Leith smack 

‘Mr Loudon left Leith Terrace, went down Leith Street and boarded a Leith Smack bound for Newcastle. He was twenty and had completed his education and training.’ This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024).

More about Leith smacks

They were small, sturdy sailing vessels commonly used for coastal trade and fishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. Smacks originated in the port of Leith, near Edinburgh, Scotland, and became prominent due to their versatility and practicality. Typically around 50-80 feet long with a single mast and a gaff rig (triangular sail). Construction was strong, with a rounded hull for handling rough seas. Smacks were used for catching herring, cod, and other fish in the North Sea and off the Scottish coast and also for transporting goods like coal, sand, and agricultural products between Scottish ports and other locations in the British Isles. ‘Smack’ comes from the Dutch word ‘smak’ which may have an onomatopoeic connection with the ‘crack’ of a sail.

Should Loudon's long-lost journal turn up, we would know for sure whether the first of his three trips to London was in a Leith Smack, a collier or something else. The information about these journeys comes from Jane Loudon's <em>Life</em> of her husband. She tells us only that 'In 1803 he first arrived in London.' But with a sea voyage being the cheapest and quickest way of getting from Edinburgh to London, is is the probable mode.