Nearly two centuries ago, several brave Moray boatmen carried out incredible overnight rescues during The Great Flood of 1829, when the rivers Findhorn and Spey, and their tributaries, rose so fast and high that people had no time to escape from their houses; many were plucked to the safety of the small boats just in the nick of time as their roofs were engulfed by flood water. The men’s courage was honoured by their community with the presentation of specially-cast silver medals, one of which was donated to Elgin Museum in 1978.
Joan Anderson is a Ballater heritage storyteller, who, already familiar with ‘The Muckle Spate’ and its effects on Deeside, has been reading the stories recounted by Thomas Dick Lauder. These tales tell of the ordinary boatmen who repeatedly risked their own lives amid the frightening torrents of the swollen Moray rivers to rescue the poor souls caught up in a sudden natural disaster that nobody could have predicted or prepared for.
Join Joan at Elgin Museum at 2 pm on Wednesday 3rd August, 193 years after the event, to hear more about these brave people. Tickets are £3, and capacity is limited, so book now before they sell out!
This event is being run in support of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.