#AhoyPortsoy Set Sail for the ACE Winches Scottish Traditional Boat Festival this July

One of the country’s largest maritime culture and heritage events will sail into the historic harbour of Portsoy this July. The ACE Winches Scottish Traditional Boat Festival takes place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July 2023. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, a flotilla of traditional sailing vessels will drop anchor for a weekend of music and dance, Scottish food and drink, age-old crafts and unique handmade items and gifts.

The festival was first held in 1993 as a one-off to mark the tercentenary of Portsoy harbour. Since then, it has been firmly anchored in the town’s calendar, taking place annually and attracting thousands of visitors from across the region and further afield.

Celtic rockers, Skerryvore will kick off the festival programme as they headline the Big Gig on the Back Green on Friday 30 June. The band, which has recently toured the globe, will perform tracks from their new album TEMPUS. This is a licensed event for over 18s only and tickets can be purchased online from www.stbfportsoy.org

Making her maiden voyage following long and expensive restoration works, the iconic Reaper, a 19th century Fifie Sailing Herring Drifter will return to the festival. A rare survivor of the golden age of sail, Reaper is owned by the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther and is one of the few vessels in the UK’s Natonal Historic Fleet which is still in seagoing condition. Over the last six years, Reaper has underwent significant refurbishment, replacing decayed or damaged wood to restore structural integrity and a complete internal refit was carried out. Skipper Eric Lauritsen and his eight crew will make an 18-20 hour journey from Anstruther in Fife to Portsoy for the festival, where visitors will be able to climb aboard Reaper and experience what life was like at sea, over 100 years ago.

In the festival Food Fayre, you’ll find the best Scottish produce on the menu. From Aberdeen Angus beef to handmade pies and pickled onions, locally produced gin, rum and whisky and sweet treats including fudge, toffee and Belgian chocolate. However, no visit would be complete without a scoop, or two of Portsoy Ice-Cream. Visitors can also take home a piece of festival history with a bottle of 30th anniversary commemorative Speyside

Single Malt whisky, distilled by Duncan Taylor of Huntly.

Traditional craft demonstrations will be on display in the Craft Fayre, with handmade ceramics, jewellery, prints and paintings available to browse and buy. A host of local groups, artists and performers will take to the stage during the weekend, including Cullen-based duo Fair Trickit with their self-penned songs and festival favourites Skip 2 the Beat with their fast-paced skipping stunts. Younger visitors can enjoy a range of fun activities in our Kids’ Zone, kindly sponsored by Macduff Shipyards and Portsoy Thrift Shop. Trampolining, bouncy castles, segways and you can see the sights on board the Tam O’Shunter Land Train, which will be running throughout the weekend.

The ever-popular Raft Race will take place on Saturday afternoon, where you can see teams of three compete to make it across the harbour in their homemade raft and paddles, without falling in!

Thanks to festival sponsors ACE Winches, Glenglassaugh, Puffin Wood Fuels, Hamlyns of Scotland Oatmeal, Macduff Shipyards, Portsoy Thrift Shop, Twice Buried Rum, Moray West, Urquhart Joinery Services and Gray Composting Services Ltd.

Tickets are discounted when purchased in advance online, to book visit www.stbfportsoy.org.

We have a pair of tickets to see Skerryvore headline the Friday night Big Gig on the Back Green to give away, to enter please see details on competition page 79.

11TH | 12TH | 13TH AUGUST 2023 10am - 4pm each day

Gamrie Creatives is a three day “open doors” event in the beautiful coastal village of Gardenstown. Wander up and down the winding paths and steps, taking in the views of Gamrie Bay while discovering artists, designers and makers showing a diverse range of creativity.

For further information, contact: catriona.nicol@icloud.com