New Touring Exhibition Celebrates the Herring Girls

Suffolk Archives’ latest pop-up exhibition Following the Fish brings to life the unsung stories of the herring girls, who travelled hundreds of miles from Scotland to Suffolk and Norfolk, following the herring fishing fleets.
Published: 09 May 2025

An often-overlooked part of our maritime history, these hardy women played a huge role in the economy and community of fishing towns in Scotland and East Anglia.

The exhibition is a joint initiative with the High Life Highland’s Archive Service, Tasglann nan Eilean (the Hebridean Archives), and Norfolk Record Office with grant funding from Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

It’s the result of volunteer research and the gathering of tales and photos and will tour locations around the region this summer.

Between 1850-1950 herring fishing was a huge industry, exporting millions of barrels of cured herring across Europe and employing thousands of people. The season started in Western and Northern Isles in May and gradually made its way clockwise round the coast of Scotland and England, with the season finishing in December in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

At the peak of the herring industry around 6,000 women from the Highlands and Islands would travel around the country, swelling local populations during their time in any given port with most travelling on special trains.

Known as the Scotch Girls south of the border, they were employed primarily to gut, cure, and pack the fresh catch within 24 hours of being caught. It was back breaking and highly skilled work. They were in high demand, becoming seasoned travellers and often marrying and settling far from home as they followed the fleets.

“I am pleased that Following the Fish will be touring around Suffolk. It’s a fascinating exhibition that shines a light on the important role the herring girls played in communities and the fishing industry around the UK. Their hard work and determination had a lasting impact, and it’s great to see their stories being shared and remembered here in Suffolk.”
Cllr Philip Faircloth-Mutton
Cllr Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality

Lorna Steele-McGinn from High Life Highland has been working with all the other archive services to collate the stories, images and artefacts for the exhibition.

She said: “With so many women away from home it’s been fascinating to hear about the journeys they made, the juggling of work and home life, and the memories of fathers, grandparents and other community members bringing up children in their mothers’ temporary absence. Following the Fish is a wonderful exhibition which celebrates these hard-working women and preserves their legacy.”

One of the Scotch Girls, as they were known south of the border, packing herring.
One of the Scotch Girls, as they were known south of the border, packing herring. Touring exhibition Following the Fish brings their unsung stories to life.

Following the Fish will be on display at The Hold in Ipswich from 22 May to 30 May.  It will be on display in The Street, so can be viewed from 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Saturday.

From June-October it will visit The Long Shed in Woodbridge; Felixstowe Museum / Landguard Fort; Lowestoft's Maritime Museum and East Point Pavilion; and Norfolk Record Office. Dates to be confirmed.