Tay is gateway to the world

One of Craigie’s regular shipping correspondents is questioning a Courier columnist over his view of Perth harbour as being worthy of bracketing with inland waterway operations in Aberdeenshire and Glasgow.

Our specialist elaborates on the Tay port’s international significance down the ages.

“I have been following Angus Whitson’s Man With Two Dogs weekly feature and his reference to Port Elphinstone, Port Dundas and Perth, and am rather intrigued by his comparison,” he emails.

“Whereas the first two have provided inland canal-side cargo handling facilities since the late 1700s/early 1800s, Perth has been a port on the River Tay from medieval times with old maps and street plans showing both the north and south shores.

“Later, by the 19th and early 20th Centuries, the harbour at Perth grew in importance as documents, directories and old newspaper reports held in the AK Bell Library confirm.

“Perth-built and owned ships sailed the seven seas from the Black Sea to the Canadian Maritimes and the Gulf of St Lawrence, with some pioneering iron and steam vessels sailing along the Tay and also coastwise. Today, Perth lower harbour can accommodate vessels with a length approaching 90 metres, having over the years built a reputation for the expeditious turn-round of cargo loading and discharge. In the immediate post-war years after World War Two, Perth’s maritime trade was in the doldrums, but seaborne traffic steadily expanded with the arrival of a tranche of companies, most of them involved in the blending, storage and distribution of agribulk commodities.

“Perth Town Council also played their part, with the redevelopment of quays and erection of storage sheds resulting in a great increase in coastwise and near-Continental trade, but on occasions much further afield.

“Possibly a more accurate comparison with Port Elphinstone and Port Dundas would have been Port McAdam at Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Kirkcudbrightshire. Gatehouse itself was situated on the post road between Dumfries and Portpatrick with the Fleet river its only outlet to the sea via the Solway Firth.

“Early works were undertaken by Irish labourers in 1824 when a planned cut was carried out. When almost finished, the Fleet was diverted and the force of the water cleared the unfinished channel, thus halving the estimated cost.

“Further improvements were made in 1836 when the canal was enlarged with the waterway being dredged by a further three feet and a quay constructed in 1838 by local shipbroker David McAdam, who was also harbourmaster.

“The harbour was named Port McAdam in his honour. It was used commercially by ships of up to 160 tons until the 1930s then fell into disrepair. Apparently it was renovated for the use of small craft around the 1970s.”