Celebrating the Herring Lasses, A’ comharrachadh Clann Nighean an Sgadain

To mark International Woman’s Day 2026, join us in celebrating the iconic herring lasses. through poetry, performance and song in Gaelic and Scots. Featuring performers from Brora to Aberdeen, along with incredible moving image archives from the Library’s collections.

From the late 19th to 20th century, these women followed the silver darlings from Shetland to Great Yarmouth. They undertook back breaking work gutting and barreling millions of fish every week.

Who were the herring lasses, and how did they create such a powerful community on the move?

About the contributors

Brought to you by Capital Gaelic in partnership with the GLAD Network, East Coast Heritage Organisations, and the University of Aberdeen.

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