Outdoors: River Tay

The Tay has spawned Britain's biggest rod-caught salmon and mourned one of its worst maritime disasters. Now its untapped leisure potential is about to be explored in an innovative project with a heritage twist.

Not since the 1960s have passengers crossed the Tay in boats when "the Fifie" ferried commuters between Craigie Pier in Dundee and Tayport on the Fife side. Working boats, too, have largely vanished from the estuary since the once booming salmon netting industry ended, leaving only transport vessels and sail boats plying the water.

However, this summer – as part of the Tay Regeneration Project – passenger boats will return, opening up a new era in leisure tourism on Scotland's longest river.

Hide Ad

The project is a partnership between Fife Council, Perth and Kinross Council and The Tay Salmon Fisheries Company.

"There has been a feeling for some time that the Tay has been under-used," says Dave Clarke, Tay Salmon Fisheries leader and project member.

"The idea is to put jobs back on the river but also to provide a great visitor experience and preserve the skills of those who worked the river so that they are not lost."

Despite the novelty of the picnic trips to Historic Scotland property, Elcho Castle, the boats will effectively be mobile museums, revisiting a past prosperity.

Replicas of the distinctive coble boats will ferry tourists, re-acquainting them with the time of netting, which saw prized Tay salmon exported globally. The boats traditionally carried sweep nets in their sterns, allowing fishermen to surround the fish then draw the catch to the shore.

Today, there are few surviving netsmen but the project will focus on retaining what is left of that heritage.

Hide Ad

"The cobles will be piloted by ex fishermen so they will talk people through how things were done. They can also point out the rich wildlife.

"If there proves to be a strong demand, we will look for funding for permanent landing strips so people can come into Perth by water taxi and spend money in the centre."

Hide Ad

For Clarke and the respective councils involved, there is a viable precedent.

Clarke was pivotal in the launch in 2005 of the successful water taxi service on the River Welland in Spalding, Lincolnshire. From humble beginnings and four electric vessels, there are now 30,000 passengers a year.

"It works and it gets people back into the town centres," says Clarke. "It is also taking traffic off the road during busy holiday time."

Despite only starting in 2008, the Tay Regeneration Project has enjoyed notable success, showing what can be done with joined up thinking and a stunning natural resource.

Dilapidated fishing bothies along the banks have been refurbished for short-stay holidays and a new fishery, employing ten people, has opened.

Seventeen kilos of fish are taken and replaced weekly from the Willowgate Fishery, which was constructed from old flood fields.

Hide Ad

Ponds have been landscaped and nurtured. A bothy, previously covered in graffiti, is now a cafe and shop selling local produce and tackle.

New paths, cycleways and landing strips have been constructed along the river, in Fife and Perth, and not only are people benefiting from greater access, flora and fauna are thriving.

Hide Ad

Ground-breaking research into rare sparling numbers has thrown up results that leading Edinburgh zoologists are watching closely. There are plans under consideration for reeds from fens to be harvested for a bio-mass fuel scheme.

"A huge amount has been done in terms of biodiversity," says Norma Graham, a leading light in the project.

"Through partnerships, sand martin banks have been created, there is a lot of work being done to root out invasive species and, in future, people will be able to track salmon and otters. Probably the biggest success, though, is the sharing of resources and expertise."

With common ground found, progress has been impressive. Maybe one day people will be sailing to work along the Tay again.

Visit www.taysalmon.co.uk/history.php

Related topics: