Skipper Ian Balgowan, who was one of Stonehaven’s best-known faces, has died at the age of 79.
It has been said that the town’s harbour “will never be the same” after the loss of the fisherman, who took an interest in “everybody and everything”.
Those close to Ian, who spent almost six decades at sea, have paid tribute to a “loving” Aberdeenshire grandfather.
He first took to the sea in October of 1960 on a ship known as the Loyalty, after moving from his family’s Glenbervie farm where he was born.
Ian would go on to take ownership of a succession of boats, after the unfortunate sinking of the Loyalty just ten months after its maiden voyage.
Venturing out with boating partner Ian Shearer, they’d affectionately be known as the ‘twa Ians’ over a more-than 50 year career on the water together.
He became known fondly by many others during his life – whether through his prominent position at the Stonehaven harbour museum, or simply by “arresting” passers-by for a lengthy chat while sweeping at the docks.
He’d also marry his late wife Diane, with whom he had three daughters.
They were also blessed with a granddaughter.
Ian eventually retired – against his will – three years ago.
Nonetheless, he continued to take an interest in all things boating before his death on Sunday, January 26.
‘Stonehaven has just lost one of its characters’
Evelyne McAllan, Ian’s daughter, has paid tribute to her “hard-working” dad.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, the 48-year-old said Stonehaven had “lost one its characters” at the weekend.
She said: “I have been seeing what other people have been saying about him after we announcing his passing.
“Someone posted that, ‘the Stonehaven story has just lost one of its characters,’ and I think that is true.
“Everyone knew what a nice chap he was and it’s definitely a loss to a lot of people.”
She said she and her siblings had been “blessed” by the life Ian gave them.
“We were very blessed,” she said.
“Dad was obviously was really hard-working and was fishing from Monday to Friday.
“But we were so fortunate in the fact that we never wanted for anything.
“He gave us a great childhood, with holidays abroad and everything.
“He was very fair as well, as we couldn’t describe his as an authoritarian at all really.
“We saw a completely different side of him as well once his granddaughter came along.
“She was just his world. Cuddles and ‘I love yous’ and everything.”
She added: “There really wasn’t a bad bone in his body.
“He was the type of man that if he was annoyed then there was something really wrong.
“He liked to see the good in everybody.”
Ian Balgowan was a fisherman that ‘could speak to the world’
One of the people who perhaps knew him was his fishing counterpart.
As well as being his inseparable boat partner, Mr Shearer also looked forward to phone-calls from Ian at his home in Gourdon every second night.
Together they would “to put the world to rights.”
Through five decades, the pair went through most things together, Mr Shearer was happy to reveal the secret ingredient that made their friendship such a success.
He said: “We were working together for over 50 years. We were together all the time and we got on really well together.
“He was really friendly with everybody, and he took an interest in everybody and everything.”
“Whenever there was any arguments, it was always cleared up the next day, that’s why we worked together so well.”
When asked to describe his friend of 50 years, he paints a picture of the friendly “people person” from which no-one was safe from a impromptu chat.
“He was a good friend to me. I knew him since I was a young lad.”
“We used to do wood-graining together as children – we were only teenagers then.
“He’s a character of the town that I will sorely miss. There’s no doubt about that.
“He was often out sweeping the boardwalk and the amount of people that he met there was unbelievable.
“Ian could speak to the whole world.”
‘Stonehaven Harbour will never be the same again’
Stonehaven Harbour Master Jimmy Brown, 66, added: “He was a good ambassador for the town.
“He promoted it, even after he sold his boat up to Fraserburgh three years ago.
“The harbour will never be the same again. We are running out of people like him .
“He was a true old fisherman, and those are getting few and far between.”
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