Where: | Eyemouth town centre & harbour with Crowning at Home Arms carpark on High Street |
When: | A Saturday in July (depending on the tides) |
Time: | 11.45 onwards with arrival of the Queen at 2.30 approx and crowning at 4pm (but see Helpful Hints) |
The herring harvest was of vital importance to the town of Eyemouth and the surrounding area, and every year the bounty of the sea is celebrated with a festival and the Herring Queen is crowned. The Queen and her attendants wear lavish costumes and sail into the harbour for a parade around town before the crowning ceremony. After the ceremony , speeches and thanks and prayers, wreaths are laid by the new Queen at the town’s Memorials.The event also commemorates the 1881 disaster when 23 fishing boats and their crew of 129 were lost in a storm, and there is a memorial tapestry depicting this event on “Black Friday” in Eyemouth Museum on Manse Road. Many other special events and entertainments are hosted by the town over the whole festival week.
Helpful Hints
The exact dating of the Festival is dependent on the tides, and changes may be required at short notice in severe weather.
In 2024 the Festival ran from Saturday 20th July to Sunday 28th with the Coronation on Saturday 20th July- 2025 dates are yet to be announced.
Click here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Eyemouth-Herring-Queen-182191965197149/
The Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival for 2021 will be held on Sat. July 24.
Best wishes,
Alice Sanders.
Thanks Alice! That was announced in plenty of time 🙂
Best wishes,
Averil