© 2005 Robin Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
In the 1400s Aberdeen was Scotland's leading exporter of salmon. By the 1820s the focus had shifted to whaling with 20 ships based in the new, enlarged and much improved harbour. More harbour improvements followed over the following decades. In 1870 there were over 200 fishing boats based in Aberdeen, many catching herring.
By 1914 the fishing boats had changed from sail to steam and increased in size, and their number had increased to 250. A range of industries had also grown up in the city to handle the huge amount of fish being landed. One very early spin-off from the harbour was the creation in 1498 of the Aberdeen Shore Porter's Society, whose lorries can still be seen on roads of the north east over 500 years later.