The Silver Darlings

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Add the herring to the daikon liquid and poach for for three minutes (handle the herring gently, as they break easily). Season with pepper, then take off the heat. The Silver Darling, which is currently undergoing renovations is working with Shelagh, a painter and glassmaker based in Footdee, to create a unique glass feature for its new look restaurant.

Paradoxically, the fairy-tale island where Johan Hallberg-Campbell’s relatives live is no fairy-land: “ Over the years, its population has shrunk to 250. A third of the islanders are pensioners. The rest cling tenaciously to fishing or crofts—small tenant farms—to earn a living in what most people would say is a harsh and unforgiving environment.” ( Anglers Journal ) His uncle David recalls past times, his life as a fisherman, periods of prosperity and the decline of the activity:https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/27955-the-silver-darlings/ > (consulted 30 Sept. 2016). The venue, which has panoramic views overlooking the city’s harbour and beach area, also boasts a bespoke glass installation created by local artist Shelagh Swanson which features historic pictures of the neighbouring fishing village of Footdee and its people. As a story it is full of pathos and describes the lives and changes of two generations after the Clearances where superstition, family bonds, survival on the land and sea, love and loss. It is also Finn's bildungsroman from boy to manhood, from his mother's baby to skipper of his own boat and the possibility of his own family.

Neil Gunn brings the atmosphere and perils of the sea into this novel along with the growth of Finn, his coming-of-age time, and the trials of a small fishing community in Scotland. Finn’s father had been lost at sea (not telling you how; you will want to read this novel for yourself!) before Finn was even born. His mother was reluctant to allow Finn to even think of going to sea... but the sea was always calling to him. From the Middle Ages onwards, herring—one of the most used marine resources—has provided Scotland with a precious, cheap, plentiful and nutritious source of food. Fishing was first a subsistence activity, and it then developed into an industry. Once in unbelievable abundance—the Old German word ‘herring’ means ‘multitude’—herring attracted thousands of boats from all over Europe to the Scottish waters, and at the peak of the herring boom, Britain exported a quarter of a million tonnes a year. Although the characters would have been Gaelic or Scots speakers, Gunn has happily chosen to write in standard English throughout, making it easily accessible to non-Scots and non-Gaelic speakers. His portrayal of the sea as a heartless mistress, dealing out wealth and death arbitrarily, is wonderful, and the sailing scenes are some of the best parts of the book. But equally he is great at showing the wild landscape, and the remoteness of the villages even from each other.Idiom? E.g., “Why on earth was Roddie smooring the fire if he was expecting company?” p. 216. (Lallans, smooring; Gaelic, smaladh.) “There’s a dirty bit of sea running, and it’s worse it’ll be before it’s better.” p. 532. An autumn storm is grumbling through the Baltic, the sky as dark and troubled as the sea. On the little Danish island of Bornholm, fresh herrings are being salted for the winter, as they have been for thousands of years, to keep humans going during the hungry months ahead. Kim Rømer and his five staff have been working since before dawn to get a tonne of the fish, newly caught in the Kattegat, into barrels of brine and vinegar while they are still firm and fresh. Catryn doesn't feel she can remain in the village after this tragedy and walks a full day to stay with a friend of her mother's in another village. Here she remains, giving birth to their son Finn and falling in love with Roddie, the best fisherman in the community. As Finn grows older he joins Roddie's crew. The book provides a wealth of information on everything related to fishing and the experiences of people learning to live with the sea, how the fishing industry brought prosperity but also foreshadows the troubles of over-fishing, and also just what life was like in this period of time for the very poor. Everyday life, like being schooled in the catchecism or visiting neighbours in the evening for a chat, and momentous events, like a tragedy at sea or the arrival of the plague, are all presented in full detail.