There have been several ships wrecked around Portballintrae, the 'Reliance' 1847, 'the Thomas Graham' 1879 and in 1887 the 'Royal Standard' which foundered on Bushfoot Strand, during the war a training aircraft ditch off the mouth of the River Bush. There are many tales of smuggling around the coast here, this would have been mainly of tea, illicit whiskey, and other commodities. The goods would be transferred from larger vessels to small boats at sea, then hid away for later distribution along the north coast. There are documented incidents of Customs being engaged with armed smuggling cutters off the coast and here in Porballintrae there was purpose-built customs house for the officers.