Alex Salmond to reopen historic ‘Fishwives’ Path

A HISTORIC 13 mile path, once used by Buckie fishwives to sell their wares in the Speyside town of Keith, is to be officially reopened next week by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond.

First Minister Alex Salmond. Picture: TSPL

The “Fishwives’ Path” between the harbour at Buckie on the Moray Firth coast and the distillery town of Keith has been completely restored in a scheme spearheaded by the Buckie Regeneration Project.

The path was used for decades by fish wives at Buckie who made a round trip of up to 26 miles a day carrying fully laden creels of fish, weighing up to 40lb, to Keith to sell before returning to the coast

bearing churns of milk. Mary Milne, the last Buckie fishwife, walked the route until the mid 1950s when she finally retired at the age of 73.

Mr Salmond will officially reopen the ancient route next Tuesday at the Heritage Centre in Buckie followed by an afternoon of celebrations.*