The Day Community Took Centre Stage

Looking Back on Port Erroll Harbour Gala 2026

By Gordon Mackay

The Speech That Never Needed to Be Made

There are moments in life when you spend hours carefully preparing the right words, only to discover that, in the end, they were never needed. That was certainly true of this year’s Port Erroll Harbour Gala.

I’d been honoured to accept the invitation to officially open the Gala and, for once, I’d resisted the temptation to “wing it”. I’d written a speech that spoke about community, volunteering and everything that makes Cruden Bay such a remarkable place to live. It thanked those whose hard work had made the event possible, spoke about the unexpected journey that had led to the creation of Cruden Bay Life, and celebrated the many people whose quiet efforts help keep our village thriving.

As it turned out, the speech never really got beyond the first sentence. A handful of early visitors stood patiently around the harbour while, behind the scenes, the real drama of the day was unfolding. The public never really saw it.

Like so many successful events, the biggest stories happened before most people had even arrived. The morning had begun with an unwelcome challenge. Our carefully planned sound system simply refused to cooperate.

As anyone who has organised live events will know, a public address system isn’t just about making announcements. It is the heartbeat of the entire entertainment programme. Without it there is no music, no introductions, no performers, no atmosphere. Everything depends upon it.

While visitors wandered around enjoying the sunshine, there were anxious conversations taking place behind the scenes as cables were checked, equipment tested, settings changed and theories explored. The carefully planned opening ceremony quietly slipped away.

With only a small gathering waiting at the appointed time, it seemed sensible simply to declare the Gala officially open and allow everyone to concentrate on solving the problems still in front of us. I remember thinking there would surely be another opportunity later in the day to deliver the speech I’d prepared. There never was. Between managing the entertainment programme, introducing performers, solving one technical issue after another and spending most of the afternoon behind the sound desk, the hours simply disappeared. Before we knew it, the final applause had faded, the last microphone had been packed away and another Harbour Gala had passed into memory.

Looking back now, though, I realise something rather important. The speech I’d intended to make wasn’t cancelled. It simply unfolded in a completely different way. Because what happened throughout the day demonstrated everything I’d hoped to say far more convincingly than any words I could have spoken into a microphone.

When Plans Change

Long before the first note of music echoed around the harbour, another unexpected challenge had already landed. We received the worrying news that Dave Bremner, lead singer with Fortunate Son, had been admitted to hospital for an operation. Our first thoughts, naturally, were with Dave and his family. But it also created a major problem for the Gala. Fortunate Son weren’t simply another act on the programme. They were our headline band.

Not only were they scheduled to perform two full sets during the afternoon, but their drum kit and guitar amplifiers were also due to be shared with The Rebo’s, whose own equipment had already been committed to another engagement later that evening. The knock-on effect threatened to leave sizeable holes in the entertainment programme. For a short while, it looked as though months of careful planning might begin to unravel. Then something rather wonderful happened. The remaining members of Fortunate Son looked at the situation and simply decided that the show should go on. There was no fuss. No drama. No lengthy discussion. Just experienced musicians quietly rolling up their sleeves and doing what musicians have always done. Between them they possessed decades of experience performing on stages across the North-east, and it showed. Without Dave, they delivered two outstanding performances packed with songs that had people smiling, singing along and dancing throughout the afternoon.

Most people enjoying the music probably had little idea of the uncertainty that had existed only hours earlier. That is often the mark of true professionalism. The audience only sees the performance. They never see the obstacles that had to be overcome to make it happen. Their contribution, however, went well beyond their time on stage. Faced with our increasingly stubborn PA problems, members of the band became an invaluable source of practical advice and reassurance. Calmly working alongside the rest of us, they helped trace faults, suggest solutions and, perhaps most importantly, prevented small problems becoming bigger ones through sheer experience and common sense.

It was one of the first examples of something that would become a recurring theme throughout the day. Whenever a problem appeared… Someone quietly stepped forward to help.

An Unexpected Partnership

For me personally, the biggest challenge of the day wasn’t standing in front of an audience. It was making sure every performer could actually be heard. The Gala programme had grown into one of the most ambitious entertainment schedules we’d ever attempted.

• Bands.
• Sea shanties.
• Solo performers.
• The Fiere Deems.
• The Flash Mob.
• Announcements.
• Introductions.

Every element depended on the sound system behaving itself. Thankfully, I wasn’t facing that challenge alone. Stephen Sangster, from Apex Church, had generously agreed to help us with the sound. In truth, that simple sentence hardly does justice to what Stephen actually contributed. Not only did he provide specialist sound equipment that significantly expanded what we were capable of doing, but he also gave up his entire day to work alongside me, patiently helping solve problem after problem as they emerged. His knowledge, encouragement and calm approach proved invaluable.

