Rosehearty: A community united

By Oscar Wilkie

The first time I visited Rosehearty, it was a beautiful late-summer day, and the fleet of small potting and jigging boats were bobbing in the attractive little harbour. Behind me, overlooking the water, were the houses of “Fishertown” – the name a reminder of the village’s rich fishing history.

As I took in the scene I was aware of splashing further out: a large pod of bottlenose dolphins were breaching not far beyond the west pier, which stretches out into the North Sea, providing shelter from westerly gales. As the dolphins continued along the Aberdeenshire coast towards Fraserburgh, I turned and was surprised to see a figure striding down the pier towards me from his own dolphin vantage point, picking up litter and other detritus from the cobbled surface.

David, who’s fished from the town for 38 years, was immediately friendly and incredibly enthusiastic, explaining how the community had recently come together to form the Rosehearty Harbour and Inshore Fishermen’s Association (RHIFA). The harbour users, mostly fishermen, aimed to improve the harbour facilities but realised that to do this, they would need to work together.

David Whyte

Image courtesy of Broch Photo House.

The association was formed through cooperation between fishermen, the wider community and local councillors, and facilitated by Ian Maddox, former chair of the North and East Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group.

RHIFA’s aim is to ensure the continuing prosperity of the area for inshore fishermen by improving the harbour facilities for all harbour users and the local community. I was very impressed with the whole set-up; despite being less than three years old, the progress the group has achieved is truly staggering.

It led me to question why more fishing communities don’t have their own associations, with all the many and varied benefits they bring.

Rosehearty’s story is similar to many other East Coast fishing towns; it was once home to a fishing fleet that supported 600 fishermen, but following the decline of the herring fishery, that number dropped until there were only a couple of boats working part-time. A recent resurgence means the small harbour is now full, with 15 mostly single-handed boats fishing the rich local waters in summer.

The people of Rosehearty have an appreciation for the village’s strong fishing heritage and understand the importance of the industry to their local economy.

The Rosehearty Harbour and Inshore Fishermen’s Association office bearers (L-R) David Whyte, Ross Downie, Dawn-Marie Duncan and Shirley Whyte.

Image courtesy of Duncan Brown photography.

In November 2018 the RHIFA was formed with David, my new dolphin-watching friend, as its chair. It’s phenomenal how much can be achieved with gritty determination and a strong sense of community.

The committee organise regular and well-attended fundraising events, which have included a tasteful fishermen’s calendar, race night, karaoke, ladies evening and a hotly anticipated annual Harbour Funday with raft racing, seafood cooking demos and bouncy castles.

Events like raft races boost the RHIFA’s fundraising efforts.

Image courtesy of Broch Photo House.

So, what’s the reward for the team’s tireless grant applications and year-round fundraising activities? Not only have RHIFA completed all the “initial priorities” they set out to do at that first meeting, but they’ve gone further in their support for the community and development of the harbour.

David and the other fishermen no longer have to race to Fraserburgh to keep their mackerel fresh; they have more time for fishing, spend less on ice and fuel, and get a better price for their higher quality product. The harbour now has its own chilled facility, ice machine and electronic davit winch, along with improved lighting and safer ladders down onto boats. New benches overlook the resurfaced piers, and a heritage board and landscaped flower beds are in the making. In other words, the harbour is unrecognisable from just a couple of years ago, and the fishermen and community much happier for it.

RHIFA even raised enough to make considerable donations to several charities, including their local lifeboat in Fraserburgh. During the pandemic, association members handed out food parcels courtesy of the local hotel and organised a service to shop for the vulnerable. It’s no surprise that RHIFA was a finalist at the 2020 Inspiring Aberdeenshire awards in the Community Spirit category.

RHIFA have donated to various causes, including the RNLI.

Image courtesy of Broch Photo House.

Most important for building an association like that in Rosehearty is gathering support from a community that’s proud of its fishing heritage and current fleet. Strengthening the links between fishing and the wider community can take time but is worth the work.

Alongside the local support for infrastructural and aesthetic harbour improvements, the local people became invested in fishing and developed a greater appreciation for the role of fishing in the area’s overall prosperity and well-being.

In David’s own words:

We were a bunch of fishermen that went about our business and didn’t take a lot of interest in the harbour. We just went down, moaned a lot, but didn’t do anything to help ourselves. But when we got together and shared ideas and thoughts, we set some priorities and that gave us a goal.

Just three years since the association formed, they have reintegrated into the community and improved the harbour infrastructure, and now they’re setting themselves even more ambitious targets.

From installing onshore holding tanks for shellfish to developing a space where visitors – from near and far – can stop for tea and cake provided by the community, there’s a lot to be excited about. The inaugural meeting just three years ago attracted 14 commercial fishermen and seven other boat owners; now the whole town places more value in the harbour. The committee has now grown to include six members from the wider community.

Just like the old days of “Fishertown”, the harbour is once again a focal point of the community, an important source of employment, a draw for tourists and a space the community can enjoy. Even the dolphins seem to know that Rosehearty is the place to be!

If you think your harbour and community would benefit from having its own fishermen’s association, you’re probably right. We asked David what advice he’d give to others thinking of going down the same route and he told us his top tips:

• Do it, you won’t regret it!

• Involve more harbour users: those people within the town who are keen to see improvements. Get diversity on your team: it’s really beneficial to have lots of different viewpoints from a diverse group of can-do people.

• Meet as often as possible: it’s when you come together as a team that great ideas come about.

• Pick a chairman who’s got plenty of time on their hands, but try to share the workload among a committee of can-do people.