Scottish Traditional Boat Festival - Portsoy Harbour

This spectacular event celebrates the north east’s seafaring heritage with a packed programme of boats, music, crafts and food for all the family.

Around 13,000 visitors are expected to attend over the two-day event, where a wide range of traditional boats, lifeboats and fishing vessels will be on display. There will also be a showcase of handmade wooden crafts created by students of the Portsoy Boatshed, alongside a lively programme of music and dance performances, as well as a wide selection of handmade items and gifts.

The best of Scottish produce will be showcased in the Food and Drink Zone, with fresh fish and seafood, homemade pies and locally produced whisky, gin and rum all available to buy. New for this year is a cookery demonstration area sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland Oatmeal. Local chefs and food producers will showcase a range of dishes, while Stewart Buchanan, global brand ambassador for Glenglassaugh Distillery, will host guided whisky tastings. Tayport Distillery will also offer summer cocktail-making demonstrations.

Visitors can eat their way around the harbour with a variety of catering options to suit all tastes and dietary requirements. Freshly caught fish, seafood and Aberdeen Angus beef will be on the menu. International flavours including paella, pizza and German sausages will also be available.

The coastal crafts area will showcase a wide selection of handmade items including jewellery, ceramics, artwork, candles and bespoke wooden gifts and accessories.

The Kids’ Zone will feature a range of activities and entertainment for younger visitors throughout the weekend including a big slide, bouncy castles, a rodeo bull and there will be performances from Jamie the Jester and the Balloon Mannies.

A packed music programme organised by Folk at the Salmon Bothy will feature a host of performers across the weekend. Festival favourites Fair Trickit, will return on both Saturday and Sunday. Cullen-based ukulele-playing twin sisters Charlotte and Chloe Hay will perform a mix of covers and original songs, while Mike Blackburn will showcase his own compositions. Portsoy loon Bill Gray will entertain audiences with traditional bothy ballads.

Traditional and modern Scottish and Irish folk music will be brought to the stage by Farran, while The Cavemen from Munlochy will get the party started with their classic rock and folk songs. Tripple, an acclaimed a cappella trio made up of mother Jill and her children Cit and Annie, are renowned for their contemporary arrangements of traditional songs and rich harmonies. They have performed across Scotland, Europe, Canada and the USA.

A guaranteed crowd pleaser and regular favourite at the event is Scotland’s first competitive skipping club, Skip 2 the Beat, who will wow visitors with their fast-paced skipping stunts. The Anne McArthur Dancers, who have performed at almost every festival since it began, will also take to the stage during the weekend.

The Ultimate Tribute Night takes place on Saturday 13 June at 7pm. Back by popular demand is Taylor Swift tribute act Leona Skimming as Taylor 2, performing classic hits including Love Story, Bad Blood and Shake It Off. The evening will continue with songs from the hit musical Wicked, including Defying Gravity and Popular. This is a family-friendly event and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

From 9pm, Chris Grant’s Blues Response Unit will take to the stage. Known for his earthy vocals and blend of blues and rock, Chris Grant will close the evening with a set guaranteed to get the Back Green rocking. This performance is for over-18s only unless attendees are already in the venue before 8pm.

This year’s festival is sponsored by Glenglassaugh Distillery, Gray Composting Services Ltd, Puffin Wood Fuels, Portsoy Thrift Shop, Urquhart Joinery Services, Portsoy 75 Club, Hamlyns of Scotland, Macduff Shipyards and North East Scotland Preservation Trust.
Tickets are discounted when purchased in advance online.

To book, visit www.stbfportsoy.org. For festival updates, follow @stbfportsoy or #ahoyportsoy on social media.