Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

DIRECTORY
CAlTHISfESS-SHIRS
WICK,
LOUISBURGH, POLTBNEYTOWN, WATTEN, BOVVEK, CANISBAY AND KEISS.
WICK is .1 parish and royal burgh ; tho town, a considerable one,
improving and flourishing, is 290 miles n. from Edinburgh, 61
N. by E. from Dornock, and 20 s.w. from Thurso ; situated ou the
north-east coast of Caithness, forming tho segment of a circle
around the bay of Wick, and along the banks of the river Wick
where it enters the German Ocean. The town is divided into three
parts, viz., Pulteneytown, Lodtsburgh and Wick. The old town
or rather Wick proper, is composed of the High street and Bridge
street; the former runs from the bay along the curvature of the
river, and is flanked ou either side by several lanes. Bridge street,
more regular in its construction, is ornamented by several elegant
erections, among -which the town and couutv buildings form a neat
and handsome pile, faced with freestone, and surmounted bv a
cupola with a public clock. Tho Town Hall has a spacious apart-
ment, containing portraits of the late cminont Sir John Sinclair,
and other local celebrities, and which is used as a council room, and
for the meetings of the commissioners of supDly for the county â– 
also the town clerk's and other offices. Within" the last few years
the aspect of Bridge streot has entirely changed, many new build-
ings, all having architectural features more or less pretentious,
having taken the place of the old houses. The Town and County
Bank, Limited, the County Court House, the Station Hotel, Wick
Ireo church, and Brim's and Gunn's buildings makeup a total which
would not be discreditable to a much larger town. The Temper-
ance Hall, seated for 1,200 people, is the chief place in which public
meetings and entertainments are held. Staxigoe, Broadhaven,
Keiss and Sakclet are suburban villages, populated principally by
fishermen, having each a separato harbour. The harbour of Sarclet
is now a total wreck, witli little prospect of being rebuilt.
Pulteneytown, which may be reckoned the seat of the manufac-
tures, commerce and fisheries of Wick, was purchased when a mere
waste by the society in Loudon formed for extending British
Fisheries, and various means have been adopted to carry out the
great and beneficial objects of the sociely. The local business of
the society is managed by an agent, whose residence overlooks the
harbours, and who is cx-offlcio chairman of the Pulteneytown Im-
provement Commissioners, who, under a special Act of Parliament,
have the oversight of lighting and cleaning tho town, for which an
assessment is imposed. The feus and rental of Pultoneytown go
into the revenue of the British Fisheries Society. The port of Wick
consists of two harbours of fair dimensions, but altogether in-
adequate for the immense fishery business of the town ; one of its
chief drawbacks being that the fishing fleet cannot gain access to
the port except at half tide. A new breakwater was constructed at
a cost of about '£120,000, but this magnificent erection is now no
longer to be seen, having been demolished by the fearful storms
which sweep across the North Sea from the north-east, and spend
their force upon the Caithness coast. Should the Government
wipe off the debt of £00,000, now a burden on the old harbour, a new
breakwater, after plans approved by the Board of Trade, will be
speedily gone on with. Owing to the excessively perilous nature of
the east coast fishing ground, a deep sea harbour is imperatively
needed here to prevent the frequently recurring disasters which
tak6 place along the coast. The harbours, which were formerly
under the care of the British Fisheries Society, where about five
years ago handed over to the Pulteneytown Harbour Trust by
special Act of Parliament. While the royal burgh of Wick can trace
its history back for centuries, Pulteneytown can only speak of its
generations, and so much more fortunate is it in this respect, while
Wick and Louisburgh consist chiefly of closes and lanes, Pulteney-
town has been from the first laid out on a settled plan. Its regular
streets, squares and terraces compare favourably with that of any
northern town. Here the whole work of the town is done. Its
cooperages, flour mills, net, rope and woollen manufactories, saw
mills and distillery, employ two-thirds of the whole population. On
the Wick side of the river is Mr. M'Ewen's Caithness steam saw
mills and cabinet works, and in Pulteneytown are the respective
establishments of Messrs. James Henderson & Co. and Mr.
David Sutherland, who are engaged in tho same business!
