Cruden Bay Life
Connecting Community, Sharing EverythingWelcome to Cruden Bay Life – The Heart of Our Village Online
Cruden Bay is a scenic coastal village on the northeast coast of Scotland, home to around 1,900 people and a thriving network of community groups, organisations and local businesses. These groups play an important role in village life, but many have limited opportunities to share their activities, promote events or connect with a wider audience online.
This was highlighted in the Cruden Bay Community Action Plan 2024, and Cruden Bay Life was created as a response — a central online hub designed to connect residents, support local groups and businesses, celebrate our community, and share the stories that make this area unique.
The first phase of the project provides an online companion to the printed Cruden Bay Directory, giving community groups, organisations and businesses their own dedicated space to share information, contact details and updates. Alongside existing communication tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp, Cruden Bay Life aims to help strengthen connections across the village.
Over time, Cruden Bay Life has also developed into a wider digital storytelling project, exploring the history, landscapes, folklore, people and events that have shaped Cruden Bay and the surrounding area. These stories bring together historical research, local knowledge, photography, music and modern creative tools to make our heritage more accessible and engaging for today’s audiences.
We recognise that community knowledge is always growing. Historical records can be incomplete, memories can vary, and information changes over time. Cruden Bay Life does not claim to be the final authority on every subject — instead, we believe local heritage is something we preserve and improve together.
Our “Our Approach” page explains how we create content, how we balance documented history with local stories and interpretation, and how we use both traditional research and modern creative methods to bring these stories to life.
We welcome corrections, updates and contributions from residents, groups, historians and anyone with knowledge to share. If you spot something that needs updating or correcting, please use the form at the bottom of this page or email together@crudenbay.life.
Whether you’re a resident looking to get involved, a visitor discovering the area, a local group wanting to reach new people, or simply someone interested in the stories of this remarkable coastline, Cruden Bay Life is here to point you in the right direction.
Connecting our community. Celebrating our stories. Keeping Cruden Bay’s heritage alive — together.
Your Councillors for Peterhead South and Cruden
Colin Simpson read more →
email: clIr.c.simpson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Mobile: 07788 697916
Stephen Smith read more →
email: clIr.s.smith@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Phone: 01779 812861
Angus Matheson read more →
New appointment, details to follow.
The Speech That Never Needed to Be Made
I was invited to officially open the 2026 Port Erroll Harbour Gala with a speech celebrating our community and thanking everyone who had helped make the event possible.
As it turned out, the speech was never delivered.
Technical challenges with the PA system, last-minute changes and the constant demands of keeping a full programme of live entertainment running meant there was never quite the right moment. Looking back, though, I realised those carefully prepared words were never really needed. The Gala itself became the speech.
Throughout the day, musicians, volunteers, sponsors and organisers quietly stepped forward whenever challenges arose. Headline performers adapted to unexpected circumstances, experienced musicians helped solve technical problems, volunteers gave up their own time to support others, and countless people worked behind the scenes to ensure visitors simply enjoyed a wonderful day by the harbour.
The photograph alongside this introduction captures one of my favourite moments of the day. It shows me with my Uncle George, a lifelong fisherman whose connection with Port Erroll Harbour stretches back many decades. Like so many friends and family members who stopped by to wish us well, George reminded me that the Harbour Gala is more than an annual event; it’s another chapter in the continuing story of a community whose traditions are carried forward by each generation.
This feature isn’t simply a report about another successful Harbour Gala. It’s the story of the people behind it—the performers, volunteers, sponsors and supporters whose quiet generosity turned an ordinary summer’s day into something rather special.
Because, in the end, the greatest strength of Cruden Bay has never been its scenery or its history. It’s the people who call it home.
Up And Coming Events
Local Groups & Clubs At A Glance
Music
Crafting
Community Associations and Community Pantry
Other Clubs and Organisations
Football
Bowls
Adult Exercise | Dance | Pilates | Yoga | Walking
Fitness Group (Sean’s) | Wednesday 18:00 – | Longhaven Community Hall, AB42 ONU
Adult Exercise Class | Monday 18:00 – 19:00 | Port Erroll Public Hall
Adult Exercise Class | Thursday 18:00 – 19:00 | Port Erroll Public Hall
Badminton | Wednesday 19:00 – 21:00 | Port Erroll Primary School
Pilates | Wednesday 17:45 – 18:45 | Port Erroll Public Hall
Yoga | Friday 10:00 – 11:30 | Port Erroll Public Hall
Local Businesses At A Glance
Shops and Retail
Independent Small Businesses
Other Businesses
Harbour Area
Accomodation
Food & Drink
Campsites | Motorhome & Campervan
Register Your Club or Business
If you want to add your club or business details to the Cruden Bay Life hub, please add as much information as possible to this contact form, and we will create a page to help promote and connect your organisation.
Update your Registration
If your club or business is already registered, but you want to update your entry details, please also use this form to advise us of any changes you want to make.
New Resources
We’re excited to share the CrudenBay.Life Play List!
Each track has been specially created to bring our website and village to life — from melodies inspired by our dramatic coastline to ambient pieces that tell the stories of our landmarks. Every song also serves as a companion to a specific article within this website, directly linked to the places and stories that inspired them. You’ll find each track both in the playlist and embedded within its corresponding webpage.
To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2025, Cruden Bay Life is proud to launch the Life Stones Project — a new initiative and website feature that explores simple, nature-based ways to support wellbeing in challenging times.
The Cruden Bay Life Stones Project
Inspired by the calming landscape of Cruden Bay, the project invites us to reconnect with the natural world and find stillness through the ancient practice of using a touchstone — a small, hand-held stone that reminds us to pause, breathe, and stay grounded. Each stone, shaped by sea and time, reflects the enduring rhythm of nature and the resilience within ourselves.
The Life Stones Project celebrates both personal reflection and community connection, encouraging moments of calm, compassion, and shared experience.
Discover more about the meaning behind the stones, and how to find your own, click the buttons below.