A new festival celebrating Aberdeen’s maritime heritage and future will drop anchor in the city centre next week.
The Festival of the Sea is a two-week celebration from July 15 to 28 exploring Aberdeen’s relationship with the sea and coastline through a wide range of events across the city including exhibitions, arts, crafts, nature walks, films and photography.
This will include Stories of the Sea, a free family fun weekend in Union Terrace Gardens on July 20 and 21, that will boast a life-size inflatable whale with a storytelling centre inside, a one-man desert island comedy performance featuring a giant crab, and a selfie-loving mermaid!
Meanwhile, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums will feature the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, as well as maritime trails and fun creative sessions and workshops.
A host of events will also take place in Fittie and Torry, coordinated by Open Road, which will celebrate both communities’ close relationship with the sea.
With the Festival also marking one year until the Tall Ships Race arrives in Aberdeen in July 2025, three Tall Ships will visit the city’s Harbour during the two-week long event.
Pictured at the launch of Aberdeen's Festival of the Sea last month were Councillor Martin Greig, culture spokesperson for Aberdeen City Council, with Wishart McBride, David Brown, RNLI fundraising volunteers along with Mhairi McBeath, Deemouth Artists Studio, Sarah Boyle, Open Road, Lesley Anne Rose, Open Road Creative Director and with Aberdeen Sports Village mascot ASVIL. Image - Supplied by Aberdeen City Council.
The tall ship Swan will dock at Aberdeen’s South Harbour, with her crew taking young people aged 15 to 25 out on sail training sessions.
The TS Royalist, the Sea Cadet’s flagship, and sailing ship Reaper, visiting from the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, will also visit the city’s harbour.
The Reaper, built near Fraserburgh in 1902 and featured in several film and television programmes, including the hit series Outlander, will be available for visitors to board on July 19 and 20.
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “Our rich maritime past has been an important factor in shaping the Aberdeen of today, and also in our thinking towards the future.
“The great events taking place throughout the Festival of the Sea will enable all ages to come together to learn about the city’s maritime history.”
To find out more about the Festival of the Sea and to view the programme of events, visit: Festival of the Sea Aberdeen 2024 | Aberdeen City Council