"Herring Fishing", a photograph by George Washington Wilson, c1890.

"Landing Herring, Sy." A photograph by 'J.A.'

"Clearing the Nets." A photograph by 'A.H.'

"Pouring in the Pickle." GWW, c1890.

"Heading the Barrels." GWW, c1890.

"Branding Barrels of Herrings, Aberdeen." GWW, c1890.

"Carting Nets to be Dried." GWW, c1890.

Processing Herrings at Scrabster. A photograph by James Valentine, c1880.

"Unloading and Cleaning Fish from the Herring Boats Crowded at the Quay, Wick, Scotland." From a stereoscope by Underwood & Underwood, 1905.

"Loch Boisdale, S. Uist." GWW, c1890. In fact, Chris McNeill informs me that this is Castlebay on Barra.

"Fishing Station at Skibbadock(?), Lerwick". Photographer unknown.

Herring Barrels. Photographer unknown.

Herring Gutters at Work. Unknown photographer, possibly Ullapool.

"The Herring Fleet at Stornoway, Going Out (Evening)." A photograph by James Valentine, 1878.

"Moray Firth Herring Boats at Sea." A postcard published by James Watson, Elgin.

"Fishing Boats Going Out, Tarbert." An early Valentine photograph.

"Gutting and Curing, Stornoway." A George Washinton Wilson postcard, posted in 1906.

"Landing Herring, Dunbar." A Sanson Series postcard.

"Fishing Time, Stromness." A postcard posted in 1904.

"Herring Curing, Mallaig." A Valentine photograph registered in 1921.

"The Pier, Ullapool." J Valentine, 1909.

"Point Street, Ullapool." A postcard posted in 1912, photographer unknown.

"Herring Gutters, Ullapool." A Valentine postcard dated 1909.

"Herring Gutters, Wick." J Valentine, 1925.

"Herring Gutters, Peterhead." J Valentine, 1919.

"Herring Gutters, Stornoway." J Valentine, date unknown.

"Dutch Fishermen at Lerwick." A postcard posted in 1914. "We have seen lots of these men ... as the Herring season is in full swing," writes the correspondent. "The harbour crowded with Norwegian, Dutch and other boats of every nationality."

"The Harbour, Wick." J Valentine, 1929.

Wick harbour

A Valentine image registered in 1914.

"Arrival of Fishing Boats, Wick." A Reliable Series postcatd sent in 1908.

Two postcards, "Aberdeen." Sent in 1903 & 1904. A Valentine photo. Clearly photos were doctored, even then: a wintry scene above, no snow below!

"Wick, Caithness." An early depiction of the Herring Fleet by William Daniell, the engraving dated 1821.

Herring fishing boats at Nairn, 1890.

"Aberdeen".

Untitled, but Castle Bay, Barra. GWW.

Castlebay Fishing Fleet

A postcard in Gaelic, sent in 1905. It shows the Herring Fleet leaving Castlebay on Barra.

The Fleet leaving Castle Bay, Barra.

One of three photographs taken by the grandfather of a family in Nottingham. The first two show fishermen at work on the beach, in the Hebrides - possibly on Skye.

1930s, at work in the Hebrides.

Gutters at work at Loch Nevis. 1930s. A lovely private photo, with the steam ship in the distance....

Herring gutters at work, overseen by a man walking on the trough edge. Also by a hen! Place and photographer unknown. c.1920

"Scotch Herring Gutters". A 'National Series' postcard posted in 1906.

"The Scotch Fisher Girls at Work, Scarborough." Clearly Scottish gutters were prepared to go where the fish were. The little girl's face of disgust in the background says it all!

Scotch Fisher Girls At Work, East Pier, Scerborough

Another in Yorkshire. A Star Series card.

Scotch Fisher Girls, Scarboro.

...and another, sent in 1905.

Scottish Fisher Girls, Hartlepool

....and here they are at Hartlepool.

Gutting Stornoway

"Gutting and Curing, Stornoway." A GWW postcard.

Herring Gutters

Another GWW postcard, written and addressed but never sent. The 'sender' has added to the back "missed the post twice, but I've saved a halfpenny"!

Packing Herring Stornoway

A Valentine postcard, sent in the 1930s? (postmark indistinct). The sender writes "We saw lots of Fulmar Gulls nests yesterday, but the eggs were out of reach which was sad."

Whelk Gatherers, Kerrycroy.

Not Herrings, and not very Highland (Kerrycroy is on the Isle of Bute) but an image worth adding.

Shelling Mussels, Old Town, Stonehaven

Also not Herrings, but worthy of a place here. A Valentine image registered in 1904.

Scotch Fishermen.

A photograph taken from an album, dated 1883. What fine sweaters!

Wick Fishing Season.

A card sent in 1904. Written at the time of the Boer war, the writer is miffed as he was hoping for a medal at a sports event in Cromarty, when "the 1st division left under sealed orders....we are going to Portland to coal and take in ammunition. I was looking forward to get a medal, but no chance now."

Herring sales Inver

A very scarce image. It is not clear where Inver is but almost certainly in Sutherland. Is it the small village near Dornoch on the East, or on the West near Lochinver?