite, is a bed of diluvial clay, of from ten to fifteen feet deep, containing numerous small water-worn stones, of different species of the secondary formation; besides large quant.i.ties of flint, originally imbedded in limestone, which must have been rolled from a great distance, as there are no beds of limestone on this coast, or in any of the neighbouring districts. From atmospheric action and other causes the rocks are rapidly disintegrating; and great quant.i.ties of _debris_ are annually acc.u.mulating at the bottom of the precipices, where wild gra.s.ses and lichens springing up produce, by their decomposition, a vegetable mould which is gradually increasing.

[13] Two hundred and fifty feet, according to more recent admeasurement.

[14] The accompanying view has been justly p.r.o.nounced as by far the best that has ever appeared of this remarkable scene, and is taken at the same point from which it was contemplated by Dr. Johnson, after his walk from Slaines Castle, about two miles distant. Sir Walter Scott, when on his excursion to the Shetland Isles, and while becalmed off this coast, paid a visit to the Buller; and we are of opinion (says Mr. Mackie), that in his description of the Cavern of Staffa, we can discover some of the general features of the scene described, shadowed forth in the _Lord of the Isles_. It is proper to mention, that although now generally written Buller, it is uniformly known in the district as the _Bullers_--_Les Bouilloirs_, or boiling caldrons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PETERHEAD.]

PETERHEAD.

"No scene for me like the bounding sea; No couch like my cabin pillow!

No fair domain like yon ocean's plain-- And my coursers, the breeze and billow!"

_The Heliotrope._

Peterhead, like the neighbouring ports already noticed, has rapidly increased, within the last twenty years, in all those means which facilitate and secure the advantages of trade and commerce. Though long and deservedly resorted to as a delightful watering-place, remarkable for the salubrity of its air, and the beauty of its situation, the activity of trade was still unknown to its inhabitants. Its only harbour, a small basin dug out of the rock, was rarely enlivened by anything that could aspire to the t.i.tle of shipping; for in Cromwell's time, about twenty tons of boat-freight was all that its diminutive port could lay claim to. The spirit of its inhabitants, however, with an accurate perception of the natural advantages of the Port, and aided by government in the preparation for a new era in commercial enterprise, has achieved wonders. An air of prosperity animates the whole town: the harbour is filled with goodly traders; imports and exports cover the quays: industry has received a stimulus which communicates its happy influence to everything around; and Peterhead now holds an enviable station among the Ports and Harbours of Great Britain.

The point of land on which the town is built, is the most easterly of the mainland of Scotland. It forms the north-east side of a bay, and is connected with the country, on the north-west, by an isthmus eight hundred yards in breadth. On Keith-Inch, so called from the Earl Marischal, are many elegant and substantially-built houses; and on its south-side is an old Castle, erected in the sixteenth century, by George, Earl Marischal, after the model of one which he had seen in Denmark. Down to the close of the sixteenth century, Peterhead was only a small fishing-village, and the stranger who now pa.s.ses through its populous streets, and busy harbours, will readily perceive how much has been accomplished in the interval.

The Harbours are both handsome and commodious; and, having two entrances from the south and north, and being equidistant from the Forth and Moray Friths, are much resorted to by vessels frequenting the east coast of Scotland. The annual revenue is under the management of commissioners incorporated by Act of Parliament. The South Harbour has a depth of between twelve and fourteen feet water at medium springs, and from eight to ten at neap-tides; but the North Harbour, during spring-tides, has full eighteen feet water, and at no tide less than fourteen. The Quay extends to 3350 feet in length; and connected with the harbour is an excellent graving dock. The shipping belonging to the port amounts to about 12,000 tons; and the number of vessels that annually take shelter in these harbours, may be estimated at two hundred and forty. The leading articles of export are grain, meal, eggs, b.u.t.ter, cattle, fish, and the produce of the fisheries: the imports are groceries, clothing, flour, salt, iron, timber, coal, lime, and bone-manure. Shipbuilding has long been carried on to a considerable extent; and in the present day no port of the kingdom sends out vessels more remarkable for fine proportion and elegant combination of strength and beauty. During the last half century, Peterhead has carried on an extensive trade with Greenland, and Davis' Straits; and takes rank next to Hull in the whale fishery.

The lighthouse, which stands on the Buchan Ness, at the extremity of the south bay, is of the utmost importance, both as regards the interest of the general trade of the port, and the prosecution of the herring fishery, which is carried on with great success.