It's a scorcher as Cullen Harbour gala blazes back in style
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A GLORIOUS summer afternoon of warmth and sunshine heralded the return of the Cullen Harbour gala.
Thanks to the pandemic it was the first time since 2019 that the sounds of gala day fun had rung out round the harbour and the crowds who flocked to the event did not hang about making up for lost time.
Organised by Cullen Sea School, the gala had a bit of something for everyone, with the main pier packed with stalls from a variety of organisations, including the sea school itself, the WDC Dolphin Centre and many more.
Live music was on offer both at the harbour itself and round the corner at the sea school, where there were also boat building demonstrations and refreshments to be had.
There was be an opportunity for visitors to the gala to try their hand at different activities. Taster sessions will be on offer for stand up paddleboarding and kayaking, plus the chance to find out what it feels like to row in a St Ayles skiff. The skiffs also entertained the crowd throughout the afternoon with some keenly contested races.
Moray (East) Artist in resident Lynda Buchan was on hand to demonstrate some traditional net-making skills. Also on the artistic front, there was a display of the works produced by Cullen Art Group's successful Big Community Paint Out event recently.
Joining the fun at the harbour were the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the shape of local retained firefighters and the town's fire appliance as well as Buckie's RNLI lifeboat, the William Blannin, and her volunteer crew.
One of those delighted with the impact of the gala was Cullen Sea School Development and Marketing Officer David McCubbin.
He said: "Everything came together perfectly for the gala, we're just delighted with how it went.
"At a rough estimate I'd say we had around 2000 people come along over the course of the afternoon, which is excellent.
"There was such a lively atmosphere which is something we all needed after the last two years.
"It was a real community event bringing together community organisations and businesses as well as local people and visitors. We were delighted to see a lot of new faces at the gala, there was plenty to see and do.
"The live music which we had on at the harbour and the sea school was a great success.
"An event like the Cullen harbour gala is a good way of bringing people into the town. We had a good mix of locals and visitors. Many of the visitors we spoke to said they had never been to Cullen but would definitely be back."
Mr McCubbin went on to say the sea school had enjoyed a hugely successful summer so far, even more so than when Covid regulations were relaxed to a degree this time last year.
He added: "We did a lot of groundwork and organisation at the start of the year so we had courses and activities in place and we're reaping the rewards of this now."
Cullen Harbour gala was sponsored by Moray West Wind Farm.
For more on what is available at Cullen Sea School, visit their website at https://cullenseaschool.co.uk/
