A centuries-old herring drifter has docked at Stonehaven to teach youngsters about life at sea.
The Fraserburgh-registered Reaper welcomed aboard children from Dunnottar School yesterday, where they helped raise the 2,000 sq ft mast while exploring the impressive 70ft boat.
Stonehaven Sea Cadets also visited the 112-year-old vessel last night, and today more of Dunnottar’s nursery and primary pupils will get the chance to try out the fishermen’s living quarters and dress up in their old oils.
The visit has been organised by the Scottish Fisheries Museum, which has been running an educational outreach programme up and down the coast for the last five years.
Through an array of memorabilia and artefacts stowed on the vessel, visitors learn how fishermen of the early 20th century went in search of herring and lived at sea, as well as more about the art of boat building.
Yesterday Joan Paton, chairwoman of the museum’s boat club, said: “It’s going very well, so far everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.
“It’s interesting to see the children exploring and they come up with great questions. It’s good fun for the crew as well, we’re all volunteers so if we didn’t enjoy it we wouldn’t do it.
“For a lot of children, they’ve never been on a boat before so its very exciting. For children with families connected to fishing, they still won’t have been on a 112-year-old boat so it’s still all new for them too. It gives everyone a feel for what it was like over 100 years ago.”
Pupils from Gourdon will get their chance to explore the boat tomorrow, either at Stonehaven or Montrose harbour. The Reaper – which was built in Sandhaven – was originally due to go to the village, but due to the swell will be unable to get into the harbour.