The rocks of Pennan were laid down during the Devonian Period, (395-345 million years ago). The red sandstone of Pennan Head, was deposited by rivers, while torrential floods carrying cobbles formed the “Puddingstone Conglomerate” behind the village.
It is thought that humans have lived around Pennan since Mesolithic times, around 6000 years ago. Evidence of human activity, a burial cist, beaker and Iron Age fort have been found nearby.
A Snapshot of Pennan in 1855
A book, published in 1930, by Peter Anson, called “Fishing Boats And Fisher Folk on the East Coast of Scotland”, gives us a clear picture of Pennan in 1855.
“The little village in 1855 seems to have been very prosperous, containing 129 men and boys, all engaged in herring or line fisheries, and a fleet of 40 boats”.
The note on the text explains that these boats were made up of “Fifteen first class drifters above 30-feet keel and twenty five smaller craft. There were three curers here, and altogether 240 persons found employment in the fishing”.
In the etching below we can make out the masts of herring drifters using the harbour, a crane on the East Pier and a trading schooner waiting for the tide. The crane was used for lifting millstones ashore. They were quarried at the millstone quarry to the east of Pennan Head.
The Harbour
Rights to build a harbour were granted in 1699, but until the 19th Century, most boats were simply pulled up on to the shore. Below is a diagram accounting for some of the development history of the harbour. The current structure was built between 1845 and 1903. There were extensions built to both piers between 1905 and 1908.
The above plan of the development of Pennan Harbour was drawn by the late Captain Forbes Watt, a native of the village. It was part of an article “Pennan – An Evolution” which he wrote for the Centenary Magazine of Auchmedden church (1884-1984).
In 1835 180 people lived in Pennan. By 1900 there were 300. Around this time steam drifters arrived. These boats were bigger than the traditional herring drifters and were too big to land their catches at Pennan, and so the population decline began. At one time there were 5 boat building enterprises in Pennan and the biggest boat built here was the “Watts” in 1905. It was 20m long.
More Recent History
The last commercial fishing boat, the May Lily, left Pennan in late 2016 following the sad death of the boats owner, and Pennan Harbour Master, Baden Gibson. Baden grew up in the village and was a mine of much local history and folklore. He will be sadly missed.
There are up to 10 small fishing/pleasure boats moored in Pennan harbour during the summer months.
In the mid eighties a colony of Gannets arrived at Troup head about a mile to the West of Pennan. It’s not clear where they came from or why they chose this site, but they are the only colony of gannets which nest on the mainland of Scotland. They can be observed from Troup Head nature reserve, where they share the coastline with colonies of razorbills, guillemots and puffins.
There is also a village hall at the West end of Pennan which was originally an accommodation hut at the First World War aerodrome at Lenabo near Longside in Aberdeenshire.
The storm of 31st January 1953, swept away all the buildings and sheds on the seaward side of the road, to the West of the Pennan Inn, except the stable of the village bakery, (now the Studio), which is still standing. After this storm the then Laird, David Watt, gave permission to Aberdeen County Council to build the current seawall and Bankhead on condition that they paid for it and maintained it.
