06/06/2026
Lybster has a rich history rooted in fishing, the sea and Highland resilience.
Originally a small crofting settlement on the East coast of Caithness, Lybster grew rapidly during the 19th century because of the booming herring industry. At its peak, Lybster became one of Scotlandâs busiest herring ports, with hundreds of boats filling the harbour during the fish season.
The harbour itself was developed in the 1800âs to support this growth, and the village became alive with fisherman, merchants and families tied closer to the sea.
People travelled from across Scotland to work the âherring boomâ and Lybsterâs waterfront would once have been packed with boats, nets and barrels waiting to be exported across Europe.
One particularly fascinating part of local history is the villages connection to the clearance era and the movement of Highland communities toward fishing settlements as crofting life changed across the Highlands.
