Cruden Bay 2000
Cruden Bay 2000
Welcome to Cruden Bay 2000, a wonderful time capsule created by Jill MacWilliam to celebrate the turn of the Millennium. Filmed throughout the year 2000, this video offers a heartfelt and vivid snapshot of life in the village at the dawn of a new century. Jill’s camera captured the people, places, and events that made that year so memorable — from the lively celebrations at Port Erroll Harbour Day to the joy and community spirit of Cruden Bay Gala Day.
The film also shines a light on many of the local businesses that helped shape village life, as well as the warm and enthusiastic participation of Cruden Bay Primary School, where teachers and children alike embraced the opportunity to be part of this historic project.
At the time, Cruden Bay 2000 was truly a community success story, selling over 700 copies on VHS, a remarkable achievement that reflected the pride and affection residents felt for their village. Yet, its greatest value has only deepened with time. Now, twenty-five years later, Jill’s work stands as an invaluable record — a chance to rediscover familiar faces, treasured traditions, and the everyday moments that defined a generation.
To accompany this special edited highlight from Jill’s original film, a new song, also titled Cruden Bay 2000, has been written to provide a fitting soundtrack. The song celebrates the same sense of community and nostalgia that Jill captured so beautifully on film — bringing together past and present in a heartfelt tribute to the people and spirit of Cruden Bay.
Cruden Bay 2000 song and edited highlights
The complete footage of the original Cruden Bay 2000 is available below in 2 parts.
For more information and access to Jill’s entire video archive, visit her website doricfuture.co.uk
Cruden Bay 2000 Part 1
Part 1 includes footage of a typical day in and around Port Erroll Harbour, with the fishermen of the day going about their business. Boats are being craned into the harbour at the start of a new season, nets and creels are being mended, and the little boats head out to sea in search of her fruitful bounty.
The year 2000 Port Erroll Harbour Day is in full swing with all manner of entertainment underway. Barbecued lobsters are being snapped up, mini bus tours on one of Harry Forest’s iconic miniature buses, lifeboats, pipe bands, and even a fairground ride keep visitors enthralled.
Cruden Bay Juniors take to the pitch, and the bowling club celebrates its annual prize giving, and we get a feel for a day in the life of Cruden Bay Golf Club, in both the Clubhouse and on the course itself.
Cruden Bay Coastguards are seen in action, and a few of the beautifully kept gardens in the village are highlighted, along with some great footage of Cruden Bay and District’s Horticultural Annual Prize giving.
Cruden Bay 2000 Part 2
We start part 2 with a string of horses from Errolston Farm making its way across Cruden Water for a gallop along the beach. Children from Port Erroll Primary School are seen at the Tryggve Gran monument at the Dardanelles. Residents at Cantlay Court and Sunnybank Nursing Home are seen enjoying the sunshine and the villages gather in great numbers at Cruden Bay Gala Day at Mill Park.
The pupils at Port Erroll School get ready for Christmas and the weather takes a turn when snow lies on the streets and pavements of the village.
On Millennium Eve the spirits are high in the Fairways with entertainment provided by a group of locals, hosted as ever by Rosheen and Liam Burke.
There is also some lovely footage of villagers going about their daily business and a few of the ‘weel kent’ faces from local businesses pop up to mark the Millennium with their own words of support for Jill’s Cruden Bay 2000 project.
Doric Future and Doric TV
Following the success of the Cruden Bay 2000 project, Jill’s passion for video and archiving the area developed over the subsequent years leading to the creation of Doric Future, incorporating Doric TV, a cultural initiative based in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, dedicated to preserving and promoting the Doric dialect and the rich heritage of Scotland’s North East. Founded by Jill in 2019, Doric Future began as a platform to share stories, language, and traditions unique to the region. During the 2020 lockdown, Jill expanded the project by launching Doric TV, an online video channel that gained international attention for its engaging content on local history, language, and culture.
Doric TV offers a diverse range of content, including interviews with local residents, explorations of regional music and folklore, and features on historical events and sites. Notably, the channel produced a three-part series on Cruden Bay’s role in the UK’s oil industry and energy transitions, highlighting the area’s significance in national history.
The initiative has also collaborated with the Cruden Bay Folk Club, integrating musical performances and cultural discussions into its programming. Supported by organizations like the Port Erroll Heritage Group and Foundation Scotland’s NorthConnect Legacy Fund, Doric Future continues to serve as a vital resource for those interested in the Doric dialect and the cultural fabric of North East Scotland.
During and following the lockdowns of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Jill put her skills to good use, entering short films for the Doric Film Festival in 2021 and 2022, with the latter winning 1st prize in the ‘Group’ category with her short film ‘Doric Future’.
The Elphinstone Institute in Aberdeen recently integrated Jill’s body of work into their archive.
For more information or to explore their content, visit the Doric Future website or their YouTube channel.