Historic boat White Wing to visit

A Mearns fishing village is to enjoy a homecoming visit by a historic boat as it works its way down the east coast.

The White Wing ME 113 was built in 1917 at Gardenstown on the Moray Firth, but in 1942 took up a new base at Gourdon, creeling and haddock linefishing from the village.

The 33ft Baldie, a smaller version of the famous Fifie herring drifters, is now one of two sea-going vessels belonging to the Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther, and over the past weekend has visited Gardenstown and Portsoy, where it took part in the busy annual boats festival.

Clinker-built of larch planks on oak frames, the White Wing would have fished with up to two miles of lines baited with mussels by local women working in sheds behind their Mearns cottage homes.

In 2015, she underwent a major refurbishment before returning to sea to support the museum’s bigger sister boat, The Reaper, which is also a popular attraction at harbour events around Scotland, including Arbroath’s Sea Fest, now renamed Arbroath Sea and Food Festival and due to take place in early August.

The White Wing has featured at both the opening of the Falkirk Wheel and its 10th anniversary.

White Wing’s journey home is due to see her arrive in Gourdon around 5pm today for visitors to enjoy.