20th September – Great British Beach Clean Event

Thank you to everyone who volunteered on Saturday 20th September at our Great British Beach Clean event at Cullen beach. The full length of the beach was cleaned with a 100m section surveyed. The data is collected and analysed by the Marine Conservation Society to understand trends in marine litter.

Great British Beach Clean

The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long citizen science event organised by Marine Conservation Society where hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the UK.

Litter data collected on beach cleans drives the Marine Conservation Society’s conservation work, helps them to campaign for change, and also feeds into the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC).

The data has been used to make a positive impact on our ocean – including the introduction of the plastic bag charge, banning microplastics in personal care products, better wet wipe labelling, and supporting a tax on single-use plastic items.

1st September – Culmination of Drakkar Viking Long Boat project

We have been honoured to be a part of this wonderful project in partnership with Banff Academy students and the Portsoy 75 Club.

On Friday the learning community- at Banff Academy School was ‘invaded’ by a Squad of Shetland’s UP Helly Aa Vikings who visited the area as partner of the Portsoy 75 Club and Portsoy Thrift Shop anniversary celebrations.

This saw the culmination of the community boat building project in partnership with our Cullen Sea School boat builders to build a Viking Longboat which was set alight on Saturday evening as part of the event celebrations.

Below are a few photos showing the amazing time we all had over the weekend attending these events.

Image credit: Thank you to Trish Gale Photography and Banff Academy.

2nd July – Drakkar Viking Long Boat project!

Everything on track & excellent progress has been made recently to the Drakkar Viking Long Boat project!

Several shields are completed, dragons head/tail finished & the hull is developing its distinctive shape.

Visit Portsoy Viking Festival 29th-31st Aug to check it out!

29th June – Banff Academy Boat Builders

We had a fantastic weekend with Cullen Sea School at the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy. Well done to all of our Practical Boatbuilding Apprentices! A great show, awesome effort by the Team and lovely weather. ☀️⛵️

26.06.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building

We recently celebrated our launch day for the Banff Academy Boats, built by the Pupil Practical Apprentices with the help and support of the Cullen Sea School boat builders. We enjoyed super weather & a piped parade to the shore. Students have shown outstanding practical skills, teamwork & hard work throughout the year. Fantastic effort!

19.06.2025 Cullen Harbour Kiosk

We’re delighted to share the news that we will have our Cullen Harbour Kiosk open for business on Saturday 21st June from 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. Takeaway hot drinks and indulgent home bakes will be available from our fabulous volunteers all proceeds go to support Cullen Sea School.

The Harbour Kiosk is on the ground floor of the Harbour Building which in 2020 we took out a 20 year lease for from Moray Council to operate.  With funding from Highland & Moray FLAG European & Maritime Fisheries Fund Programme, the Scottish Government, and the Beatrice fund, a comprehensive renovation of the building took place with the redevelopment providing modern toilet facilities, a catering kiosk and office/meeting room facility.

14.06.2025 Cullen Harbour Gala

We’re busy making plans and preparing to host the annual Cullen Harbour Gala on Sunday 27th July from 11am – 3pm. This is a wonderful family event with stalls, activities, food & drink and entertainment taking place at Cullen’s historic harbour and sea school building. We will be releasing full details of the programme for the day soon and it is not too late to book yourself a stall at the event or volunteer to help set up, run and pack up the event. See our Harbour Gala page for more details.

20.05.2025 Drakkar Viking Long Boat Update

Some of the Banff Academy S2’s have been invited to help build a Drakkar Viking Long Boat at Cullen Sea School. With some fantastic weather to work in, great progress is being made! The hull shape is starting to appear & the mast & spar have been shaped, sanded & varnished. Great effort from all!🔨🪚

17.05.2025 Sea School Awareness Session at Tesco Buckie

Huge thank you to Tesco Buckie for hosting the Sea School today. Our Centre Manager, Andy, had the opportunity to showcase Kittiwake (our St Ayles Skiff) a stand up paddle board and sea kayak to friends old and new; thank you to everyone who dropped by to say hello or make a donation.

15.05.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building Update

The partnership with Banff Academy continues to provide meaningful learning for the young boatbuilders perfecting their skills. Boats are taking shape & looking good with bulkheads & seats templated, made, adjusted & fitted & oars completed!

02.05.2025 – Cullen Beach Clean

9 volunteers and 1 four-legged friend joined us for the May beach clean. The whole length of the beach was litter picked. Items collected include food wrappers, empty drinks cans, poo bags, cigarette ends and bits of rope and fishing net. We were delighted to be joined by Louise from the Moray Climate Action Network. We will check tide times and confirm a date for the June beach clean.

25.04.2025 – Drakkar Viking Boat Replica Update

A group of Banff Academy S2 pupils have started building a Drakkar Viking Boat Replica. Pupils and Cullen Sea School Volunteers have made an outstanding effort on the replica longboat for the Portsoy Viking Festival in August. Excellent progress and teamwork by all involved.

