Community pull together to tidy up Brough Bay
A dozen members of a community organisation went on a mission to improve their local harbour and its surroundings at Brough Bay near Dunnet Head.
Brough Bay Association (BBA) is a membership group dedicated to maintaining and improving the facilities at Brough harbour and helps organise social events such as bothy nights, harbour days, concerts, cream teas as well as "know your patch walks" for the benefit of the local community.
Pauline Robertson, BBA secretary, said that a dozen group members recently "donned outdoor gear, big boots and gardening gloves, armed themselves with spades, shears and strimmers, and happily headed down to the harbour to start the first clear up since covid restrictions were lifted".
She added: "Although grass cutting had been maintained by one or two members and the slipway had been pressure-washed the previous week, it was decided to recommence dedicated work day sessions to freshen up the harbour and pathways in anticipation of the long awaited harbour repair project commencing in the coming months.
"In addition to supporting the harbour project itself, the Stroupster Fund has also awarded funds to the association’s exciting Sinclair Coghill boat project."
The Seamew was gifted to the BBA by the late Sinclair Coghill of Brough towards the end of 2019, but Covid restrictions held up plans to display the historic 15ft long clinker-built boat, with information panel, at the harbour. The boat was originally owned by Sinclair who fished it out from the harbour more than 50 years ago.
The BBA, now a registered charity, has been granted funding from the Stroupster Community Fund, the Highland Coastal Community Fund and National Lottery Small Grants in support of repair work to the slipway and the car park down in the bay.
Pauline said: "While we are planning another major project to secure and improve the harbour, much of the general maintenance and small improvements are carried out by volunteer members of the association."
The harbour and surrounding area of 7.5 acres was gifted to the association by Margaret Munro, the wife of the late Ian Munro, the first chairman of the Pier Committee which became Brough Bay Association.
The BBA has been holding Zoom meetings throughout the past year, but is now pleased to be able to hold a live AGM in the Britannia Hall, Dunnet on June 14 at 7pm – with the possibility of the short Brough Bay DVD, a companion to the 2011 Brough book, being shown from 6.45pm.
Pauline added: "We as a group are trying to put the association and the harbour project back on the map so to speak."