BILL BUCHAN - NORTH EAST POET & ARTIST

Born in Aberdeen and brought up in the fishing port of Peterhead, I think I can call myself a true North-Easterner.
The last twenty five years have brought many changes to the area, with the discovery of North Sea Oil. Like many people in the area, I earn my living from the "black gold", working on an offshore oil platform. The sea has played an integral part in the history of this area with our forefathers sailing to distant parts of the globe in search of the whale. When the whaling stopped, the fishing industry was already under way and this industry has grown into a major source of employment in the area. My family have worked in the 'fishing' all their lives and now I also turn to the North Sea for my daily bread.
A few years ago I moved a few miles up the coast from Peterhead to the small village of St. Combs. It is situated right on the coast, six miles south of Fraserburgh (Peterhead's traditional rivals). Being right on the knuckle of Scotland, it can be subject to extreme weather conditions. But when it's good, it's very, very good. With miles of golden beaches, it is great for the kids and also for walking the dogs. A colony of seals inhabit one of the small bays and on the coastal links, wild rabbits, foxes and even deer can be seen on occasion. The bird sanctuary at the Loch of Strathbeg is only four miles away and great skeins of geese fly overhead daily.
It is in these surroundings, that I find my inspiration for writing and painting and in my humble opinion, 'Buchan' is indeed God's country.
BUCHAN is the name given to the North East part of Scotland. In recent years there has been something of a revival in promoting the cultural heritage of the area. Schools throughout the region are vigorously participating in the numerous Doric festivals of drama, music and writing. The Doric language, for so long considered vulgar slang and frowned upon by educationalists, is now seen as a vital part of our rich heritage. The participation of the children is essential for the future well being of our language. It is not only in our schools that Doric is flourishing. Local government is actively promoting the culture of Buchan. A number of Artist - In - Residence posts have been established for a few years now. Visual arts,literature,music and dance are supported. The local book shops and art galleries have numerous pieces of work on sale by people who live in our area.

Please visit my other pages:-

Buchan - The Land of the Big Sky
Doric Poetry
Animal Portraits
Ugie Folk Club
Links to Other Sites of Scottish Interest

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People have visited this site since 22 June 1997.

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Aa the best fae St. Combs!!!

Bill Buchan

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Copyright © 1998 Bill Buchan
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Most recent revision 1 March 1998

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