The Fisher Folk of Findon or the Coblers of Culbokie.

If you would like to read the full chapter from which this summary is taken, click here.

Not the most obvious of phrases that comes to mind to describe the activities of the residents of the area surrounding Culbokie but there is evidence that fishing contributed to the wellbeing of the community.

Ever since man became a hunter-gatherer he would have viewed the gently sloping sandy shores below Culbokie as ideal fishing grounds. Our evidence for this comes from the archaeological remains of a fish trap on the shore between Findon Mains and the A9 causeway at the Findon Quarry as shown in the image below which was captured from a drone.

The Highland Historic Environment Record (HER) database for the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester contains many references to Fish Traps (Yairs) and a selection are included here. The records often contain very little information apart from the location shown on a map and cross references to other sources of information. Some of the locations given almost suggest a duplication, we leave the researcher to decide.

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG50621 This is considered a doubtful candidate for a fish trap and some consider it to be a dock as it is too close to the shore. Excellent photograph from a different angle to others included in the text above.

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG50815 Record refers to cobbles in the mud in the Findon area.

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG51674 Record refers to poor condition (aren't they all?) in the Balloan area.

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG51849 ditto

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG52422 Findon area

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG50772 Easter Toberchurn

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG14135 Balloan - duplicate?

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG14150 Findon Mains

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG14223 Wester Shoreton

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG51675 West of Urquhart church

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG51850 West of Urquhrt church -duplication?