From the delicious ice cream to the fascinating heritage, there’s something rather beguiling about Portsoy.
The 17th Century fishing harbour on the Moray coastline provides the perfect backdrop for an event which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival speaks for itself, but it is set to feel even more special – as it returns live this weekend (June 18-19) for the first time since 2019.
And it kicks off in true style tonight with a concert, featuring Skerryvore.
The pandemic saw the community-driven two-day festival go virtual, but now it can finally drop anchor for what promises to be a packed weekend.
With sponsors including EventScotland, and visitors hailing from across the UK and even further afield, just what makes the festival such a celebrated happening on the seafaring calendar?
Its success is all the more impressive, given that it has been running for an incredible 29 years.
It has, of course, evolved over the decades, and the 2022 offering boasts seaborne races, beautiful heritage boats, food and drink, and even live music and dance.
For former Portsoy resident June Masson, who has been on board from the very beginning, the event is proof that both community and heritage live on.
We caught up with her and found out just what it takes to set sail in this not so sleepy town.
Forever evolving
“It all started with Portsoy Community Council; we set up a committee in 1992 to organise a celebration for the harbour,” said June.
“It was turning 300 years old and naturally we wanted to celebrate that.
“So we had a small committee, and we put on a lot of free events around the town.
“It was a success and we decided that as we had done it once, so we could do it again.”
The official title of Sottish Traditional Boat Festival emerged from the water in 1994, and the 2022 event is supported by EventScotland’s national events programme.
Other eager sponsors include Moray West Offshore Wind Farm and Deveron Whisky, alongside Macduff Shipyards.
But from the very beginning, the focus remains the tradition of boats at Portsoy harbour and the talented craftsmanship of those who make a living from the sea.
“We wanted to show what things used to be like, and to celebrate the old culture,” said June.
“I think even if you’ve lived in Portsoy, there’s things you may not necessarily know about times gone by.
“And folk seem to really appreciate finding out how things were done, they see things that they didn’t necessarily know about before.”
People power
But what does it take to organise a festival which can see people travel hundreds of miles to be in on the action?
Well, like any good plan, part of the secret is to get your boats in a row months in advance.
“When the festival comes to a close, we tend to start looking at the next event right away,” said June.
“We ramp things up in January, until we reach a stage where we have two meetings each month.
“There’s about 25 people involved, and we all bring our own set of skills.
“It’s about putting all those skills together, we all have a role to play.
“The festival wouldn’t go ahead were it not for the committee, we all have our own area of expertise.”
Unlike your typical gala, there’s nothing quite like the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival elsewhere.
And it is that uniqueness which propels the volunteers forward, to make each passing year that bit better than the one gone before.
“We all work really well together, we’re a good team,” said June.
“Of course people come and go, I’ve always been involved in some capacity.
Royal nod
“I think we are fortunate in that people have a real passion for the event, so they are prepared to do their bit.
“It is tremendous; we’ve got volunteers who have been giving up their time for 20 years, even 25 years.
“We were recognised last year for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
“There’s just so much passion in Portsoy. We know we can do it, because we have built on the festival year after year.
“It has taken a long time to get there, but we know what we are doing.”
Sentimental value
The festival is now one of the region’s leading tourism events, with more than 16,000 people expected over the course of the weekend.
It could perhaps best be described as a series of festivals, as demonstrated with the mouth-watering food fare.
You can expect the sea’s bounty with lobster and crab rolls, and 38 food and drink vendors are expecting to showcase their wares.
“We have grown year on year, people come from across the UK and even internationally,” said June.
“A lot of visitors see it as coming home if they are originally from Portsoy.
“It’s sentimental for a lot of folk, they take their children along because they can remember going themselves, or they meet up with extended family.
“The good weather has been ordered, we really can’t wait.”
The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival takes place this weekend at Portsoy harbour. For more information visit www.stbfportsoy.org
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