St. Abbs

St. Abbs harbour as seen from the coastal path.

St. Abbs (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Aba), historically known as Coldingham Shore, is a small fishing village located on the south east coast of Scotland, in the Berwickshire area of Scottish Borders.

The village was originally known as Coldingham Shore, the name was changed in the 1890's to St. Abbs. The new name was derived from St Abb's Head, a rocky promontory located to the north of the village, itself named after St. Aebbe.

History

Fishermen at St. Abbs Harbour.

Fishing Boats at St. Abbs Harbour.

St. Abbs was originally called Coldingham Shore. Prior to any buildings the fishermen who worked their boats from the beach resided at Fisher's Brae in Coldingham. These fishermen had to carry their fishing gear the one and a half miles down a path. The path is now known as the Creel Path, Creel is the local name for a Lobster pot.

The first building in St. Abbs was constructed about the middle of the 18th century followed later by a row of 5 cottages. This first row of houses where constructed in a traditional Scottish style with a central fire and a wide chimney. The walls were constructed of "Clat and Clay" a framework of wood interlaced with straw and daubed over with moist clay.

By 1832 it is recorded that the inhabitants of the Shore comprised sixteen families, who with twenty others residing in Coldingham, obtained their livelihood by fishing. In addition to these, thirty people proceeded annually to the North for the Herring fishing, which gave employment for fourteen boats from the village.

The village was renamed at the end of the 19th century by the then Laird Mr Andrew Usher, to its present title St. Abbs.

In November 1907 the Member of Parliament for Berwickshire, Mr H J Tennant, announced that the Royal National Lifeboat Society had agreed to supply St Abbs with a lifeboat, and that the Board of Trade had also agreed to place life-saving apparatus at St Abbs as soon as possible.^[1]

Diving

St. Abbs is a popular site for Scuba Divers. The sea around the village is unusually clear, in contrast to the more silt-laden coastal waters further to the north or south. These clear waters and the spectacular underwater scenery resulted in Britain's first Voluntary Marine Reserve being established at St. Abbs. The Marine Reserve was established on 18 August 1984 by David Bellamy.

Shore diving to a depth of about 15 metres is possible from the rocks on the outside of the harbour wall. It is common for trainees to do initial sea dives here.

The double archway at "Cathedral Rock" is just 50 metres from the shore.^[2][3] Several small, nearby rocky islands, such as "Big Green Carr", "Broad Craig" and "Little Carr" are near to the harbour and easily can be circumnavigated underwater.^[4]

The St Abbs Visitor Centre

March 2011 saw the opening of the latest addition to the many attractions of St Abbs in the form of the new St Abbs Visitor Centre. This state-of-the-art facility is located in the old village hall, perched precariously on a cliff edge. Built as a resource for both visitors and locals, the Centre offers free admission, interactive exhibits, library area, web access, stunning photographs and historical artefacts. It's an ideal starting point to a visit to St Abbs, giving information on the history of the village, the geology and also the local flora and fauna visitors are likely to encounter. The position of the building offers a stunning 180 degree view from St Abbs Head all the way to the harbour and beyond. The St Abbs Visitor Centre is an independent Scottish charity.

St Abbs Visitor Centre

See also

• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of places in Scotland

References

1. ^ The Berwickshire News November 29, 2007, "Looking Back", p.13
2. ^ http://www.stabbs.org/shorediving.html
3. ^ http://www.ukdiving.co.uk/places/coastal/articles/st_abbs.htm
4. ^ http://www.dcordes.freeuk.com/abbs.htm

External links

• St. Abbs Community Website
• Local Plan for St. Abbs
• The St Abbs Visitor Centre Website

Coordinates: 55°53′46″N 2°07′52″W / 55.896°N 2.1311°W / 55.896; -2.1311