The Salmon Fishing Station Strathy
In January 2007 the Scottish Executive made a decision not to renew a ten year lease for salmon fishing in Strathy. In doing so, it brought about the closure of one of the last remaining coastal netting stations in the north of Scotland and ended a business that had been run by three generations of the Paterson family.
A good catch, “a thirty nine and forty pounder”
Fishing in and around Strathy Bay has been going on for centuries. The Mackay estates were amongst the earliest beneficiaries from the trade followed by the Marquis of Stafford who took over the estate in 1813. That a more serviceable slipway was needed at Port Grant was recognised during the nineteenth century but efforts to have one built in 1902 and later in 1907 came to nothing. Perseverance eventually paid off and a slipway was consented in 1911. The land was gifted by Mr. Gilmore who had acquired it from the Marquis of Stafford, Sutherland County Council met part of the cost as did the Congested Districts Board with the balance coming from donations and local fundraising. Construction began in 1912 but did not go to plan and was still ongoing after the first World War.
The slipway at Port Grant
At the time work started on the slipway five boats were operating from Strathy, each with a crew of up to six men, some of whom would be brought in from other areas. In 1927 George Paterson took on the lease for salmon fishing from Strathy. Boats landed their catch at Port Grant and the fish were then transported in creels to the old bothy known as the “Portie”. This bothy had bunks for fishermen from outwith the area, a drying area for the nets and an ice house nearby.
Creels ready for carrying the catch up to the bothy.
Tom Paterson took on the business in 1966 and in 1969/70 a new bothy was built above Port Grant which rendered the “Portie” largely redundant. In the late 1980’s steps were made in the steep embankment to make passage from the slipway to the bothy much easier. One cobble with inboard engine was used to set between five and seven nets during the salmon fishing season which ran from 11th February to 26th August. When concerns were raised over fish stocks, nets were not deployed until April.
Mending the nets
Simon Paterson took over the running of the salmon fishing business in 1981/2 and continued until its closure in 2007. At that time he was running the operation with the help of his son and used one boat to set just three nets during the season.
In 2013 the Salmon Bothy above Port Grant was sold and has since been converted into a private dwelling and guest house.
The “Portie” in a rather derelict state Aug. 2017.