Findhorn

Findhorn Scots Gaelic: Inbhir Èir Inglis: Findhorn
Findhorn Ryal Yacht Club an The Crown an Anchor Inn
Findhorn Location within Moray
Population	930
OS grid reference	NJ043643
Cooncil area	Moray
Lieutenancy area	Moray
Kintra	Scotland
Sovereign state	Unitit Kinrick
Post toun	FORRES
Postcode destrict	IV36
Diallin code	01309
Police	Scots
Fire	Scots
Ambulance	Scots
EU Pairlament	Scotland
UK Pairlament	Moray
Scots Pairlament	Moray

The village o Findhorn is fund on the north-east shore o the Findhorn Bay an mooth o the River Findhorn, 30 mile east frae Innerness.

Etymology

Watson (1926) kens the name is frae Fionn Èire, meanin White Ireland an "nae dout it refers tae the white saunds o the firth". The dative Èireann gied rise tae the uiss o the Inglis erne in ither local names sic as Invererne, Cullerne an Earnhill.

Timothy Pont's map kiverin Findhorn

It is mair likely that the name is frae the Pictish spoken in the airt. The Pict-Scot union o 843 broucht in Gaelic, Maxwell (1896) kens the Fin is frae the Pictish Pit, as in Pitlochery. The orn is semply 'river', frae the Scots Gaelic abhainn, an Auld Welsh afon. The Gaelic influence wis suin cowped bi the sons o Malcolm Canmore thit brocht in an ancestor o modren Scots tung frae the Northumbrian byleid. Ken the lack o places stairtin wi Fin- an Pit- in the Gaelic speakin regions o the wast coast.

In Timothy Pont's map o 1593 the name o the village wittin Findorn, an naurby The Barr o Findorne.

History

Bronze Age

Fowk hae bed aroond Findhorn frae mair nor three thoosan year. In 1986 biggin wark kythed a cley burial urn containin the remains o a quine o twinty five year an her bairn.

Lith beads an starn-shapit beads wis fund in the urn an aw, that resemmle seemilar beads fund in soothren inle. Caurbon-datin reckons the beads, quine an bairn war frae aboot 1880 BC tae 1520 BC.

Three Villages

Athort the millennia the River Findhorn haes changed coorse monie time, the village o Findhorn haes haed tae muive wi it. Pont's cairt clear shaws the auld saund barr, whaur the river coorse gaed north an than wast juist north o Elvin pynt frae five mile tae whaur the Buckie Loch is nou.

Thare is an unnerwatter subterranean peat bed thit stends a distance intae the firth frae Burghhead Bay tae the east o Findhorn indicatin that thare wis yinst growthie forest vegetation. In the 19t yearhunner trunks o trees an ruits war dreggit up bi the anchors o ships lyin aff thare. E'en the day, muckle rafts o compactit peat come up on the North Shore o the Findhorn.

Aboot this forest steid an impressive man-makkit hill, 200 fit heich, cawed Douff hillock, this war airn-age in oreegin. It is in this region, a few mile north east o the praisent village, an nou unner the Moray Firth that some historians hiv placed the Findhorn o the Middle Ages.

Wi nae stane available fur biggin atween the rivers Findhorn an Nairn, an nae roads tae help thaim, the tenants an cottars o the airt biggit thair hooses o feal an turve. The renewal o ruifs an was teuk up a considerable amoont o time ilk year an the feal dykes roond the infields haes tae be mainteened. Traditionally the feal frae the roch scuffin or carse war uised frae this ettle, an in the case o the Culbin airt the turf cappin the auld dunes on the shinle ridges war tirrt nakit, an bent gress pout frae thatch. This exposed the saund ablo tae the wind. Turf wis needit fur mixin intae the middens fur tae mak compost, an while auld ruifs an waws war dumpit thare, muckle mair wis howkit up. The amoont o turf uised up bi a ferm toun fur this ettle wis surpreesinly lairge, an in the case o the Culbin led tae extensive sandblawin.

Findhorn (1874) by James Giles (1801-1870) in Aiberdeen Art Gallery

Invasion o this airt bi blawn saund war recordit sae airly as the year 1100 an at some time the first Findhorn is said tae hiv been inundatit an lost furiver under the Culbin Sands.

The village hae bed on the sooth bank o the river three or fower mile up the stream frae its mooth at the Auld Bar, aboot the pynt whaur the river turnt wastwart on its journey parallel tae the edge o the firth an separatit frae it bi sand banks. The attractiveness o the shelter affordit bi the river tae mariners wis tempert bi the problem o wind blown sand siltin up the herbour. In 1660 the villagers war forced tae stert the construction o new warehooses on the opposite bank whaur the water wis deeper. The second village o Findhorn developpit aroond the warehouses across the water frae the original village that wis kent as the 'Altoun' or auld toun.

This village is weel kent in the maps an writins o the 17th yearhunner. It wis regairdit as the principal port on the Moray Coast, providin sauf herbour fur vessels tradin wi the Baltic, Norrowa an the Laich Kintras as weel as ports aroond Scotland an England an servicin the touns frae Elgin tae Innerness. It wis made a Burgh o Barony in 1661.

