Whaligoe
Coordinates: 58°20′50″N 3°09′40″W / 58.34719°N 3.16114°W
Whaligoe, (whale geo or inlet of whales) is a small port which was prospected by Thomas Telford in 1786 during his tour of the Northern Fishing Harbours for the British Fishing Society – his judgement of the place was that it was a "terrible spot"! However undaunted, Captain David Brodie expended the princely sum of £8 to cut the famous 330 steps; his confidence was rewarded in 1814 with the harbour supporting 14 herring boats.
Whaligoe steps
Just south of the town of Wick in Caithness on Scotland's most northeasterly coast lies a most spectacular creation. 'Whaligoe Steps' are a man-made stairway with 365 steps that descend to what was once a landing place for fishing boats. The steps date from the 19th century and were once used by fisherwomen to haul up the creels of herring landed at the harbour beneath. Crews of women, some in their early seventies, would gut the fish — Herring, cod, Haddock, or Ling — and would carry them up the steps in baskets to be taken on foot to be sold in Wick, some 7 to 8 miles away. Barrels made in the cooperage at the top of the cliffs were taken down for salted herring to be stored in then taken away by schooner. Although a popular attraction today, they are notoriously difficult to find as the steps are not signposted on the main road so you'll have to do your research beforehand for directions on how to locate them. (Here's a hint: they are located near "The Haven" a small hamlet (just off the A99.) The journey to find them however is well worth the effort as at the bottom of the steps is a naturally formed harbour between two spectacular sea cliffs. Sea birds such as oystercatchers and terns nest in the cliffsides and circle on the wind down to the water. On a clear day, it would be the perfect spot for a picnic, and there is also a sea cave that is a treat to explore
Probably the strangest harbour in Caithness - built in a tiny, narrow creek at the foot of the cliff, it required a flight of flagstone steps to reach the bottom, from the fish curing station at the top. The steps are originally mid-18th century, repaired early 19th century and again very recently. The late Etta Juhle cleared about 30 tons of rubble by herself in 1975 after a landslip and David Nicolson of Ulbster has worked continuously on the steps with local historian Iain Sutherland and many other volunteers since 1998, repairing the barking kettles, quarrying and manually carrying stone up or down the cliffs and grass-cutting about every three weeks during the summer season. They have also achieved the rare distinction of winning the Shell Best of Britain award twice. In 1808, seven boats worked Whaligoe; by 1826 their number had risen to twenty four, but thereafter it declined rapidly.
External links
- Whaligoe Steps visitor attraction
Media related to Whaligoe at Wikimedia Commons