Portscatho is a former pilchard-fishing village on the Roseland peninsula (south coast of Cornwall) and about 5 miles from St Mawes. Portscatho pilchards stopped coming a century ago, but the village remains, relatively unchanged over the years. Although the lichen-speckled skippers' houses are now holiday homes. Although there is a small permanent population, including a few fishermen (for mackerel and lobsters today), the majority of the village's population changes weekly during the holiday season.
Portscatho has a small, sandy beach and a harbour, with its steep ramp leading down to a small collection of boats.
Portscatho once had a Barclays Bank, but that has gone, and has been converted into a holiday let. There are still bar on the windows with the Barclays eagle etched on the frosted glass. The back office is now the bathroom.
Across the sloping square is the magnificent Plume of Feathers pub, still owned by the St Austell Brewery.
A red, spiky sea mine is still used as a container to collect money for charity. And beside it is a memorial to those killed in Burma, but who have no known graves.
East of Portscatho is Porthcurnick beach. A stimulating 15 minute walk from Portscatho along the cliffs. At low tide, Porthcurnick has acres of sand. An an old volunteer coastguard lookout post