It was an eventful weekend at Stonehaven Golf Club, the summer schedule gradually petering out but not before a flurry of final fixtures. Sunday saw the culmination of the Junior Pennant League Spence Trophy with some excellent scoring by the district’s top players and the Ruby Stephens mixed foursomes was also completed, results below.
On Saturday it was The Barlow Cup at centre stage, a Stableford competition which is a points based affair preventing poor holes (such as former club champion Neil Irvine’s appalling ten on the par four 9th, following a violent argument with a greenside bunker) to completely sabotage one’s card. The conditions were perfect for the 91 contestants and the scoring reflected that with even a nigh on faultless 36 points from Alex Russon, boasting no less than three spectacular birdies, earning only 23rd place, the winner running away with the spoils following a 43 point return. The handicap secretary has been informed.
Brian Davie managed a creditable 36 points despite being informed his car had been pranged as he walked onto the first tee, an admirable display under the circumstances. Bob McAlpine accumulated 34 points including an entertaining party piece on the 5th when bouncing his tee shot off the railway line back onto the centre of the fairway. And amongst the poorer scorers, Billy Shepherd trailed home with a meagre 30 points but made amends the next day by triumphing, thanks to his partner’s efforts, in the Ruby Stephens Foursomes.
An anniversary concert and poetry reading at the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Centre, Arbuthnott, drew a record audience of more than 90 people.
The free event, presented by the Friends of Grassic Gibbon in partnership with the Stonehaven-based poetry festival Wee Gaitherin, marked 125 years since the birth of acclaimed North East writer James Leslie Mitchell who used the pen name Lewis Grassic Gibbon for his Scots novels, including the internationally renowned ‘A Scots Quair’ trilogy which includes ‘Sunset Song’.
Bringing together music, spoken word and community spirit, the programme featured poets Marka Rifat, Neil Young, Alistair Lawrie, Karen MacFarlane, Andrew Urquhart and Leslie Benzie. Music was performed by local all-girl teen band Berlin 87, Gaelic singer and mandolin player Jon Ball, singer songwriter David Potter, who has just released his first CD, accompanied by Gloria Potter, and Lenny Helsing, of Scots band The Thanes, concluded the evening with a rousing set on guitar.
“We were delighted to have such a large and enthusiastic audience from across the Aberdeenshire area,” said Charles Roberts-McIntosh, Chairperson of Arbuthnott Community Association and compere for the evening.
He added the enjoyable evening was a fine example of community arts and creativity at their best and local creativity, honouring Leslie Mitchell. Like his writing in ‘A Scots Quair’, the evening expressed a range of emotions and captured moments of everyday life, landscape and identity.
Discovering the writer was fond of tinned food
Marka Rifat, Toulmin story prize holder and one of the performers, said she was delighted to be part of the 125th anniversary.
She said: ”It spurred me to research more about this industrious and strongly-principled man. I was intrigued to come across his appreciation of tinned foods, because he felt they gave women time to enjoy themselves instead of slaving in the kitchen.”
Meanwhile Lesley Benzie said The Grassic Gibbon Centre and Wee Gaitherin created a welcoming space for people to share in creativity, conversation and cultural connection. It encouraged further interest in our highly influential author and in the Grassic Gibbon Centre itself which houses the Leslie Mitchell exhibition and has a great café.
If you liked this event, check out our web for details of the 2026 Wee Gaitherin free festival of poetry and music programme 3-5 September www.weegaitherin.com”
Families are invited to get a hands-on look at harvest, farming and where their food comes from when Grains Farm holds its Harvest Family Fun Day on Sunday 6 September from 10am until 4pm.
The event will combine a family day out with an opportunity for children and adults to learn more about one of the busiest and most important times in the farming calendar. Visitors will be able to get up close to tractors, trailers and other farm machinery, discover what different pieces of equipment are used for and see and handle some of the crops grown on the farm.
The event is the second Family Fun Day to be held at Grains Farm, following the success of its first event in May, which attracted around 500 visitors.
Grains Farm opened to the public in 2024, initially holding a small number of events with the aim of giving families an enjoyable way to learn about farming, animals and rural life.
The business is run by Holly Emslie, who does not come from a farming background herself but became involved in farming through her husband. The farm is owned by her husband’s grandparents, with the wider family supporting the growing visitor attraction.
