Menondering; Wee Toons Big Hairts - part one.

After a good night's sleep at the aquarium parking lot, I set off after breakfast to visit some of the ex-fishing ports dotted like pearls along the Moray coast and get a feel for them. Having visited the Banff museum and discovered how active this northeast corner of the Bonny Land had once been, it is good to see that much of the coast is picking itself up and dusting itself off. In most cases, it's because of the intense community spirit that is to be found in each 'wee toon'. 

Macduff does have an active ship repair and maintenance yard, and - although there is a bit of nimbyism from 'import' retirees who've bought shoreline homes not wanting there to be any change because 'it might spoil their view' and 'bring undesirables' - the upgrade to the aquarium will surely be a positive thing for the town. It has a way to go before it attains more of the vibrancy that its near neighbour of Banff demonstrates.

I have observed two distinct channels in most communities. One understands that to at least tread water, if not thrive, it is necessary to embrace change and seek to grow from the strengths within their community. Each member brings what they can to that purpose, and those who cannot provide practical aid are often generous in other ways. The second channel is those who (mostly) have bought into the village or town because it suits their idea of 'quaint', and they have no interest in growth or attempting to hold the young by updating and are invested, instead, in keeping it stuck exactly where it is. Another factor, particularly around coastal towns, is the 'holiday home' syndrome. Large chunks of the property often lie empty for long periods, hollowing out the community as there is no housing for growing local families to move into, so they leave and go to the bigger towns and cities. I've witnessed this first-hand in my own wee home toon of Dunoon. To be fair, a large part of what prevents the flourishing of new interest is a lack of financial means, as much of what is needed is a refurbishment of infrastructure and key premises - such as in the case of the aquarium. For them, the bulk of the cost of the new building is to be facilitated by a government grant. There is a small amount from lottery funds. The rest is from donations and entry fees.

Spot The Grey!

Many places, though, have to depend on their own means. To keep the young from deserting, there needs to be the promise of work and the possibility of having a worthwhile life with a chance to expand their horizons within that local area. 

A short drive of about six miles from Banff lies the wee toon of Portsoy. So many times, I have simply driven through, focused on getting to Inverness. Now, I determined to stop. Although it wasn't on my Park4Night app, I was sure I could park up by the harbour. Sure enough, I got a level spot right beside the public conveniences! Portsoy is a shining example of maintaining its quaintness and history whilst thriving in the 21st century. At the very bottom of that page linked, you will see rewards, placed as if an afterthought, but, from what I observed, richly deserved. I observed many young families coming down to the town beach, swimming, crab fishing, and bird watching. I noticed many service vehicles, both council and private tradesmen, would come and stop to eat their breakfast or lunch, enjoying the embrace of this handsome little port. I saw and heard many folks of all ages enjoying the hostelry - The Shore Inn - and visiting the active boat-building workshop beside it. 

The settlement and port had existed for many centuries but not as a constructed element. That formal construction came about, as it had in Banff, with the arrival of a strong fishing industry and associated industries, such as smoke housing, ropemaking, and boatbuilding. The majority of the buildings around the port and up onto the main street are of early to mid-18th-century construction. One or two date back to the 17th - note the 'stepped gables'.  Almost all are maintained and in daily use/lived in.

On the hill to the west side of the harbour stands a delightful sculpture - there is a pod of bottlenose dolphins native to the firth, and this is one of the spots from which they are often spotted. This article tells you a little about the sculpture.

I lingered for a day, just walking about the harbour and enjoying the wonderful summer weather that had properly settled in. I chatted with four-year-old Minnie and her dad, who were enjoying the harbour beach and learned that she liked wearing her buoyancy vest and that she was learning to swim and that she could catch crabs and that there were little fishes in there too and that her daddy was the best swimmer and ..and.. and..   Dad just shook his head. 

I spent just one night there, but I would park for longer next visit. I did stop up on the main street before leaving, though. I dropped into the bakery for a loaf and a "Tom Thumb." That's them with chocolate on either side and wrapped in marzipan. Think very luxurious Battenberg.

The loaf, a malted and seeded wholemeal, was astoundingly delicious. I wish I could take that bakery with me! Just along from there, opposite the handsome church/community centre, is Portsoy Ice Cream. I am not a big ice cream fan, to be very honest, but for exceptional products and decent weather, I can make an exception. That said, when I spotted that they did milkshakes with their homemade ice, my heart did a flip. I am a milkshakeaholic and haven't had a truly decent one since departing the shores of the far southern island of OZ. Something about the setup here said it would be a good choice. 

Not only was it a good choice, it was a brilliant one! At nearly six quid, I was certainly glad of that. And I would happily pay it again. I opted for the "two-scoop" size - which seemed to involve four scoops, so go figure - and had them blend coconut with rum and raisin. O.M.G........ lush doesn't come anywhere near describing how good this was!

I took it around to the park at the Loch of Soy and savoured it as I watched the water birds play. I got doggy kisses from a gorgeous black Labrador called Monty, tail licks from a Collie-cross Terrier called Zing... and then I met Alice, a beautiful strawberry blonde Greyhound, and her owner, 85 years young Janet W. Janet had only recently moved into Portsoy's Burnside Court Sheltered Housing. For the previous 35 years, she had been running a croft just outside the town. An accident which required her to be moved by helicopter meant she realised it was time to make a change. We spoke for over an hour! I have her address and am to look her up next time I am by. Alice just lay down on the grass and checked on us every so often to make sure she wasn't forgotten! I am sad that I didn't think to take an ussie... 

Anyway, it was time to continue moving along the coast.