Johnshaven is an Aberdeenshire fishing village. It contains many typical fishermen's cottages. These houses were small and often only one storey. The houses in Johnshaven were built near the shore. This meant that the men could bring their nets and sometimes their boats to where they lived. Narrow alleyways between the houses were sheltered from the wind and sea. Boats could be kept here safely in the winter when they were not needed.

Broadsea is now part of Fraserburgh, but in the Nineteenth century it was a separate village. Here the houses were built rows one storey high. Many rows of houses were built in Broadsea for the fishermen and their families. They are built of stone and have pantiled roofs. Lots of fisher families lived there. In Broadsea they had no running water and no drains. This made the village a very unhealthy place to live in. In the Nineteenth century many people died of diseases such as cholera.

Sometimes the houses had two storeys. The people lived downstairs. Upstairs was a net loft where nets were stored and repaired. There were outside stairs leading to the net loft. These meant that wet and dirty nets didn't have to be carried through the house. There are examples of these houses at Stonehaven Harbour.

Footdee is the fishing village of Aberdeen. New houses were built for the fishermen in 1809. These were called Pilot's and Fisher's Squares. They are still there today and more have been built. Instead of lofts, these houses had sheds where they could store their nets.

Houses in the Nineteenth century were built from whatever people could find locally. Sometimes stones were taken from the beach. The roofs were thatched with heather, broom or straw. They often let the rain in. You could tell which was a fisherman's house from the outside. Fish were hung around the door and windows to dry in the sun. Dried fish could be kept for a long time. Families ate it in the winter when there wasn't very much else to eat.

Many fishermen were poor and couldn't afford very good houses. Whole families sometimes lived in one or two rooms. They were often very dark and damp inside. The floors were made of earth. Sometimes they were covered with old sails so that they weren't so dusty. The houses had open fires, which were very smoky. They didn't have very much furniture. Beds were in a sort of cupboard and were called box beds. There would be a chest of drawers and maybe a table and chairs, but not very much more.

At the beginning of the Twentieth century many fishermen and their families moved to bigger towns like Fraserburgh, Aberdeen and Peterhead. New houses were built for them and these were much better than their old ones. They had slates on the roof, which kept them dry. They also had proper floors instead of just dirt. This made life much more comfortable for the fisher families. There are plans dating from 1908 for a fisherman's house. The new house was built at Buchanhaven, Peterhead. The ground floor has a room, bed closet, passage and kitchen. Stairs lead up to the net room. The plan says that the loft is "not to be used as a sleeping apartment".