Hope on horizon for Buckie annual events
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THERE are signs of hope on the horizon that at least some of Buckie's eagerly-awaited annual events will go ahead this year.
Last year saw the calendar more or less wiped by the pandemic, but with the speedy rollout of the vaccine it looks like at least some of the local extravaganzas will proceed in some form or another.
Unfortunately for the Six Harbour Walk and the Buckie Summer Show, which usually take place together on the first Sunday of May, any sufficient lifting of the regulations will not come soon enough for them to happen.
However, for those scheduled to take place later in the year, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
One of those waiting with fingers crossed is the Buckie Classic Car Show, which almost went ahead in late summer 2020 but was scuppered at the last by a Covid spike in Aberdeen.
Show chairman John Clark said: "As it stands were going ahead with the Classic Car Show and August 29 but we will be working with Moray Council and Police Scotland to make sure were Covid safe.
"We will be following Scottish Government advice on what ever rules are in place.
"We're keeping everything crossed we can suppress the virus and try and get back to some sense of normality."
Cautious optimism was also to be found at the Buckie Christmas Kracker.
Kracker chairman Councillor Gordon Cowie commented: "We're keeping a very close eye on developments and we are hopeful we will try something, although it may not be on the same scale as usual.
"However, we'll see."
While time is not on the side of the Buckie Summer Show, it is hoped that if the car show goes ahead they will be there to support it.
Another casualty of the pandemic for a second year in a row is the internationally-acclaimed Speyfest music festival in Fochabers.
However, organisers are already looking ahead to next summer with July 23-25 pencilled in. It will mark the 25th anniversary of the festival.
Still in Fochabers, the Gordon Castle Highland Games, which would normally have taken place in the middle of May, has also been cancelled.
