The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project

Hi Folks,

I'll be at Anstruther racing with Cockenzie & Port Seton on Saturday 29th May but I also work on the new national inventory of living customs and traditions (or ‘intangible cultural heritage’) in Scotland. Anyone from any community in Scotland (i.e. not just Scottish) can go online and record examples of festivals, customs and social rituals, superstitions and traditional skills (e.g. related to boat-building, fishing, sea-faring) being practiced anywhere in the country in this UNESCO inspired online inventory at http://www.ichscotlandwiki.org

Examples already on include:

Stonehaven Fireball Festival • Chinese New Year • poor-oots • Haggis Pakora • Jedburgh Ba’ Game •

Clootie wells • Kirkwall Blackenings • dry-stane dyking

There must be loads of customs, sayings, knowledge, superstitions and beliefs (e.g. about nature, what brings good or bad luck etc) out there related to fishing and coastal communities so PLEASE follow the very simple online tutorial at http://www.ichscotlandwiki.org and bung on some examples you know about (as long as they are still used or practiced). You can upload photos (that you have permission for), add links to relevant organisations and to YouTube videos of the ICH practice in action!

I'll be telling BBC Scotland’s ‘Out of Doors’ programme about this from Cockenzie and Port Seton's 'Boatie Blest' exhibition (see full details of 3 Harbours Festival at http://www.3harbours.co.uk/) this week, but please give me a shout in Anstruther this Saturday if you want to ask any questions about the project and help get coastal and fishing communities around Scotland represented.

Cheers . .  and good luck in the races