KY1 (voices from the sea)

Diamonds dance on the harbour water,

sunburst & windblown. 

The heat of the summer is dissipating,

as we march onto September. 

“I started on the sea when I was 15 or 16. My father was a boatbuilder, that’s what drove me into fishing.”

But fishing remains at the very heart

of this community. Small scale for sure,

but important nevertheless.

“I got my own boat from Campbeltown in 1980. Leased it to start with, decommissioned it in 2002”

Fish, fishermen, men who brought home the catch.

“Covid hit, Brexit happened, markets disappeared. People said, aye just buy a couple of lobsters from your local fishermen. What a load of shite, it made no difference to us”

Diamonds dance on the water. 

“If it wasn’t for Razorclams, I’d be bankrupt. We got a set of rods about 24 volt and the razors jump out”

I would be nowhere else 

but here right now. 

Sunburst. 

Sandy Wilkie

August 2023

[fishermans quotes adapted from the Scotland ReDistilled event in Anstruther, 26th August]