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Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
The Tall Ships Races 2025 anchor into Aberdeen's proud shipbuilding past
Around 2,000 crew on ships from all over the world set to sail into harbour Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As 50 formidable Tall Ships from around the world sail into Aberdeen Harbour on Friday, they will anchor into the city's story of a proud shipbuilding history that has now faded to a 'distant memory' for many. This weekend, around 2,000 sailing crew on ships from South America, the Middle East and Europe will guide their vessels into safe harbour after racing from Dunkirk to Aberdeen, where innovative Tall Ship designs were forged and taken to the world. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Aberdeen Harbour in 1890. PIC: AberdeenLine200. | AberdeenLine200 More than 3000 ships were built in Aberdeen from the early 1800s and the 1990s, with the city's shipbuilding past now slipping away in a city that went from seapower to the power of oil and gas. As the sails and rigs come into view from the quayside, it is hoped The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 will reconnect the North East with its proud shipbuilding history, which was forged by companies such as Aberdeen Line, set up in 1825, and Alexander Hall and Sons. David Hendry is the lead historian for the Aberdeen Line 200, an organisation which is highlighting the work of the influential company in its bicentennial year. Mr Hendry said: 'The whole ship building era in Aberdeen has slipped into distant memory for many people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The last ship was built in the city in the early 1990s - 30 odd years ago - so these people are getting older and the memory of it is disappearing. 'Since shipbuilding, the city has been hugely focussed on oil and gas. The harbour is very much a working harbour and it is not somewhere you go unless you have a direct relationship with it - it is fenced off, it is secure, so for a lot of people that relationship is diminished. 'The Tall Ships is an opportunity in a sense to break down the fences and reconnect the harbour with the majority of the population of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.' A poster for the Aberdeen Line company, a dominant force in the city's shipbuilding industry. PIC: AberdeenLine200. | AberdeenLine200 Of the 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen, around a tenth of them were large ocean going Clippers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One of the leading figures of the industry was George Thompson Junior, a former Lord Provost and MP, who founded the Aberdeen Line. Within 10 years, he had a fleet of a dozen ships built in the city with trade and passenger routes opened up with Australia and China as a result. In the 1840s, Aberdeen changed the way that ships were designed to circumnavigate the taxation of such vessels with the Aberdeen Bow created at Alexander Hall and Co, which cut the volume of a ship that could be liable for duties. Mr Hendry said: 'As ever, people tried to reduce the amount of taxation that they paid. 'The Aberdeen Bow was one of the consequences of that and introduced the sharp, pointy bow that you see on the Clippers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'As it turned out, this design was very efficient in cutting through water and allowing the ships to go faster. 'A lot of the ships coming into the harbour for the Tall Ships will have this sharp, pointy bow and in a sense they are coming back to Aberdeen to pay homage to that design. 'That particular design of course evolved over time but its starting point was in this city.' George Thompson Junior, former Lord Provost of Aberdeen, MP and founder of the Aberdeen Line shipping company. PIC: CC | CC The Clipper ship era was at its height during the 1850s and 1860s and one of the most formidable ships to come out of Aberdeen was the Thermopylae, built in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Thermopylae was launched at a time of increased competition from steam powered ships. In response, the Clipper owners went on to design even bigger and faster ships with a new composite design combining an iron frame with timber planking. More efficient sails and rigs were built and much was removed from the deck area, such as cabins, which could disrupt airflow. 'These Clippers had the best crews, the best captains with and were the most well paid in the industry, 'Mr Hendry said. The Thermopylae gained fame for its speed and reliability in the 19th century, particularly in the wool trade to Australia and the tea races from China. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hendry added: 'Thermopylae was particularly suited to the tea trade, putting in excellent performances even in the lightest of winds.' In 1872, she raced her great rival, the Dumbarton-built Cutty Sark, from Shanghai back to London, taking 115 days and beating her competitor by seven days after the Cutty Sark lost her rudder at sea. In the Thermopylae's 11 tea passages over the years, the Clipper completed the journey from China to London in an average of 106.7 days. Meanwhile, The Cutty Sark averaged a journey time of 117 days over eight China homeward voyages. