Welcome to the Caithness Archive’s exhibition exploring the history of Wick Harbour. The exhibition delves into the past, examining the events and people who are now an indelible part of the harbour’s history and heritage.

The herring industry is the nucleus of these stories and activities and will be seen to loom large within the political, social and environmental landscape.

Reproduced are historical archives, evidence of past activity and transaction that allow us a deeper insight into the narratives, vocations and circumstances that filled the harbour with life.

Many of the archives reproduced below were recently (2020) accessioned into our collections from the Wick Society and we are very grateful to be able to showcase them here. We would also like to thank Am Baile and the Johnstone Collection for kind permission to reproduce many of the images included.

Browse, read, listen and explore — there is a whole world from the past waiting to be discovered.