Aberdeen Travel Forum

I plan some kind of a herring pilgrimage; searching for herring towns, museums or centers with information of the herring part of maritime heritage - and even places to eat herring in a traditional way. I think I prefere the East Coast, but not necessarily. Could you help me with one to three suggestions of destinations?

Hi there,

I am not sure if it has to be in/around Aberdeen or even United Kingdom? If yes, then you can skip my answer I guess but if not, then you could also consider going to Holland where the fishing for and eating herring is one of the not so many real Dutch traditions left.

So, if Holland would also be an option I know two locations for you to go to. The first one is ´Vlaardingen´ where you will find a shipping museum with models of ships, techniques of fishing and other things that come to it when catching and selling fish. The herring takes an important role in this museum.

Another location is Scheveningen, a beach town close to the government´s capital The Hague. This is where the selling of the first barrel of ´Hollandse Nieuwe´ herring takes place. Unfortunately you just missed that but for sure you can eat herring here and find information about it.

I am not 100% sure about this one but you might also find a lot of information if you go to Volendam, near Amsterdam. This town is quite traditional (even a few people still walking around in traditional Dutch clothing there) and it is a fishing town as well.

You might already know this because you seem to be very interested in herring in particular, but most foreigners seem to be surprised by the way we eat herring, which is raw. Well officially you can not call it raw but anyway, we do not cook or bake it.

Hope I could help you with this information

OHannemarie
(Oh-Holidays)

Thank you Hannemarie! Well... this time Scotland, next time Dutch land. I have been trying harringhappen at Vlaggetjesdag in Scheveningen. But you mentioned some new interesting names, and my herring travel is by far ended.

I think you will want to go to this restaurant in Aberdeen:
http://www.silverdarlingrestaurant.co.uk/

And do you know this book?
Silver Darlings: The History of Herring Fishing on the East Coast of Scotland.

I have just consulted a friend of mine who live in Scotland, and she has suggested the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. Here is the link

http://www.scotfishmuseum.org/

I have not been myself, but my friend says it is a wonderful day out. I realise it is a bit South of Aberdeen, in the East Neuk of Fife, but I think it would be worth your while.

Hope this assists,

fergy.

Thanks! I know it(the book) Now I guess I should read it. The restaurant was all new to me. Interesting.

Good idea! Right on spot!

You may also want to go to Wick:

http://www.wickheritage.org/museum-herring.asp

Whitby, in North Yorkshire, has a strong 'herring' history....as do the fishing villages nearby (Staithes etc). It's also a lovely place to explore, with old cottages round the harbour, fossils, jet, superb fish & chips, whaling links, wonderful ruined abbey, Dracula links.....

http://www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/whitby-welcome-new.asp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2005/04/04/coast05walks_stage5.shtml

http://www.gourmetyorkshire.co.uk/themes/whitby_fish.htm

http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/RAVENSER/middle.htm

Seems the silver darlings restaurant doesn't have much herring on the menu.

The unfortunate fact is that herring is no longer a popular fish in Scotland. I'm not sure why, but somewhere along the way it simply became unfashionable. That's very sad, because it's an excellent fish. We seem to have lost appreciation of something that other countries have not.

One very traditional Scottish way to cook it is covered in oatmeal and fried. Serve wuth lemon and potatoes.

You're probably right. The Danes, the Swedes, the Dutch, the Russian and many Germans cherish their herring. Norwegian do a few days at Christmas time and some times in hotel breakfasts. In Great Britain it seems difficult to find herring on the menu. But I haven't given up!

Actually, probably the best place to buy pickled herring in Glasgow is IKEA - they have a very good selection in the Swedish food shop. Not exactly Scottish, though :)

It is all too true that fashion and trends exist also with restaurant food. I remember that on my first trips to Scotland, in the early nineties, herrings could be found in the menus of several restaurants. I learned the name 'silver darlings' from a menu of the City Merchant in Glasgow. I went to the same restaurant after some years, it was still good, but no herrings any more!
It is a pity.

!

Maybe one should go down to Britain to find real herring love: http://www.kipperman.co.uk/ Or to the herring mekka of Gothenburg in Sweden
http://www.sjomagasinet.se/page/page.asp?id=73 But I will not give up finding good herring in Scotland yet. (basically I searvh the stories behind them) Thank you for good answers, all of you.

Erm........Scotland is in Britain.

Do you mean England?

Is the lack of high-profile herring nowadays perhaps due to problems with over-fishing in the past? I vaguely remember something of this issue in previous decades.....

http://www.cefas.co.uk/publications/miscellaneous-publications/saving-north-sea-herring.aspx

That is known to be one reason why herring is no longer popular. Herring was not being landed for some years while stocks recovered. When fishing resumed, people had lost the taste for it. It's a great pity, because it is an excellent fish, and very good for you.

I find it rather ironic that £millions are spend on encouraging Scots to eat a better diet, when not so long ago (in the Highlands and islands at least) people people ate herring, potatoes, oats and kale which is at least as good for you as the much promoted mediterranean diet.

Aha! Thought I remembered something.

Have always like herring very much (and mackerel) but (being a Midlander) fresh fish never featured strongly in my childhood.

Oops, meant England. Sorry.
Concerning England and their smoked kippers, I have heard that it lost much status in the 1930ies since it was common to make the golden, smoked colour with articial dyeing. (Dipping in vegetable dye)

Still happens, but you can easily buy un-dyed kippers.

Yes, still does happen......and with smoked haddock too.

But, as James says, it is quite possible to buy both undyed. Just a matter of personal choice/taste.

I once complained to the head office of Safeway, a now defunct UK supermarket chain, because they only sold chemically-dyed kippers. They replied and said customers didn't buy undyed kippers when they tried to sell them. I replied and said this customer wouldn't buy the dyed ones. I got no response to that.

Did you find "the herring"?
I was myself in Wick just a couple of weeks ago, and the place used to he the largest "herring town" in the UK. After all fishing stopped, the place almost died, and the only buisnesses seemed to be hairdressers and fish n' chips shops. Now the town seems to have had an awakening, and I very much suggest a visit as it is a good place to discover the north tip of the mainland Scotland.
It also has the worlds shortest street ;o)

Thank you for keeping the herring hot! Actually I didn't find very much herring, but I fond new "herring towns". Like Ullapool...

This time I joined a friend who was sailing in the Hebrides. Great trip! An encounter with Scottish history and actually also the herring part of it. But I think you are right: I have to go to the East Coast to get the real understanding. And I'm now convinced I should go to Wick!

You should also visit Craster and Seahouses in Northumberland, and Whitby in Yorkshire, on your future herring hunts.

Both have a long association with the fish. The kipper smokehouses in Craster date from the 1800s, and are still in use today (lovely kippers).