Portsoy Salmon Bothy

About the museum

The Salmon House at Portsoy was built in 1834 by the Seafield Estate, which owned the salmon fishing rights along this stretch of coast. The three-storey building combined an office, a bothy for the fishermen, an ice house, a fish preparation area, a workshop and storage. Stake-net fishing in the area began as early as 1828. Ice for packing the fish was brought by horse and cart from Loch Soy and the mill pond.

Salmon netting at Portsoy stopped in 1990, and the building then stood unused until Portsoy Community Enterprise took it over in 2006. About £400,000 was raised for its restoration, and it opened to the public in 2008. The Category B listed building now houses a museum in the former ice chambers and a community venue in the upper netting loft.

The museum is run by volunteers. Its three chambers cover the salmon fishing trade, the industries of old Portsoy such as marble quarrying, buoy making and smuggling, and the local plants, animals and geology. The Wee Bothy, the former sleeping quarters with six bunks, now holds the Bothy Shoppe.

Highlights

• Restored 1830s salmon house, Category B listed
• Displays on salmon fishing, weighing, tying and packing
• Portsoy industries: marble quarrying, buoy making and smuggling
• Clinker-built pilot boat and the Wee Bothy with six bunks
• Free entry with a community venue upstairs

Permanent exhibitions

• Salmon fishing and the salmon house – A display on weighing, tying and packing salmon, the salmon life cycle and the twine fishing industry, with knots and block and tackle to try.
• Portsoy's past industries – Marble quarrying tools, buoy making, lime kilns, railways and smuggling, with a clinker-built pilot boat.
• Local nature and geology – Rock samples and a coastline display on the local plants, animals and geology, plus the former fishermen's sleeping quarters.

Founded

2008

Operated by

Portsoy Community Enterprise

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free, but the museum depends on donations to stay open.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The building is a Category B listed historic salmon house, so access in some areas is limited. The double doors open wide enough for wheelchairs to enter the first chamber, but the other two chambers have original cobbled floors and are not recommended for wheelchairs or pushchairs. A lift serves the community venue upstairs. Disabled parking spaces are signposted in the car park next to the museum entrance.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Visitors can try out seafaring knots and block and tackle in the first chamber.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The Bothy Shoppe is in the Wee Bothy. Free Wi-Fi is mentioned only for the office and the upstairs venue.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 60 guests.

The upstairs netting loft is available for meetings, workshops, classes, parties and weddings. It is licensed for up to 60 people, and weddings need a minimum three-day hire. It has a lift, a projector and screen, and tea and coffee facilities.

Plan your visit