Wednesday 29 June 2011

Gearing up for Festival Weekend...

Well, this weekend will see the 18th Scottish Traditional Boat Festival so there will be much excitement around the Bothy. We have an array of talented musicians taking to the stage upstairs at the Bothy including Harp playing duo Sileas, Sea Shantie workshops with The Keelers, A whisky Experience with The Whisky Bard, Robin Laing and lots lots more.


The museum has a fantastic display of model fishing boats, as well as offering insight into every aspect of fishing life. We are proud to have many pieces of equipment on display that were used at the Salmon Bothy, keeping them in their rightful home. This year we have a new DVD on sale which was made with pupils from the local primary school. It includes footage of the fishing out of Portsoy and covers the history of the Harbour, Salmon Fishing and Railways in Portsoy.

Outside over the weekend, around the harbour there is an astounding variety of craft, music, food and of course, all things maritime to satisfy all ages, all interests.

See www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival.co.uk for further info - you can download a programme for the whole weekend.


Lets hope the weather is kind to us...

Shepheard Spiers and Watson (pictured)who will be singing and telling stories upstairs at the Bothy over the weekend.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Festival of Museums


What a weekend!

Friday night, the Bothy welcomed top guitarist Andy Clayburn all the way from New York City. His family stay near Portsoy hence his visit and the we felt extremely privileged to host this excellent musician. A packed out Bothy was proof of this man’s talent and popularity, and he certainly did not disappoint. Playing a variety of his own songs and the likes of the Stones, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, the we really were in for a treat. We hope he will come back to the Bothy on his next UK (Portsoy) visit.

Festival Of Museums - Farming around Portsoy: The way it was.

Saturday - The picture sums it up. It really was a jam packed day. Traditional cookery demos from Liz Ashworth and Jill Urquhart ensured we were well fed. Porridge for breakfast, local smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for lunch and freshly made bannocks with a dollop of jam from Letty's Preserves for afternoon tea!

An array of fascinating artefacts were on display both inside and outside the bothy. An old Fordson Major tractor, a Reaper that had been made in the local MacDonald Brothers Foundry, Butter Churns, and Milk bottles were amongst some of the exhibits. All items were very kindly lent from local people from nearby farms. A presentation of digital images showed a selection of local historical farming photographs allowing people to sit down, reminisce and take it all in to the tune of traditional Bothy ballads typical to this area.

We are so grateful to all our wonderful volunteers who helped to put the exhibition together and to those who were kind enough to lend us their treasured items for everyone to enjoy.

The Saturday night continued the theme with traditional Bothy Ballads, dancing, singing and participation…It really was a rare nicht!


See some more photos at www.salmonbothy.org.uk/archive.html

Sunday 10 April 2011

The Steadfast Tin Soldier at the Bothy

Wednesday 6th April - Puppet Show at the Bothy

Many thanks to all who came along to Wednesday afternoon's puppet show, The
Steadfast Tin Soldier. It was a great success with almost a full house
(about 50-50 adults to kids), and our thanks go to Joy Haynes of
Banyan Theatre for her skill and technique in telling a story, and
keeping calm a crowd of very young children. A lovely lady and a
gifted performer.

It ended the way all puppet shows should - with the grown-ups wiping
away a clandestine tear, and the kids jumping around planning their
next raid on the ice cream shop.

Special thanks to Joy, her roadie Ian Halket of the Folding Theatre
Company; John and Helen Munro for doing almost everything else - box
office, raffle, stickers, balloons and general jollity and did I say
balloons?; Doris and Anne for being kind and looking after everybody;
and thanks to our latest recruit, Ursula who was very helpful. May
they all live happily ever after ....
The end.


see: http://www.puppetanimationfestival.org/content/template.php?listing_id=540&day=6&month=4&year=2011 for info on the Puppet animation festival