A major programme of maritime heritage events has been announced for villages along the Mearns coast this month.
A Historic Scotland plaque will be dedicated to the Cutty Sark’s designer Hercules Linton at the culmination of events in Gourdon and Inverbervie, which will also celebrate boat builder Jeems Mowatt.
Linton was born in Bervie’s Market Square and was educated at the former Arbroath High School.
Glasgow shipping merchant John Willis commissioned him to design the famous tea clipper, which was launched on November 22 1869.
Linton later commissioned Mowatt to build two boats and supervised their construction at the Gourdon man’s yard.
Mowatt built more than 200 boats in his lifetime and the Maggie Law surf boat, which celebrated its 125th year since first launch this year, is the only one to survive today.
The centrepiece of events running from November 19 to 26 is a ceremony unveiling the plaque at Linton’s grave on November 22, in the old Bervie kirkyard.
This will be attended by descendants of Linton, the captain on the Cutty Sark’s maiden voyage George Moodie, and Andrew Dryburgh the carpenter’s mate on the same sail.
Programme organiser Dave Ramsay said the events mark “a very important day for Inverbervie, Hercules Linton and the Cutty Sark”.
Events begin on November 19 in the Mission Hall in Gourdon with an illustrated talk by author and shipwreck researcher Rod McDonald.
The new Montrose lifeboat and Stonehaven’s inshore lifeboat will be in Gourdon Harbour on Saturday, before Catterline and Gourdon skiffs row for the inaugural Maggie Law Challenge Trophy.
Olympic rowing champion Katherine Grainger will sponsor a quaich for the event.
From 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday in Gourdon Village Hall, there will be an exhibition by Mearns Creative Community Fund, a display of Lego-built ships from Jim McDonough, model boat building, stone sculpture, and a display of vessels in bottles, all by local craftsmen.
The Maggie Law Museum in Gourdon will be open from 10am to 4.30pm daily.
A Linton-Mowatt memorial dinner will be held in the Burgh Hall, Bervie, on Saturday night, where Cutty Sark Museum curator Jessica Lewis from Greenwich will be the keynote speaker.
Events conclude on November 25 in the Harbour Bar, Gourdon, with an evening of poems, pints and pies from readers including Dundee Contemporary Arts writer in residence Beth McDonough, Sandra Ireland, Andy Jackson, Nikki Robson, Judith Taylor, and Lindsay MacGregor.
Tickets for the dinner are available from Dave Ramsay on 01569 75070.