Model, of motor skiff Viola

This wooden model represents the motor skiff 'Viola', a fishing vessel built in 1935 at St Monance in Fife. The motor skiff, also known as a 'nobby', gradually replaced the west coast sailing skiff in the herring fishing industry. The model was built to a scale of 1:24 by the model maker, Mr A Balfour of St Monance in Fife.

With a crew of five, a boat such as the 'Viola' would range from four to eight miles from port and be away from three to eight hours. She was powered by a 50 horsepower diesel engine which replaced the sail when the wind was unfavourable. The engine also powered a winch and electric light.

Motor skiffs were used for all kinds of herring and line fishing as well as seine netting around the coast of Scotland and parts of England and Ireland. A seine net is a long weighted net attached to a float line. The most productive net in sea fishery is a purse seine in which the bottom of the net is drawn shut with a line running through rings.

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