24.04.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building

It was a warm spring day at the Sea School workshop, pupils were making lockers and bulkheads using templates. They were also fitting drain plugs and cleats. Bow rings were marked and drilled. Pupils were focused and hard working.

17.04.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building

Last week the Cullen boat team were finishing oars, preparing and varnishing floorboards, measuring and fitting rowlocks and chiselling work on thwarts. The day ended with a nautical knots quiz and activity.

09.04.2025 Royal Visit to Cullen by HRH Princess Anne

Cullen Sea School were very proud to join the Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire at Cullen Community Centre to welcome HRH Princess Anne to Cullen. The team had an opportunity to showcase Kittywake, the lovely skiff commissioned by Banffshire Lieutenancy in memory of Princess Anne’s father HRH Duke of Edinburgh. Read more about our boat building here >>

16.03.2025 Cox Training

Cullen Sea School Rowers hosted a weekend of Cox Training for coastal rowing. Led by Wendy Clements and Lindsay Watt, the weekend consisted of learning the theory of being a cox then putting it into practice. Folk came from Findhorn, Nairn, Lossiemouth, Findochty and Cullen. It was a great learning and social weekend and we enjoyed a pizza lunch from Coastal Pizza at Cullen Harbour.

07.03.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building

This week in the boat building workshop, preparation and masking off with lots of white paint. Capping’s, stringers, cleats, keel bands and oars all being made. The day ended with pancake in the pan tossing, great efforts by all.

20.02.2025 Banff Academy Boat Building

It was chilly at Cullen Sea School this week, all work is going well. The gunwales and ribs were being measured, shaped and fitted. Oars and cleats being made, adjusted and varnished. Primer being applied and lots of sanding, planning and prep. Super progress!

23.01.2024 – Banff Academy Boat Building

Today, pupils were painting and varnishing, making and shaping oars. There was lots of careful chisel work and making templates. We can see super progress and the Banff boats are really taking shape.

19.12.2024 – Banff Academy Boat Building

This week at Cullen Sea School, pupils were making oars, shaping ribs, wood planes & sanding, using templates, preparing planks & painting. Festive soups, mince pies, homemade choc cookies, crackers, gifts, cards & Xmas Party Jokes were shared! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

14.11.2024 – Banff Academy Boat Building

At Cullen Boat Shed this week there were lots of oars being worked on. The Keel was attached to the Tammie Norrie, the Duck turned over with the gunwale shaping starting, & the Tub having the stern thwart fitted.

There was plenty of careful chisel, plane, & spoke shave work. All pupils were busy & the Banff boats are really taking shape & showing their individual designs and features.

30.10.2024 – Banff Academy Boat Building

Pupils from Banff Academy were busy in the workshop today. Everybody swapped boats and did something new. Pupils were fitting a keel, shaping the deadwood, making paddles, sanding and painting. Everyone had a super day, great efforts by all.

26.09.2024 ‘Great British Beach Clean’ – Cullen

The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long citizen science event, where hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the UK.

Litter data collected on beach cleans drives the conservation work of the Marine Conservation Society and helps them to campaign for change.

The data has been used to make a positive impact on our ocean – including the introduction of the plastic bag charge, banning microplastics in personal care products, better wet wipe labelling, and supporting a tax on single-use plastic items.

But there is still so much to do to stop the litter plaguing our beaches.

As part of Great British Beach Clean week 100m long sections of beaches are surveyed and this is what we did yesterday evening at Cullen. The survey is a 100m stretch from the steps near Sauna at the Kings along the beach.

The images with this post are the results from that 100m survey. We did also litter pick the full length of the beach from the Three Kings rocks to the far end and back and a massive thank you to the volunteers who did this.

Perhaps the biggest frustration was the number of ‘full’ poo bags found, 7 alone in the 100m stretch and many more along the beach…

The oldest item found was an old style ring-pull from a can of drink.

Last night’s beach clean was the 50th beach clean we have organised.

02.07.2024 Banff Academy Boat Builders

Banff Academy S3 Cullen boat building boys were involved in making and shaping the rudder and tiller this week. Rowlocks were made, shaped and fitted. Oars are getting their final shaping and preparation for lots of varnish. The hull is being measured for floorboards and thwarts.

Boat Building with Banff Academy Pupils, 06.06.2024

In early 2023, Banff Academy purchased a St Ayles Skiff kit to be built by pupils at Cullen Sea School with support from our boat builders. Pupils attend the sea school regularly and fantastic progress has been made.

The boatbuilders have shaped & nearly completed 4 oars. The last piece of the gunwales was dressed, fitted, glued, & clamped. The Stem design was decided to look like a breaking wave. It was sketched, cut, planed & looks perfect.

Images & text provided by Banff Academy. Follow their Facebook Page.

6 HARBOURS ROW – SUNDAY 5TH MAY

Cullen Sea School rowers join crews from ten other clubs to take part in the 2024 Six Harbours Row. The preparations started weeks before as, in addition to two boats taking part, Cullen was also the first refreshment stop so crews were picked, the road trailer prepared, plans made and cakes baked. The forecast, all important for rowing on this part of the Moray coast was looking good…….