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The main purpose of these ships was the transportation of tea. These ships were built to make money, so how do you do that? You move high value goods at the highest volume and as fast as possible.' Mr Hendry, who is also the chairperson for the Dundee Heritage Trust, which runs theThe RRS Discovery, the the oldest surviving three-masted wooden ship built in the United Kingdom, said the history of Aberdeen's shipbuilding industry could inspired the city as it faces new challenges as the oil and gas transitions to its end game. He added: 'Aberdeen is facing a time of challenge. If you look at the city's history, over the past 200 years it has faced challenges and met them. 'It is not just about looking at ships as a piece of nostalgia, but as an inspiration as how our ancestors faced these sea changes.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 is the centrepiece of a four-day festival held in the city between Friday and Tuesday, July 22. The ships will arriva after a competitive voyage from Dunkirk and will depart for Kristiansand in Norway, departing in a Parade of Sail on Tuesday. Before then, a Crew Parade will march from Union Terrace along Schoolhill to Regent Quay, with nearly 2,000 sailors taking part. More than 200 local young people will be part of the parade after taking to the high seas on one of the Tall Ships racing between either France and Scotland or Scotland and Norway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On Monday, the Red Arrows will perform a flypast in a 22-minute display just off the Aberdeen shoreline, which is best viewed from the Beach Esplanade. During the weekend, the quayside will host performances from local artists, ship bands, sea shanties and street performers.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
The Tall Ships Races 2025 anchor into Aberdeen's proud shipbuilding past
Around 2,000 crew on ships from all over the world set to sail into harbour Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As 50 formidable Tall Ships from around the world sail into Aberdeen Harbour on Friday, they will anchor into the city's story of a proud shipbuilding history that has now faded to a 'distant memory' for many. This weekend, around 2,000 sailing crew on ships from South America, the Middle East and Europe will guide their vessels into safe harbour after racing from Dunkirk to Aberdeen, where innovative Tall Ship designs were forged and taken to the world. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Aberdeen Harbour in 1890. PIC: AberdeenLine200. | AberdeenLine200 More than 3000 ships were built in Aberdeen from the early 1800s and the 1990s, with the city's shipbuilding past now slipping away in a city that went from seapower to the power of oil and gas. As the sails and rigs come into view from the quayside, it is hoped The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 will reconnect the North East with its proud shipbuilding history, which was forged by companies such as Aberdeen Line, set up in 1825, and Alexander Hall and Sons. David Hendry is the lead historian for the Aberdeen Line 200, an organisation which is highlighting the work of the influential company in its bicentennial year. Mr Hendry said: 'The whole ship building era in Aberdeen has slipped into distant memory for many people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The last ship was built in the city in the early 1990s - 30 odd years ago - so these people are getting older and the memory of it is disappearing. 'Since shipbuilding, the city has been hugely focussed on oil and gas. The harbour is very much a working harbour and it is not somewhere you go unless you have a direct relationship with it - it is fenced off, it is secure, so for a lot of people that relationship is diminished. 'The Tall Ships is an opportunity in a sense to break down the fences and reconnect the harbour with the majority of the population of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.' A poster for the Aberdeen Line company, a dominant force in the city's shipbuilding industry. PIC: AberdeenLine200. | AberdeenLine200 Of the 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen, around a tenth of them were large ocean going Clippers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One of the leading figures of the industry was George Thompson Junior, a former Lord Provost and MP, who founded the Aberdeen Line. Within 10 years, he had a fleet of a dozen ships built in the city with trade and passenger routes opened up with Australia and China as a result. In the 1840s, Aberdeen changed the way that ships were designed to circumnavigate the taxation of such vessels with the Aberdeen Bow created at Alexander Hall and Co, which cut the volume of a ship that could be liable for duties. Mr Hendry said: 'As ever, people tried to reduce the amount of taxation that they paid. 