In the ten year prior tae 1702, the blown sand, whilk hed been causin sic devastation in Culbin, slawly chokit the River Findhorn. In the wirds o J.B. Ritchie (1938): 'The water wis dammed back bi the sand into a huge lake frae which it began tae escape bi a mair direct route tae the sea. than came unusually high floods tae which the barriers yielded. The pent up waters rushed along the new course, carryin wi them every vestige o the aulder Findhorn'.

Dunes tae the east o Findhorn

The date gien frae this disaster varies but the consensus opinion gies it as 11th October 1702. Tho the final devastation came at nicht, thare wis nae loss o life due tae the astuteness o the villagers wha hed anticipatit sic an ootcome fur some time an hed awready begoud biggin noo hames aboot a mile south-east on the Muirtown Estate.

The remains o the dwellins o the second village (nou under the sea, aboot half mile north-west o the present mouth o the river) became an ideal habitat frae mussels, an large mussel scaups developed thare. This is confirmed in the account o a court case in 1762 which states '...the present principal mussel scalp stands upon the very spot whaur Sir James Calder's cellars stood in the auld town o Findhorn'. The harvestin o these mussels wis an important industry frae the fishermen o the new village.

Lookin sooth frae the piers

The village built on the Muirtown Estate frae 1700 onwart is the present village o Findhorn. The stabilisation o the Culbin Sands bi the plantin o trees prevenet faurer sand blaws, tho the village suffert sandstorms an it is recordit that whiles the villagers hed tae howk sae muckle as twa feet o sand oot o thair gardens followin a westerly gale.

Groynes o Greenhart wood tae stap the saund frae blowin

The erosion o the sand dunes on the North Shore bi winter storms hed gien concern fur mony years. The final breachin o the sand dunes teuk place in the winter o 1983 an the influx o a considerable amoont o seawatter endangert the fabric o mony hooses in that area. This prompted the Local Authority tae resolve the problem fur once an frae aw. The sea defenses whilk is nou hidden bi marram gress on the shore side an sea depositit shinle on the ither, compreese a line o massive rocks risin some 20ft abuin beach leevel an stendin the lenth o the danger zone. This is supplementit bi groynes o Greenhart wid placed strategically tae arrest the migration o wastwart drift sand. Sae faur thir meisurs appear tae hiv been effective.

Fishin at Findhorn

In the 12t yearhunner, the monks o Kinloss Abbey haudit the saumon richts o the bay, an war creditit wi buildin the Sturdy, a stane isle uised as a fishin pynt, strategically placet fur tae catch the rin o fish tae an frae the River Findhorn an the Moray Firth. The Sturdy is still visible at laich tide, as is some o the remeens o ane o the airliest kent methods o catchin saumon, the Yaars, whilk consistit o ereckin wicker fences at laich tide an as the tide came in the fish swam ower the fence tae be trappit as the tide ebbed.

In the 17t yearhunner Findhorn wis the principal seaport o Moray an Forres an cargo vessels raiglarly sailt tae an fraw aw pairts o the North Sea an sae faur as the Baltic Ports an involvet in the export o saumon, grain, an ither goods, an in the import o coals. Tidal changes tae the nairrae an shallae ingang tae the bay creatit obstacles tae navigaution an as the size o tradin vessels waxed sae the volume o trade tae the village declinet. Durin the nineteenth yearhunner fishin predominatit.

Tho considered a secondar industry tae coastal tradin, fishin wis o major importance tae the village economy, employin up tae 160 men. Acause o the naitral sauf anchorage, unique alang the north-east coast, herrin drifters, yawls an zulu sailboats uised Findhorn as a base frae baith net an line fishin in the Moray Firth. Catches o herrin an whitefish war landit on the shore, equally dividit atween the crews, than peddled aroond the immediate area bi the fishwives, or alternately, as maist fisher cottages had a tarred curin shed, convertit tae kippers in the case o herrins, or a famous local delicacy, speldins, dried haddock.

At the ootset o the 1914–18 war, mony zulus o the herrin fleet war beacht at Elvin pynt whan the crews war cawed up frae active service, an the day, the skeletal remeens o yon boats can still be seen on the foreshore. Ithers war beached aroond the herbour area tae be broken up fur firewid. The slaw decline o the whitefish industry begoud due tae several wanevitable contributor factors, chiefly the wanstoppable siltin up o the bay bi sand-drift frae the Culbins, an the waxin difficulty o negotiatin the sand bar at the estuary ingang caused bi lang-shore drift. The lest locally awnt yawls sailt in the airly nineteen-thritties bi which steam pouer an engines hed taen ower frae sail.

Fur some years efter that boats, generally Scaffies an Fifies, frae Burghhead, Hopeman an sae faur as Buckie, conteenad tae caw in tae glean the huge mussel scaups in the bay. The mussels war bein gaithert bi haund an cairriet in creels tae the waitin boats, o whan under the watter, a trawl wis uised fur tae raise the mussels, a difficult task. Later, the mussels wad be shelt an baitit on the hunners o heuks ready fur the neist day's expeditions.