If I occasionally looked as though I knew exactly what I was doing behind the sound desk… The truth was considerably more reassuring. There were often two of us working together. Sometimes three. And that teamwork made all the difference.

What made Stephen’s generosity even more remarkable was that he and his wife Jennifer had delayed travelling to Apex Church’s own Summer Picnic so they could stay in Cruden Bay and help us through the busiest part of the day. They had every reason to be somewhere else. Instead, they chose to stay. Not because anyone asked them to. Not because they expected recognition. Simply because they knew they could help. It struck me afterwards that acts of kindness like that rarely make headlines. Perhaps they should.

It was here that all of Stephen’s preparation finally came into its own. Using a carefully planned combination of wired and wireless microphones, fifteen singers were connected through the sound system, allowing every voice to be heard with remarkable clarity while preserving the excitement and spontaneity that makes a flash mob so enjoyable. Standing at the mixing desk and watching months of planning finally come together was one of those quietly satisfying moments that make all the hard work worthwhile. The audience saw a surprise performance. Those involved saw weeks of rehearsal, planning, cooperation and trust finally bearing fruit. And it sounded magnificent. The equipment remained in place immediately afterwards for another highlight of the afternoon. The Fiere Deems.

For many of the ladies, singing with microphones was something of a novelty. Their performances are usually completely acoustic, relying on the natural blend of voices that has become their trademark. Yet on this occasion the technology became an invisible partner rather than an interruption. Every lyric carried effortlessly across the harbour. Every harmony could be appreciated. Instead of competing with the bustle of Gala Day, the audience could simply enjoy the music. It was another reminder that good sound engineering isn’t about making things louder. It’s about allowing people to hear the performance exactly as it deserves to be heard.

As I looked around the harbour that afternoon, I found myself thinking back to the speech I had intended to give only a few hours earlier. It spoke about community. About people giving their time freely. About volunteers who rarely seek recognition. About what can happen when everyone pulls in the same direction.

Standing there behind the sound desk, watching singers, musicians, volunteers and visitors enjoying themselves together, it slowly dawned on me that perhaps the speech no longer mattered. Because without anyone really noticing, the community had already begun delivering it.

The Community Wrote the Speech

By early afternoon, the harbour had settled into its familiar Gala Day rhythm. Children wandered between the stalls, clutching ice creams and balloons. Friends stopped to chat, neighbours caught up with one another, visitors lingered to admire the harbour and the sea beyond, while the soundtrack of live music drifted across Port Erroll.

If you had arrived then, you would probably never have guessed what the morning had been like. The technical frustrations, the last-minute changes, the uncertainty surrounding the programme, and the countless small problems that had demanded attention had quietly disappeared behind smiles, laughter, and music. That is perhaps the greatest compliment anyone can pay to those who organise events like this. When everything appears effortless, it is usually because an enormous amount of effort has gone unseen.

Music at the Heart of the Harbour

One thing that became abundantly clear throughout the afternoon was just how much live music adds to an occasion.

Fortunate Son, despite the circumstances that had brought them to the stage without Dave Bremner, delivered performance after performance with the confidence and professionalism that only comes from years of experience.

The Rebo’s followed with exactly the kind of high-energy set that has earned them such a loyal following. Knowing they had another engagement to get to later that day made their willingness to give everything they had for our Gala all the more appreciated. Throughout the day, Cruden Bay Folk Club members appeared in many different guises.

Some were singers. Some were musicians. Some were carrying microphones, speakers and cables. Others were introducing performers, moving equipment or quietly solving problems before anyone else even realised they existed. The audience saw entertainment. Those of us behind the scenes saw something much bigger. We saw a community sharing its talents without worrying whose name appeared on the programme. Nobody seemed interested in taking centre stage. Everyone was simply interested in making sure the day succeeded. Perhaps that is why the atmosphere felt so relaxed. There was no sense of individual performances competing with one another. Every act became part of one continuous celebration.

The People Behind the Scenes

Every successful event has its performers. The truly memorable ones also have an army of people most visitors never meet.

Friends of Port Erroll deserve enormous credit for bringing this year’s Gala together. Months of planning, countless meetings, endless emails, phone calls, risk assessments, bookings and practical arrangements all quietly disappear once an event begins. Visitors simply arrive and enjoy themselves. Behind that simplicity lies an extraordinary amount of voluntary effort.