Sunday morning started early with the crew from “Kittiwake”, one of the three St Ayles skiffs built by Cullen Sea School, assembling at Cullen at 7am to move the boat to Portsoy. It was an amazing sight on arrival to see thirteen boats and crews from all along the Moray coast as well as from Anstruther, Queensferry & Bro’ty Ferry.  Perfect weather conditions and a wonderful sense of camaraderie with all rowers helping each other to get the boats into the water, got the row started.  The row from Portsoy to Cullen passes landmarks that look stunning from the water – pass Redhythe Point into Sandend Bay, Findlater Castle & Sunnyside beach and then the approach to Cullen Bay. Cake calling !

A welcome stop, some crew changes and the launch of a newly built Wemyss skiff,  built at Cullen Sea School. “Puddock” was launched with pipes & speeches and ‘oars of honour’ from all the skiffs in the harbour and the new boat joined to row the next leg. A row across Cullen Bay in perfect conditions to the famous Bow Fiddle rock and then into the harbour at Portknockie.

The final leg was the row to Finechty and, for those still with the energy, a row around Craigenroan, home to the local seals. The crews then all gathered at Finechty where the Rowing Club served welcome soup and sandwiches. It was the end to a fabulous day’s rowing.

A thank you to Wendy Clements & SCRA for organising the row and to the skiffs & crews from Catterline, Collieston, Portsoy, Finechty, Lossiemouth, Burghead & Anstruther as well as the crews from Uisge, Banac & rowers from Queensferry & Bro’ty Ferry for taking part.

In Summary the row was enjoyed by :

1 Weymss Skiff

2 kayaks

2 yachts

13 St Ayles Skiffs

56 oars

100+ rowers and volunteers

Update by Annie from Cullen Sea School Rowers

09.05.2024

Cullen Sea School Solar Panels

In 2023, £18,900 was secured from the Moray Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund administered by tsiMORAY and Money for Moray to install Solar panels/battery storage at the sea school building.

This project is a cost-effective innovation aiding long-term sustainability, contributing to tackling climate change, promoting activities stimulating physical and mental health with camaraderie, for all, including schools, who currently use the CSS facilities. Importantly there will be a continuing cumulative benefit for at least a further 20 years.

The Just TransitionFund is a £500 million ten-year commitment from The Scottish Government that supports projects in the North East and Moray which contribute towards the region’s transition to net zero.

The Fund was announced in recognition of the particular need to diversify the regional economy away from carbon-intensive industries and to capitalise on the opportunities, including jobs and prosperity, that the transition to net zero will bring.

Find out more >> Cullen Sea School — Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund (jtpbfund.scot)

Cullen Sea School Chair, January 2024

Cullen Sea School Celebrates Round Two Grant Award from Moray Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund

Over the past year and with thanks to funding received from round one of the Moray Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund administered by Third Sector Interface Moray, we have been welcoming referrals to the sea school for watersports activities to improve mental health and wellbeing.

We have found out this week that we can continue and grow this work as our application to round two of the fund has been approved.

Over the past year we have worked closely with NHS Grampian, Moray Council, Moray Wellbeing Service (Action for Children) Distress Brief Intervention Moray (Penumbra Mental Health) to receive referrals.

This is an important piece of work we undertake that you may not be aware of. We are proud to work to help support the communities in Moray.

Development & Marketing Officer. 14.02.2023

Cullen Sea School flies the flag with Moray Graduate Artist in Residence to offer Community Bunting Creative Session.

Cullen Sea School is delighted to announce special Community Bunting Creative Sessions will be taking place in conjunction with Lynda Buchan, Moray (East) Graduate Artist in Residence.

Lynda’s residency is place-based, with a focus on the East of the region i.e., in and around the Cullen coast.  Influenced by tradition and materials, Lynda’s approach starts with the notion of collating stories and will look to incorporate local narratives within the creation of a new body of work.

Lynda will be offering a Community Bunting session where participants will be asked to donate a piece of preloved cloth/clothing which will be cut and sewed to make flags representing the fabric of a community.

The session will include cutting out fabric from template, pressing and sewing with machine and once complete, the bunting will be on display and used to decorate the sea school’s boat yard and used at events including the annual Cullen Harbour Gala.

If members of the community are unable to attend but wish to have a flag made from their own fabric, it can be dropped off beforehand at Cullen Sea School.

All ages are welcome, and the idea is to use preloved cloth from the community to make the decorative bunting which has a personal connection and meaning to all involved.  The ‘fabric of a community,’ the relationships and connections we make with one another are formed by the threads of belonging.”

We are delighted to be working with Lynda on this community initiative. It provides a wonderful opportunity to reach out into the community and creative something meaningful that can be seen by all. It is a pleasure to have Lynda on board as a volunteer boat builder too.”

Development & Marketing Officer, March 2022