News
There is a lot happening in Dunbar Harbour, so we will keep you informed with our news articles and newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter on the right of this article and come back to this news page often to read more. If you have news related to Dunbar Harbour then please send us a message using the form at the bottom and we will publish it here.
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Every 2 years the Harbour Trust carries out a condition-survey of all the harbour walls using engineering consultant Arch Henderson. Following a detailed inspection by engineers, a defects schedule is drawn up together with plans, elevations and photos of every section of wall. From this information priority repairs are identified:
Red - immediate Yellow - as soon as possible Green - continue to observe
This information is used to justify grant applications. Repairs to the walls are not cheap, over the last 7 years we have had 10 grants (mainly from Marine Scotland Fisheries Grants) amounting to a total of over £400,000. Grants from Historic Environment Scotland and Viridor have allowed us to carry out many individual repairs. Most of work was done by AG Thomsons who has a real commitment to the harbour. The 2019 report is due within the next few weeks.
Information courtesy Robin Hamilton
Click READ MORE for a typical wall-crack, although the INVISIBLE cracks and voids are often more urgent: 'jings, crivens an' help ma boab!'
photo by Kenny Maule
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Owned by Neil Brunton and family, Oor Millie is a recent addition to Dunbar's commercial fleet. She was built in 1958 by Watts of Banff, now Macduff Shipyard but the same family.
An old traditional wooden boat with a 127hp Gardner engine, her dimensions are length 33 foot x 10 foot beam x 5 foot draft, 7.6 ton registered (but gross weight would easily be greater than 10 ton).
Originally named Lustre (Latin for 'light'), she was in Shetland for years with the Lerwick registration LK315, then she went to the Isle of Rassay. Neil purchased her in December 2018 from Donald Mckenzie of Rassay. She is now registered in Leith (LH315) and called Oor Millie after the Bruntons' granddaughter Millie
She was a trawler when bought but Neil is now converting her for potting (creels). Neil and crew are 'getting there', hoping to have her ready for this winter.
Good luck and happy landings!
Photos courtesy Neil Brunton.
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Rhona says: "It’s been a good fundraiser and I hope good for the Harbour, it had a real buzz about it. I promise if I have any other hair-brained ideas I’ll let you know. I lovvvvee being in the wee Toastie van at the harbour. Thank you, Rhona xx"
From happy customers: "It was lovely to have a catch up with folks, and get a ‘bit of a blether’
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August 15; 2:30 -- 3:30 pm The Three Craws and a few Scottish songs.
August 17; 2-- 6:00 pm. SPARKLING DUNBAR: Live Music and stalls. Family fun.
August 24, 7:00--9:00 pm Captain Hornswoggle and Son, music
August 25, 7:00 --- 9:00 pm. The Vibrating Ecstatic Now: Passionate Ones
September 6 & 7, Hemelvaart Bier Cafe AytonHemelvaart Rocks Festival
September 13th 7.30--8.30pm, The Soldiers of Dunbar 1650
September 28th, 7--9pm, Pix in the Stix
.... and more to come.......
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We are delighted to announce the return of the Sparkling Dunbar Harbour Festival for its 9th consecutive year, promoting our beautiful harbour-area
This free community event, for all ages, will take place on Sat 17th August from 2 -- 6pm. We have a full programme including fabulous live music, craft stalls with lovely handmade goods, boat trips with Forth Wild to the Bass Rock (the first 10 passengers will go free), rowing testers with Dunbar Coastal Rowing Club, a face-painter, bouncy castle and super-tasty food including paella, pizza, Mexican delights, sumptuous donuts, splendid ice-cream and a beer tent.
The event has a theme ‘Pirates and the Sea’: an opportunity, then, to get on your best fancy-dress clobber and have a fantastic day out! Arrrrr you ready for it? Seriously folks, don’t miss this splendiferous event!
poster courtesy Yvonne Wemyss
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Coastguard practice, recently spotted, just on the Broadhaven slipway.
photos by Kenny Maule
Photo 1 "Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to work we go"
Click READ MORE for Photo 2 "Just good friends"
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These troops are practising for a future re-enactment of the Battle of Dunbar, 1650.
Led by Arran Johnston, a freelance historian, writer, speaker and consultant based in East Lothian, the troops took time-out to 'daunder aroon' our Cromwell Harbour and 'hae a wee keek' at the interpretation panel of the battle.
Arran has a particular interest in historic battlefields and warfare, and the Jacobite Risings.
See http://www.arranjohnston.co.uk/ and link http://battleofprestonpans1745.org/heritagetrust/
photo by Kenny Maule
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The UK is experiencing a once-in-a-decade wildlife phenomenon this year with a mass influx of painted lady butterflies. The painted lady butterfly is a common immigrant from the continent to the UK each summer where its caterpillars feed on thistles (you can see why they're heading to Scotland).
These seemingly-delicate creatures actually travel at speeds of up to 30mph and migrate hundreds of miles to our shores every year.
The painted lady butterfly undertakes an extraordinary 7,500-mile round-trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle - almost double the length of the famous migrations of the monarch butterfly in North America.
The famed naturalist Chris Packham, who is vice president of Butterfly Conservation, said the painted lady migration was "one of the wonders of the natural world".
The Rowing Club has recently seen several painted ladies a mile off Belhaven Bay, "plouterin' aboot, o'er the waa'er".
photo by Kenny Maule (taken in Custom House Square)
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June 29/30th & July 6/7th at Battery
"Mary, It began with a lass"... is a fast paced journey through the life and loves of Mary Queen of Scots, telling the story of her love for Scotland and for the men around her. Mary Stuart and her cousin Elizabeth I, were two powerful women struggling to retain control of their nations. One choosing to deny herself love, the other opening her heart to it, neither ever finding contentment. Brilliantly performed with moments of tension, dismay and laughter. Must a woman choose between love and power?
Following on from the sell-out success of their debut production, Homecoming, Battery Theatre present an immersive, site-specific play that takes a contemporary look at Mary's story through the complex power struggles around her, power struggles that remain to this day ....
photo by Kenny Maule
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Clan Dunbar is a USA-based organisation of individuals who have the name Dunbar or can trace their origins to Dunbar. On occasion some members take a holiday in Scotland and the History Society kindly shares the Society's knowledge to make the trip a personal experience. Several clan members will now visit other parts of Scotland to continue their 'holiday of a lifetime'.
You can see their clan tartan in the photo.
Many thanks to historians Gordon Easingwood, Stephen Bunyan, and Alasdair Swan who did a great job with a film show of The Battery for those left at the Townhouse, plus the volunteers who assisted with much chair-moving and answering queries at the museum; also Pippa Swan and Kenny Maule for sharing their knowledge of the harbour. As Gordon said: "a real team effort".
Read more at https://www.clandunbar.com/welcome.htm
photo by Kenny Maule