The same can be said for every stallholder who came along to support the day. Every organisation that accepted an invitation. Every volunteer who gave up a Saturday. Every person who carried tables, erected gazebos, moved barriers, made tea, emptied bins or helped clear away afterwards. None of these jobs appear glamorous. Every one of them matters.

A Community Worth Supporting

Although I never managed to include it in my opening speech, it is important that everyone who helped receives the recognition they deserve. Our sincere thanks go to:

• Harbour Dunes Café
• Fraileach Sauna
• Cruden Bay Community Association
• Cruden Bay Football Club
• Ellon Rotary
• The Cruden Bay Horticultural Society
• Kenny the Piper
• Christine Middleton
• Cruden Bay Folk Club
• Every stallholder whose presence helped create such a welcoming atmosphere.

Whether through sponsorship, donations, equipment, expertise or simply giving their time, every contribution mattered. Events like this are never the work of one committee or one organisation. They belong to the whole village.

Why Cruden Bay Life Exists

Just over a year ago I launched Cruden Bay Life with a fairly modest ambition. I wanted to create an online directory bringing together every club, organisation and business that calls Cruden Bay home. The idea was simple. Give every group its own page. Tell people what it does. Explain how newcomers can become involved.

Today, there are more than eighty organisations listed, and I’m delighted by the positive response the directory has received. But somewhere along the way, the project quietly evolved.

As I explored our village’s history, photographed familiar landmarks and wrote about places like Slains Castle, the Ladies Bridge, the beach and the Wee Mission Hall, I realised I wasn’t simply creating a directory. I was helping tell the story of a village. That discovery led me into writing songs inspired by Cruden Bay and producing music videos celebrating its people, places and history. Those songs have now been watched tens of thousands of times by people throughout Scotland and far beyond.

If your own club, organisation or business isn’t yet featured on Cruden Bay Life, I’d love to change that. The website was never intended to belong to me. It belongs to the whole community. Its purpose is simply to celebrate everything that makes Cruden Bay special. Click here to find the Registration Form

Seeing Ourselves Through Someone Else’s Eyes

Sometimes we become so familiar with where we live that we stop noticing what visitors see immediately. That is why one social media post, shared the morning after the Gala, touched me more than almost anything else that happened during the weekend.

Many Folk Club members will remember Caspian and Renn. They first visited us back in March, nervously taking to the floor for their first performance. Like so many first-time performers, they weren’t entirely sure what to expect. What they found was warmth, encouragement, and a room full of people willing them to succeed. The welcome they received encouraged them to return for our June Folk Club night. This time, they decided to stay over and enjoy the Harbour Gala as well.

The following morning, they posted these words:

“We were both too busy enjoying the day with everyone. It was lovely seeing everyone’s beautiful smiling faces yesterday and the sun to match. Though there was stress, all in all we personally think it went very well.”

Lovely words.

But it was what came next that stopped me in my tracks.

“We were sitting watching the world go by and thought to ourselves this place is special and one of the most beautiful places we have been to in Scotland and we really believe it is the people and the community who have made such an impact and made us feel so welcome here.”

That sentence captured something every village hopes is true about itself. It also reminded me that those of us who have lived here for years sometimes forget just how fortunate we are. Visitors notice things we have almost stopped seeing.

Not just the scenery, not just the harbour, not just the beach. They notice the smiles, the conversations, the willingness to help, the sense that everyone belongs.

Perhaps that is Cruden Bay’s greatest attraction of all.

The Speech That Never Needed to Be Made

Looking back now, I realise I never really missed the opportunity to make my opening speech. Because everything I wanted to say was demonstrated throughout the day. It was there when Fortunate Son refused to let circumstances spoil the occasion. It was there when The Rebo’s gave everything they had before heading off to another engagement. It was there when Stephen and Jennifer Sangster quietly gave up their own plans so they could help us succeed. It was there in every member of Cruden Bay Folk Club who lifted equipment, performed, encouraged others and stayed behind until everything had been packed away.

It was there in every volunteer, every sponsor, every stallholder, every committee member, every visitor who choose to spend part of their weekend beside our harbour.

When I sat down to write an opening speech, I wanted to talk about community. In the end, I never got the chance. Instead, the community wrote the speech for me. every act of kindness, every problem solved, every handshake, every smile, every song, together they told the story far better than I ever could.

Just over a year ago I created Cruden Bay Life to celebrate the people, places and organisations that make our village unique. If the website exists to tell the story of Cruden Bay, then the Port Erroll Harbour Gala 2026 has provided one of its finest chapters.

Here’s to everyone who helped write it.

And here’s to doing it all again next year.

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