Gradually, ancillary jobs in the village associated wi fishin – boat buildin, sail-makin, net barkin, guttin an curin – waned, an apairt frae coble buildin, eventually disappeared.

Railwey

Frae 1860 tae 1869 a brainch o railwey ran frae Kinloss tae the herbour at Findhorn frae the saumon fishermen. It wis scunnert financially an wis closed frae passengers in 1869, an anley carried salmon an freight frae anither ten year before closin fur guid. The route o the wey can be made oot on fields durin dry spells, an it follaed the coast whaur the B9011 road is nou.

Saumon fishin

Housomeer, thare remeened the commercial saumon fishin an in its hey-day Findhorn in the 1920's wis the control centre o the Moray Firth Salmon Fishin Company whilk operatit 22 nettin stations dottit at intervals alang the coast frae Burghhead tae Balintore, wi crews o fower or five men mannin the bothies. A series o leader nets on upricht poles projeckit seawart whaur a maze o nettin made escape naur impossible fur the wanwary fish. Flat-bottomed, shallow-draught, 24 foot long cobles war uised tae collect the saumon frae the aff-shore nets at suitable states o the tide, an records shaw that this method o fishin wis gey sonsie, tho predator seals war a constant maraudin enemy. Hinderly the industry closed doun in 1987.

Inside the bay a different system kent locally as bangin wi uised, wi the fishin richts frae airly last yearhunner tae the closure awnt bi C.R.Sellar an Company, an the buildins occupeed bi Moray Water Sports wis the bothies frae the crews nou. Bangin consistit o feedin oot nets frae the beach in a circular fashion in a smawer teep o coble frae stells, as the fishin pynts war kent, an thare war several aroond the bay but maist uised wis the Glory Hole at the estuary mooth an the Sturdy. The sweep o the encirclin nets trapped the passin saumon on thair wey up or doun the stream, an again record shaw some amazin 'hauls'. A keen rivalry developed atween boat crews fur the muckle catches durin the saumon fishin season, thit lastit frae the icy waters an sleety winds o Februar tae the sunny balmy days o August. Hailidaymakers teuk a great interest in watchin the bangers at wirk an anticipatin the catches an aw.

Saumon catches diminisht durin the late 20t yearhunner, an that wey o life endit in 1987.

Findhorn X class yacht

The interest in pleisur sailin wis likely kindlet whan the kintra wis rekiverin frae the First Warld War. Records is vague but in the airly 1920s thare wis leastweys five local yawls.

Aw saumon fishers wirkit on a bonus system ower thair wages, whilk wis paid oot at the saison's feenish, the back-end as it wis kent, in August an in that month an aw, the annual regatta wis haudit. The regatta wis a faimily fun day haudit atween the piers wi a series o coble races, boat tug-o-wars an ither aquatic sports.

The first pleisur orientate boats tae kythe at Findhorn in ony significant nummers war the Lymington scows, whilk wis purchaset in the sooth. They war sturdy centre-board dinghies, 11ft.3in. long, wi a 60sq.ft. single lug sail rig. A class o these scows war suin estaiblisht at Findhorn an it wis the competitive element derived frae raiglar Setturday sailin o these vessels that wis aiblins responsible mair nor ony ither sinle factor frae the formation o a yacht club.

In 1929 James Chadwick (the first Commodore) alang wi ither dinhy sailors, foondit the Findhorn Yacht Club. His hame wis uised as the club meetin place an this buildin wis eventually tae end up as the clubhouse uised the day. 1930 saw the first o the Findhorn class boats, an 18.ft. boat built wi local help, bi James Chadwick frae aboot £80. The actual prototype wis constructed in the premises (kent in latter days as Frankie's boat-shed) an a nummer o such boats war built an kent as the Findhorn X class. This X class is reputed tae be the forerunner tae the 18ft boat class. This fleet expandit tae ower twinty boats afore the Second World War whan pleisur sailin lairgely ceased. Efter the war the sailin slawly recovered an the club begoud tae flourish wi the memmership expandin dramatically in the late fifties an sixties wi a resultant waxin in cruisers an dinhies. In 1971 the Findhorn Yacht Club wis awairdit a Royal title.

Suenos Stane

The prood Suenos Stane is steid juist ootside o Forres, owerlookin Findhorn Bay. It is the tallest in Scotland at seiven metre tall, biggit in the 9t or 10t centuries, durin the time o Malcolm II o Scotland. It can be keekit juist north ae Forres on Timothy Pont's map as ane o twa pillars, the secont stane is lost.

Employment

In 2011 thare wis 463 fowk in employment. The main wirk in the community includit:

• Manufacturin: 6.9%
• Construction: 3.7%
• Wholesale an Retail: 8.9%
• Accommodation an Food: 8.2%
• Scientific: 7.6%
• Admin an Defense: 12.5%
• Education: 18.6%
• Health an Social: 13.8%