'The Aberdeen Bow was one of the consequences of that and introduced the sharp, pointy bow that you see on the Clippers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'As it turned out, this design was very efficient in cutting through water and allowing the ships to go faster. 'A lot of the ships coming into the harbour for the Tall Ships will have this sharp, pointy bow and in a sense they are coming back to Aberdeen to pay homage to that design. 'That particular design of course evolved over time but its starting point was in this city.' George Thompson Junior, former Lord Provost of Aberdeen, MP and founder of the Aberdeen Line shipping company. PIC: CC | CC The Clipper ship era was at its height during the 1850s and 1860s and one of the most formidable ships to come out of Aberdeen was the Thermopylae, built in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Thermopylae was launched at a time of increased competition from steam powered ships. In response, the Clipper owners went on to design even bigger and faster ships with a new composite design combining an iron frame with timber planking. More efficient sails and rigs were built and much was removed from the deck area, such as cabins, which could disrupt airflow. 'These Clippers had the best crews, the best captains with and were the most well paid in the industry, 'Mr Hendry said. The Thermopylae gained fame for its speed and reliability in the 19th century, particularly in the wool trade to Australia and the tea races from China. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hendry added: 'Thermopylae was particularly suited to the tea trade, putting in excellent performances even in the lightest of winds.' In 1872, she raced her great rival, the Dumbarton-built Cutty Sark, from Shanghai back to London, taking 115 days and beating her competitor by seven days after the Cutty Sark lost her rudder at sea. In the Thermopylae's 11 tea passages over the years, the Clipper completed the journey from China to London in an average of 106.7 days. Meanwhile, The Cutty Sark averaged a journey time of 117 days over eight China homeward voyages. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The main purpose of these ships was the transportation of tea. These ships were built to make money, so how do you do that? You move high value goods at the highest volume and as fast as possible.' Mr Hendry, who is also the chairperson for the Dundee Heritage Trust, which runs theThe RRS Discovery, the the oldest surviving three-masted wooden ship built in the United Kingdom, said the history of Aberdeen's shipbuilding industry could inspired the city as it faces new challenges as the oil and gas transitions to its end game. He added: 'Aberdeen is facing a time of challenge. If you look at the city's history, over the past 200 years it has faced challenges and met them. 'It is not just about looking at ships as a piece of nostalgia, but as an inspiration as how our ancestors faced these sea changes.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 is the centrepiece of a four-day festival held in the city between Friday and Tuesday, July 22. The ships will arriva after a competitive voyage from Dunkirk and will depart for Kristiansand in Norway, departing in a Parade of Sail on Tuesday. Before then, a Crew Parade will march from Union Terrace along Schoolhill to Regent Quay, with nearly 2,000 sailors taking part. More than 200 local young people will be part of the parade after taking to the high seas on one of the Tall Ships racing between either France and Scotland or Scotland and Norway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On Monday, the Red Arrows will perform a flypast in a 22-minute display just off the Aberdeen shoreline, which is best viewed from the Beach Esplanade. During the weekend, the quayside will host performances from local artists, ship bands, sea shanties and street performers.
Press and Journal
15-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Tall Ships: Looking back at history of the world-famous Aberdeen Line on its 200th anniversary
The Tall Ships are making a grand return to Aberdeen this summer, and their arrival will help reawaken the city's illustrious maritime history – the Aberdeen Line. Excitement is already building ahead of the races in July, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to attend the quayside entertainment. Seeing the elegant ships glide into Aberdeen port is virtually a once-in-a-generation sight these days. But 200 years ago, Aberdeen was a centre of innovation when it came to shipbuilding and shipping, and tall ships would have been part of the city's skyline. The Aberdeen Line was established in the city by George Thompson Jnr in 1825 and it was an enterprise that would ultimately take Aberdeen to the rest of the world. Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, George Thompson Jnr was just 21 when he founded the Aberdeen Line. He had already successfully established himself as a generous philanthropist, and ship and insurance broker, before moving into trade routes. The Aberdeen Line went on to become one of the world's most prolific shipping companies, and built more than 100 tall ships at the Walter Hood Shipyard in Aberdeen. There is no trace now of the shipyard that built these graceful, yet powerful vessels, but in a nod to the past, it is the very place where the Tall Ships will berth come July. Pioneering shipbuilders were at the forefront of Aberdeen's technological revolution. The innovative 'Aberdeen Bow', designed by Alexander Hall and Sons boatyard in 1839, created a more pointed and streamlined vessel. It was first used on Hall and Sons' vessel 'Scottish Maid' built for the Aberdeen Line, said to be the first clipper fabricated in Britain, and one of the fastest ships of her time. This advancement represented a significant change from the cumbersome wooden sailing ships of old to quicker, sleeker models. In the same year Scottish Maid launched, shipbuilder Walter Hood set up his own yard in Aberdeen. He hailed from Brechin, but served his apprenticeship in Aberdeen and worked in Dundee before returning north to establish his business. Hood's yard in Footdee – where Pocra Quay is now – lead the way, globally, in the production of sailing ships. Unlike other shipbuilders, Hood's launchways were largely covered offering shelter for workers from harsh weather. From 1842, George Thompson became a partner of Walter Hood and the shipyard went on to build dozens of vessels for the Aberdeen Line. The line initially operated in the North Atlantic and UK coastal Baltic trade routes, but by the 1840s progressed to more far-flung destinations. These more lucrative routes saw goods like copper brought back from the far reaches of Cuba, and tea from China. In 1846, 'The Neptune' – a Walter Hood vessel built for the Aberdeen Line or Aberdeen White Star Line as it became known – made its first sailing to Sydney, Australia. Aberdeen was now open to business from the rest of the world and became a leading centre in establishing the tea trade. The Aberdeen Line's success soared and George Thompson took on chief clerk William Henderson as a partner for the firm in 1850. Aberdeen's clippers adopted a signature livery, an 'Aberdeen green' hull, which made them instantly recognisable in any port in which they docked. Within a few years the Aberdeen Line was running monthly sailings from London to Australia, with room for passengers as well as goods. Voyages to transport gold from Australia would take months at a time and would often prove perilous. Storms made for dangerous sailing conditions, and deaths were not uncommon through people drowning or falling from the rigging. Fire was also an ever-present risk due to paraffin lamps and, of course, pirates were always lurking, ready to plunder vessels. Clippers that did successfully reach their destination were always well received. In a time before telephones, it was a physical link for many with their native Aberdeen. By the 1860s, the Aberdeen Line was well established and its high-quality ships were world renowned, particularly in the China tea trade. The tea trade required faster vessels, and in 1868 the tea clipper Thermopylae was built and launched at Hood's yard in Aberdeen. A composite design of iron frame covered in wooden planking, the magnificent Thermopylae was the fastest sailing boat built. Her record-breaking maiden voyage from Gravesend to Melbourne took just 63 days, and retains the record for the fastest passage by a sailing ship. Built for speed, Thermopylae operated in the Far Eastern Tea Trade where pace was needed to outrun pirates and bring tea to Europe as quickly as possible. The tea trade was very lucrative and became very competitive as operators sought out the best captains and crews. In 1872, the eyes of the world were on Thermopylae, and therefore Aberdeen, when she became the main rival to clipper Cutty Sark in the great tea race. The two sailing ships were pitted against each other during the world-famous regatta – a race to bring the first tea of the season to London from Shanghai. Setting out on June 15, Cutty Sark quickly took the lead and nine weeks later was 400 miles ahead of her rival. But disaster struck when Cutty Sark lost her rudder in a storm while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Rather than pulling into port and risk losing time, she kept racing while a temporary rudder was forged on board. Meanwhile, the defiant Thermopylae managed to traverse the oceans unscathed, and arrived in London a full seven days ahead of Cutty Sark on October 11. But by this time, the days of sail were waning as technological advances brought about the age of steam. By the end of the 1860s most of the new ships built in Aberdeen were constructed from iron. In 1875, the iron-hulled Salamis was built in Aberdeen as a sister ship to Thermopylae and gained a reputation as the fastest iron sailing ship built. The progression in technology squeezed the sailing ships out of the tea trade, and Thermopylae made her final tea voyage in 1881. She was replaced by George Thompson's first steamer SS Aberdeen. But Cutty Sark and Thermopylae's old rivalry was reborn when both were assigned to the Australian wool trade. In 1895 Thermopylae was sold to the Portuguese Navy as a training vessel. For such a prestigious vessel, Thermopylae ended her days in a watery grave in 1907 when she was sunk by the navy during target practice.