Holly said: “Before I became involved in farming, I would see combines working in the fields or get stuck behind a tractor on the road, but I had no real understanding of everything that was going on behind the scenes.
“Harvest is one of the busiest and most important times of the year on a farm. There is so much more to it than simply seeing a combine in a field. You’ve got the whole process of growing the crop, watching the weather, deciding when it’s ready, the very long days during harvest itself and then all the work afterwards getting everything stored and preparing the fields to start the process again.
“I think unless you grow up around farming, you don’t necessarily get the opportunity to see or understand all of that. That’s something I’d really like Grains Farm to help change.”
Bringing the story of food to life
Barley, oats and wheat are grown on the farm, with the crops used to feed the farm’s Aberdeen Angus and Wagyu cattle. During the Harvest Family Fun Day, Holly hopes to use these crops to help visitors understand not only what is grown in the fields around them, but also how agriculture connects to the food that eventually reaches their plates.
The farm also grows pumpkins, which will take centre stage later in the year when Grains Farm holds its popular pumpkin patch events in October.
Holly added: “I want people to be able to get up close to the machinery rather than just seeing it driving past them on the road. We’ll be explaining what some of the equipment does and giving people the chance to touch and feel some of the crops and see them at different stages.
“For children especially, I think being able to actually see, touch and experience something makes it much easier to understand where their food comes from.
“There are also so many different opportunities within agriculture that people might never know about if they don’t come from a farming background. I certainly didn’t. If we can introduce children and families to farming in a fun and accessible way, hopefully it might spark an interest that stays with them.”
A full family day out
Alongside the farming and harvest activities, the day will feature a range of local stallholders selling everything from local produce to toys and handmade jewellery. Local food business Drumsleed Burger Co., based near Laurencekirk, will also attend with its catering van, serving hot food produced using its own locally reared meat.
Children can enjoy a free bouncy castle, as well as Grains Farm’s existing indoor and outdoor play facilities and the opportunity to visit and feed the farm animals.
Tickets are £8.50 for adults and children aged over two, or a group ticket for any four people is £30.
Parking is free, and use of the bouncy castle is included in admission.
Tickets are available in advance from the Grains Farm website.Website: www.grainsfarm.co.uk Facebook: Grains Farm
Stonehaven residents and the constant stream of visitors to our seaside town,have never ceased to be impressed by the Market Square and its classic regular layout with open space a key feature.
It is of course far more than an open space, currently providing much needed parking to service the varied business activity and shops. It provides a unique community focus for events, e.g. the annual Feein’ Market, the Remembrance Service and in the summer months, car-boot sales. However, its most noticeable structure—that on the east side—is the Market Buildings which, in days gone by, was where the Town Council met.
It is a classical-looking building in pink granite ashlar, with arcades at both ends. It was built in 1826 and the iconic clock tower and spire were added in 1857/58. That part is owned by Aberdeenshire Council and the shops on the ground floor are in private ownership.
The remainder is owned and occupied by the Unionist Club of Stonehaven and is accessible only from Allardice Street. It can trace its roots back to 1886 and took up residency in the current building in 1902. The Club currently owns the second floor and the third floor flat along with the distinctive arched pends at either end of the ground floor. The Haven, a charity which provides an array of services to the community, currently rents space on the second floor.
The Club has always been a hub for business and social interaction with many a deal being finalised in the splendid Club rooms.
Community groups can hire the premises and Club members can enjoy a quiet evening in pleasant surroundings with good company and a drink from the bar. At present, the Club is open on Thursday and Friday evenings with opening available on other nights for functions. There are a number of events throughout the year, including the Annual Dinner, guest speakers for a pie and pint while not forgetting the annual Putting competition.
There are only a few places in Stonehaven where clubs can meet, or where functions can take place, but, without doubt, the Unionist Club is the most central and almost certainly, the oldest venue. The Unionist Club always welcomes new members with current membership growing, and so if you would be interested in becoming a member to utilise these unique and historic facilities right in the centre of Stonehaven, then please e-mail us:- unionistclubstn@gmail.com
On Thursday, 3rd September, Mairi and Margo will be hosting the first of regular Drop-In Sessions at the Kincardine & Mearns Citizens Advice Bureau office in Stonehaven.
We’ll be there to assist with a range of services to benefit community groups and voluntary organisations across Kincardine & Mearns. We can help with funding applications, community engagement, project planning and lots more.