Pulteneytown is supplied with water from the loch of
Hempriggs, and Wick, which has heretofore been without
a water supply, has concluded a contract for bringing
water from the loch of Yarrows, at a cost of £6,000. Ship
building has entirely ceased since the demese of Mr. Bremner
whose engineering talents wore successfully employed in floating'
tee Great Britain steamBhip, which grounded on the coast of
Ireland ; but the business of boat building has greatly increased
and with the manufacture of herring barrels and nets is the princi-
pal source of employment for the non-fishing class. The herring
trade must be taken as the staple, and in the season commencing
in July and ending in September, the home fishery is prosecuted to
an extent almost unparalleled elsewhere. From May to July the
fishermen are busily engaged with the summer fishing at Storno-
wayand other places in the Western Hebrides. During the home-
fishing the population is increased by an influx of about five thou,
sand Highlanders, men and women, who come as "hired hands"
The scene both on water and land at this time is not to be equalled
anywhere. About 700 boats manned by six men each, set sail every
evening for the fishing ground, the distance to which varies from
1% to 60 miles, and return next morning. The si "lit, which is
unique, is witnessed by spectators who come from all parts of the
country. The gutting and curing of the herrings gives labour to
hundreds of men and women, and on a busy day the quay presents
a scene both animated and picturesque. On all sides one hears the
voice of Gaelic and broad Scotch, mingled with French, Dutch'
German, and almost every other national tongue. The winter her-
ring, cod and ling fishing is carried on oxteusively. It brings to
the town fish buyers from all tho largo ceutres of population in Eng-
land. Tho lish exported from Wick during a year is computed at
about £300,000, tho benefit from which is diffused over a wido
district. The railway transports the whole winter catch to the
southern markets, while the vessels belonging to the port, and a
large contingent from other Scotch ports, and also foreign vessels,
are busily engaged taking the summer fish to Dautzic, Hamburg,
St. Petersburg, and other places on the continent, and various ports
in Ireland. Six branch batiks are established here, namely, the
Commercial Bank of Scotland, Limited, the Town and County Bank,
Limited, the Union Bank of Scotland, Limited, the Bank of Scotland,
the British Linen Company, and the North of Scotland Bank,'
Limited. There is also a National Security Savings Bank which is
well supported. There are two weekly newspapers, the Northern
Ensign and the John O' Groat Journal,
Wick was erected into a royal burgh in tho year 1589, by the influ-
ence of George, Earl of Caithness, whoso principal residence was at
the strong castle Gernego, concerning the antiouity of which there
is no tradition, but by its construction and workinansbiu it appears
to have been of Danish origin; it is situated about two" miles from
yi ick, and the greater part of its walls are still standing. Adjoin-
ing the castle of Gernego, is Sinclair Castle of almost equal
antiquity. Near by stands Ackergill Tower, the residence of G.
Duff Dunbar, Esq. (of Hempriggs), who receives nearlv one-third of
the rental of the whole parish of Wick— the valuation" of tho parish
being £46,000. Another interesting ruin in the vicinity is Ohphant
Castle, known as tho " Old Man of Wick," which along with the
lighthouse ou Noss head (one of the best lights around the British
Isles) form excellent landmarks to seamen. There are numerous
remains of Pictish dwelliugs in the district; five stone coflius and a
number of weapons and a collection of pottery have been found in
differeut parts of the parish. The Duke of Sutherland is superior
of Wick, which is the county town of the shire, a parliamentary
burgh and the returning station at elections. It joins with Kirk-
wall, Dornoch, Dingwall, Tain and Cromarty in returning a member
to the Imperial Parliament, its present representative being John
Pender, Esq. The government of the town is vested in°fifteen
councillors, from whom are chosen a provost, three bailies, a dean
of guild, and a treasurer; their jurisdiction, however, is confined
to narrow limits, and the amount of their revenue inconsiderable
and confined to the rental of market dues and some curing stations!
There is a justice of peaco court anda sheriff's court, tho formersit-
ting every alternate Monday, the latter every Tuesday and Friday
with power to appoint a sitting when and where within the county'
The customs collection extends from Meiklo Ferry to Cape Wrath!
with sub-stations at Thurso and Little Ferry, the number of shipping
registered being about 0,50a tons. Different foreign states arS
represented by resident vice-consuls.
There are places of worship of the Establishment and the Free
Church of Scotland ; of the former one in Wickand one in Pulteney-
town, and of the latter one in Wick and two in Pulteneytown, and
others for congregations of United Presbyteriaus, Independents
Evangelical Union, Baptists, Iiornan Catholics, and Episcopalians.
The United Presbyterians and Episcopalians have built new
churches, thereby adding greatly to the architectural beauty of
the town ; the locality of each and their officiating ministers are
given m the Directory. The Pulteneytown Academy was founded
and endowed by the British Fisheries Society, but is now under the
control of the burgh School Board. Since the passing of the Educa-
tion Act great improvements have been made in the schools of this
district. The North and South public schools and West Banks
public schools are of a chaste and imposing construction, and
wore erected at great cost. The Chamber of Commerce is composed
of the principal business men in the district and meets on the first
â– lay of January every year. The Agricultural Society holds an im-
portant annual cattle show at Georgemas, on the last Friday in
February. A martet is held every Friday, and fairs on tho 24th
June (if Tuesday), or Tuesday after, Tuesday after 20th July, and
the first Tuesday after tho 17th November (old style), but the stock
of the district is generally disposed of at trysts held at Georgemas
hill, now rising into importance as a market ground. In 1871 the
P» rlla 'nentary hur S h o! wiok contained a population of 8,131, and
1881, 8,026.
Watten is a parish situated about nine miles w.n.w. of Wick, and
is bounded on the north by Bower, on tee east by Wick, on the
south by Latheron, and on the west by Halkirk. In the north-west
part of the pariah, which is of a square figure and measures from
seven to eight miles each way, there is a fine sheet of water about
three miles in length, called Loch Watten, from which issues a
branch of the river Wick. There are places of worship in connec-
tion witn the Established and Free churches, and a public school in
the village. The parish of Watten comprises an area of SO 579
acres, and iu 1881 contained a population of 1,406.
Canisbay is a parish seven miles from Keiss, situated on the
lentland Frith, and includes Duncansby Head, John o' Groat's
House and Stroma Island. In size it is about ten miles by five;
the inhabitants being chiefly occupied in agriculture and fishing,
there are Established and Free churches anda public school in the
parish. Acreage, 26,243. Population in 1881, 2,626.
Bower is a parish ten miles N.w. of Wick, and in size is about
eleven miles by three, rising towards Heather Cowcairn, from which
a fine view is obtained. Acreage, 19,677. Population in 1S81, 1,608.
365