Former flagship sails into Moray Firth

STV – A former flagship of Scotland’s fishing fleet is undertaking an educational tour of the north east. The 109-years-old sailing drifter named the Reaper, flagship of the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, will be visiting some of the old herring ports in the Moray Firth. She will be open free of charge for visits [...]

Fears of contamination over land at Tarlair golf course

Press and Journal – An investigation may be needed to see if part of a site earmarked for housing at a north-east golf course is contaminated. Royal Tarlair Golf Club at Macduff has tabled an application with Aberdeenshire Council for planning consent in principle for eight houses. Council officers have noted that part of the [...]

Little appetite to revive Banff farmers’ market

Press and Journal – EFFORTS to revive an outdoor farmers’ market at a north-east town have been abandoned. The Deveron Producers Direct group started up a monthly market as a trial at Banff last summer after a break of five years. However, it failed to attract the amount of trade anticipated and will not be [...]

‘Dog fighting’ raids carried out in Banff and Macduff

BBC – A number of addresses in the north east of Scotland have been raided by police investigating reports of dog fighting and animal welfare issues. Grampian Police and the Scottish SPCA carried out searches at four addresses in Banff and Macduff on Thursday. The force said nine dogs were seized, along with equipment.

Neighbours are in the money

Banffshire Journal – FOUR Macduff neighbours are celebrating a very happy start to the New Year – sharing a £30,000 win on the People’s Postcode Lottery. Doris Langford, Martha Livingstone, Ann Watt and Kevin Stevenson, who all live on Mckay Road, scooped the windfall when their postcode, AB44 1XN, was drawn as the first Street [...]

Neighbours fall out over ‘blight on landscape’

Banffshire Journal – PETER and Julia Scott used to “get on well” with their neighbour, Gordon Allan, and regarded him as a friend. They helped each other out – and the Scotts even invited Mr Allan around for dinner while he was building his new house. However, the relationship turned sour a few months ago [...]

Empty shop fronts to receive makeover

Press and Journal – A campaign to tackle the blight of boarded-up, empty shop fronts at twin north-east towns is being revived. A public-spirited group at Banff and Macduff wants to carry out a shop art project similar to one completed more than a year ago. The aim is to fit suitable artwork to unused [...]

Boat fire at north-east harbour

Press and Journal – Firefighters used breathing apparatus to tackle a blaze in the fish hold of a boat berthed at a north-east harbour. The fire at Macduff yesterday on the Grimsby-registered trawler Cornelis Gertjan was brought under control quickly by crews from Macduff, Banff and Portsoy. The boat is undergoing conversion work and insulation [...]

Group offers to help council

Press and Journal – A COMMUNITY group in the north-east is gearing up to offer help if local authority budget cuts put essential public services at risk. Banff and Macduff Community Trust has signalled a willingness to work with Aberdeenshire Council in the coming year to identify services in jeopardy and discuss how they could [...]

Macduff mourns former teacher and lifeboat stalwart

Press and Journal – A former teacher and long-serving stalwart at a north-east lifeboat station has died at home. Jim Allan, 68, was described by his family yesterday as “a dedicated family man” who had lived a full life. Glasgow-born Mr Allan suffered a suspected aneurysm at his home in Macduff’s Gellymill Street on Wednesday [...]

Castle works to go ahead next year

Banffshire Journal – AMBITIOUS improvement work to Banff Castle is expected to get under way in the new year. A £200,000 scheme to regenerate the complex looks to create an arts and folklore centre, a café and a hidden garden. The aim of the project is to secure the long-term future of the building for [...]

Aquarium faces 10% funding cut

Banffshire Journal – VISITOR attractions in the area – including Duff House Art Gallery and Macduff Marine Aquarium – could face funding cuts following an Aberdeenshire Council review of their performances. The local authority has said that it is facing “difficult decisions”, but said no final decisions had been taken on the area’s visitor attractions. [...]

Hall group needs your votes

Banffshire Journal – PENSIONERS in Macduff are urging the public to get behind them when they try and hit their own Lottery jackpot on television next month. They are bidding to win £50,000 in STV’s ‘The People’s Millions’ contest in order to upgrade their hall. Macduff Old Folks Association has owned and run the community [...]

Religious body takes over kirk

Press and Journal – A former church that has lain empty in a north-east town centre since the 1990s will get a new lease of life early next year. A lease deal has been concluded between Aberdeenshire Council and a religious group for the former Trinity and Alvah Church at Banff. The former Banff and [...]

Drop-in centre for young people to go ahead at Macduff

Press and Journal – Plans for a new meeting place for young people in a north-east town have been given the go-ahead by Aberdeenshire councillors. The proposed drop-in centre at Macduff will be built on a site close to the primary school and community centre. Planning approval for the local authority scheme was originally granted [...]

Christmas lights will illuminate Victorian scene

Banffshire Journal – CHRISTMAS will be taking on a Victorian theme in Banff and Macduff this year. The Banff and Macduff Business Association and Christmas lights group have come together to organise a theme day to celebrate the switching on of the illuminations, bringing a real festive feel to the two towns. And they want [...]

Appeal over man’s body found at River Deveron

BBC – Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the death of a man whose body was discovered on a riverbank earlier this month. The remains – believed to be those of 62-year-old Norman Choate – were discovered on the banks of the Deveron, close to Macduff Distillery. Mr Choate, from the Banff [...]

Cement mixer stolen from container

Grampian Police are investigating a break-in to a lockup container on Doune Crescent, Macduff between noon on Friday (10 September) and 7.30am on Monday.
As a result a cement mixer worth a mid three -figure sum was stolen.
Grampian Police are keen to trace anyone acting suspiciously in the vicinity of Doune Crescent at the time.
Constable Ewan [...]

Teen tells of chalet fire horror

Press and Journal – A TEENAGER who suffered serious burns in a fire at a Moray caravan park last night said he will never forget the horror of seeing his skin peeling off his hands. Colin Sutcliffe, 18, was at a party with four friends in a chalet at the Beechtree Caravan Park at Keith [...]

Parents tell of heartache after caravan site fire

Press and Journal – The parents of two men seriously injured in a Keith blaze spoke of their heartache last night. The fire broke out early on Sunday as a group of friends were drinking and listening to music in one of the holiday homes at Beechtree Park. Kyle Stewart, 18, remains in a critical [...]

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