Portknockie

{{Use British English|date=May 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox UK place | official_name = Portknockie | local_name = | country = Scotland  | static_image_name = Portknockie September.jpg | static_image_width =  | static_image_alt =  | static_image_2_name =  | static_image_2_width =  | static_image_2_alt =  | static_image_2_caption =   | area_total_sq_mi =  | area_total_km2 =  | area_footnotes =  | population = {{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Portknockie}} | population_ref = ({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}})<ref>{{Scottish settlement population citation}}</ref> | population_demonym =  | statistic_title = | statistic = | statistic_title1 = | statistic1 = | statistic_title2 = | statistic2 =  | os_grid_reference = | map_type =  | map_alt =  | coordinates = {{coord|57.7027|-2.8597|region:GB_type:city|display=title, inline}} | label_position =   | post_town =  | postcode_area =  | postcode_district =   | dial_code =   | constituency_westminster =  | civil_parish =   | london_distance_mi =  | london_distance_km = | london_distance = | london_direction = | edinburgh_distance_mi =  | edinburgh_distance_km = | edinburgh_distance = | edinburgh_direction = | charingX_direction =  | gaelic_name = Port Chnocaidh | scots_name = | community_scotland =  | unitary_scotland = Moray | lieutenancy_scotland = | constituency_scottish_parliament = | website = [http://www.portknockiewebsite.co.uk/ village website] }}

'''Portknockie''' ({{langx|gd|Port Chnocaidh}}, the hilly port) is a coastal village on the [[Moray Firth]] within [[Moray]], Scotland.

The village's name is written as Portknockies in the Old Parish Registers. This would suggest that the port's name referred to not one, but two rocky hills at the hythe - the Port Hill and the Greencastle. Nearby towns include [[Buckie]], [[Findochty]] and [[Cullen, Moray|Cullen]].

Historically in [[Banffshire]], the village was founded in 1677 and it became a significant [[herring]] fishing port during the nineteenth century, although today only a handful of commercial inshore boats remain.

A comparison of the First and Second Edition Six-inch Ordnance Survey Maps, published in 1870 and 1905 respectively shows how the harbour and the town developed during the intervening years <ref>{{cite map |title = Ordnahce Survey Six-inch First and Second Editions |url = https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.0&lat=57.70249&lon=-2.85906&layers=6&right=257 |access-date = 31 May 2026 }}</ref>.

The town was on the railway network, until [[Portknockie railway station|Portknockie station]] closed in 1968. [[File:Bow Fiddle Rock East.jpg|thumb|[[Bow Fiddle Rock]]]] A popular site in Portknockie is [[Bow Fiddle Rock]], a large rock about {{convert|15|m|ft}} high just off the coast. The [[quartzite]] structure has a large sea arch, which somewhat resembles the bow of a fiddle, making it an example of a [[natural arch]].

Small numbers of seabirds nest on the coastal cliffs. These include [[fulmar]], [[black-legged kittiwake]], [[common gull]], [[razorbill]] and [[common shag|shag]]. Additionally [[common eider]] can be seen in and around the harbour and coves during the summer months.

==Notable residents==

*[[Alexander Mair (physician)|Prof Alexander Mair]] (1912-1995) was born and raised in the village and is buried there with his parents.

==Green Castle Fort== Another historical site within the village is the [[Green Castle, Portknockie|Green Castle]], which is located on a coastal promontory.

This ancient coastal fort was revealed to date from 1000 BC and was inhabited until 1000 AD. The castle foundations can be seen, although now covered in grass.

==Fishing==

Reporting on all the fishing ports in the Buckie District (Cullen, Portknockie,Findochty,Portessie,Buckie and Portgordon) the Annual Report of the Fishery Board for 1913<ref>{{cite journal |author= |date= 1913 |title=30th Report:Appendices |journal=Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland |location=Edinburgh |page=32-33 |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office}}</ref> states that "The majority of the fishermen were employed exclusively at herring fishing for the greater part of the year at the various centres in Scotland, England and Ireland, and enjoyed a year of exceptional prosperity. Line fishing, which is prosecuted by the older fishermen, was less successful than during the previous year".

{{multiple image | align = centre | perrow=2 | header=Fishery Statistics | total_width=600 |background_color=#C5CBE1 | image1 = Portknockie tonnage.png | caption1=Tonnage of vessels | image2 =Portknockie Cwt landed.png | caption2= Cwt of fish landed | image3 = Portknockie vessels.png | caption3=Vessels by class | image4 =Portknockie value.png | caption4=Value (£) of fish landed | image5 = Portknockie fishermen.png | caption5= Fishermen | image6=Portknockie curing stations.png | caption6=Number of curing stations }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} {{Moray places}}

[[Category:Villages in Moray]] [[Category:Buckie]] [[Category:Ports and harbours of Scotland]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1677]] [[Category:1677 establishments in Scotland]]