Windy weather has blown a Moray harbour festival planned for this weekend off course.
Disappointed organisers of Hopeman Harbour Day yesterday announced that blustery conditions forecast for the weekend had forced them to postpone Saturday’s event.
Winds between 30 and 45mph have been forecast for Saturday, which would prevent visitors from enjoying many of the water-borne attractions that had been lined up.
Organiser Nigel Gunter made the decision to cancel the celebration after lengthy discussions with Met Office officials.
He said: “Everyone puts in a lot of work to make this event as good as it can be, but the high winds forecast will stop a lot of the activities.
“We can’t have young people trying our sailing and kayaking – many for the first time – in such conditions.
“Even with highly trained instructors on hand it would just be too unpleasant, and potentially dangerous to try.”
He added the rough seas would also prevent the lifeboat from Buckie RLNI from entering the narrow harbour entrance, and the Moray Gig from sailing.
Burghead community leader Dan Ralph had also planned to enter the port on a boat of ‘floating troubadors’ on Saturday, but there were fears that were he to attempt this on Saturday he would “get a soaking”.
The harbour fun day was first staged in 2013 by the Hopeman Boatowner’s Association and Gordonstoun School to raise funds for essential harbour work and local charities.
In recognition of its growing popularity plans were in place to operate the village on a one-way traffic system for the duration of Saturday’s event.
Discussions are already taking place with Gordonstoun – who provide much of the water-borne taster sessions on the day – to fix another date later in the year.