Willow scull creel

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

51565

Title

Willow scull creel

Description

Side-on view of a beige and brown oval willow creel, shaped like a shallow bowl, with two handles at the sides.

Location

Museums Collection Centre

Copyright

The City of Edinburgh Council Museums and Galleries

This willow creel was used by a Newhaven fishwife, ready to sell herring to customers across Edinburgh. It would have sat on top of a larger creel, worn on the back, supported by straps across the chest, and occasionally also the head. A fully laden creel could weigh as much as 55kg. This smaller basket, called a scull, would be balanced on top to display a sample of the available catch to prospective buyers.

Fishing was often a way of life for the whole family. Whether out at sea catching, or on shore gutting, salting or selling, mending nets and creels, there were jobs for every member of the family, no matter their age. The Newhaven fishwives were famed for their hard work and prominence in the community. They were also easily identified by their distinctive outfits, their sales call of Caller Herrin’ (meaning fresh herring), and the many miles they would travel to sell their wares across the city.

A proud part of Newhaven heritage, the fisherfolk were part of a wider tradition in the herring industry stretching from the Western Isles, across Caithness and down the Aberdeenshire coast, to the Lothians, Borders and right down to East Anglia. Customs, trade, and a shared fishing culture moved with the seasons as the herring boats and workers moved with them.

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Related subjects

Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Creels

Agriculture and fisheries > Processes > Fishing

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Fisherwomen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Newhaven

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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