A small Scottish Borders town in Berwickshire that is just eight miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. With a population of about 3,420 people it is a quaint and delightful place to visit. Named after the mouth of Eye Water.
It has a spectular coastline: high cliffs overlooking deep clear water, with sandy coves and picturesque harbours. Eyemouth also being a fishing port, celebrates an annual Herring Queen Festival.
Gunsgreen House: Designed by James Adam (Younger brother of Robert Adam) around 1755. Born two years after Robert, he lived all his life in the shadow of his brother. Sadly, his journal of his tour of Italy was wrongly attributed to Robert after their deaths.
Dominates the town of Eyemouth. Its position above the harbour shows off the beautiful 18th Century merchant's villa. A villa that hides some dark secrets within its walls.
Eyemouth Museum: Run by volunteers from the Auld Kirk, Market Place, hence the opening hours 1st April - 30th September:-Monday to Saturday: 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday: 12:00 to 15:00 and 1st - 31st October: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 to 16:00.
You'll be able to discover the history of Eyemouth and surrounding area and see how it's people have lived through the ages by land and sea. The museum houses a unique tapestry worked to commemorate the centenary of the tragic disaster of 1881 when the community suffered the loss of 189 local fishermen at sea.
Every July the Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival is celebrated. The festival was started as a result of the so called Peace Picnic or Fisherman’s Picnic. The first Peace Picnic was organised by the late Mr J. C. Chrystie to celebrate the end of the First world war.
The day was celebrated annually and was treated as a local holiday for the fishermen of the town. During the arrangements for the 1939 Picnic, the committee felt that the crowning of a Queen may be of interest to the young people of the town. and also used as a ceremony to symbolise and celebrate the life of the fishing community.
The way the Herring Queen has been chosen has changed – she used to have to be the daughter of a fisherman; selected by popular vote in the local High School. However, now a panel of local townspeople make the selection from nominees
Eyemouth harbour today is the country's second largest inshore fishing port and boasts a fishing fleet of about 20 vessels. These range from small creel boats to large trawlers. In the summer season the fleet may double when visiting fishing boats from the east coast of England come north for a visit.
Popular with touring leisure craft and there is a fully serviced pontoon with disabled access on the Middle Pier. In the summer you can bring the family to watch a busy fishing port in action.
The harbour was deepened in 1964 and a histrocal film can be found here http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=3368. This clip shows the deepening of Eyemouth harbour in 1964 and the reopening ceremony.
Fishing: Many vessels sail from here. As a mark of respect for those who died (129 as a result of a severe European windstorm) on Friday 14th October 1881 they now never sail on a Friday.
There is fish market and that can be found at the harbour:
Directions: Cross back over the walkway and walk down the side of the harbour towards the sea, where you will come to the fishmarket buildings.
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