We would also love to speak to anyone who would be interested in volunteering, as we have several opportunities that we can share.
If you are unsure what KDP can do for you, take a look at our website – https://www.kdp.scot/
Book a 30 minute appointment by emailing Margo@kdp.scot or just ‘drop-in’ and see us.
We’ll be there from 11am – 2pm. These sessions will be available on the first Thursday of each month.
THE following planning applications were validated during the week beginning Monday 24th August at Aberdeenshire Council’s Viewmount office.
The first application relates in part to a previous application – there have now been some amendments to the original plans. Previous plans for a side extension to the garage have been revised to form a home office above the existing garage footprint.
The second application is for security film to be applied to the timber windows, which formed part of the Sheriff Court building. Permission has already been granted for similar treatment on the modern windows.
Use the links below to see full details and for a facility to comment.
Status: AWAITING DECISIONThis item is open for commentsInstallation of Security Window Film to Internal Face of WindowsPolice Scotland Police Station Dunnottar Avenue Stonehaven Aberdeenshire AB39 2JDRef. No: APP/2026/1442 · Received: Fri 21 Aug 2026 · Validated: Mon 24 Aug 2026
A FORMER Mackie Pupil whose career took him into the beating heart of the world of golf has tapped into his experiences to write his first crime novel – which has just been published.
Set against the backdrop of the PGA Championship at Wentworth, Four Deadly Swings exposes the soft underbelly of professional golf, uncovering a web of lies, deceit and secrets which trigger fatal conclusions.
Four swings. One fatal decision.
The genteel world of professional golf is rocked to its core by the brutal murder of rising star Ryan Slater at the exclusive Wentworth Golf Club.
Gordon Simpson left school aged 17 and went straight into a reporter’s post with the Mearns Leader. He soon found his journalistic swing as a sports writer and became golf correspondent with the P&J aged just 21 years old.
Moving on to the bigger players, he covered three World Cups for Press Association and became Golf Correspondent for Daily Record, travelling the world and attending all major tournaments. He has attended the Masters at Augusta 11 times.
Irascible DCI Jack Hunter leads the investigation into the killing, bringing him into direct conflict with disgraced investigative journalist Adam Stringer.
Now working as a freelance sports writer. Stringer sees the killing as his chance for redemption, using his wealth of experience and guile of working in the shadows.
The vitriol and contempt between the ill-matched pair, who had clashed during Stringer’s fall from grace, emerges once more and they race to find Slater’s murderer, set against the colourful backdrop of a professional tournament over Wentworth’s world-famous West Course.
Gordon went on to join the the PGA European Tour (now DP World Tour) and was based at Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey. He became communications director for the Tour and media centre manager for the Ryder Cup. He was pitched in with all the great players – Woods, Faldo, Ballesteros, Montgomerie and McIlroy.
Having taken an early retirement, Gordon decided to capitalise on his unique insight into the world of golf while continuing his love of writing.
He said: ”Sport and language have always wrestled for priority but the combination has been central to the plot of my debut crime novel, ‘Four Deadly Swings’.
”I am now focussed on full-time writing but retain a close relationship with key personnel and companies in the golfing industry, specifically many well-known, high-profile professional golfers, officials, internationally-renown sports management companies and sponsors/investors.”
He added: ” I am excited to bring out my first crime novel. I hope to make a series involving investigative journalist, Adam Stringer – the sequel being researched now.
”It’s been a joyful ride…and all thanks to sport.”
As Hunter and Stringer delve deeper, exposing the soft underbelly of professional sport, they uncover a web of lies, deceit, drug-use and deadly secrets worth killing for, leading to a jaw-dropping finale as the tournament reaches its thrilling climax.
As Four Deadly Swings proves – it’s not only your scorecard that can kill you.
Meet the author on October 3
Four Deadly Swings was published in paperback on August 28. Copies can be ordered at www.troubador.co.uk
For those of you who’d enjoy meeting Gordon and bagging a signed copy of his novel, put Saturday October 3 in your diary when he will be coming along to But n’ Ben books from 2-4pm.
Dawn Black MSP attended the official opening of OaKley ASN last Saturday, where members of the community and the people who would be using the facility were invited along to celebrate the hard work by the whole team.
OaKley was founded by Amanda Greig after her own child struggled to fit into mainstream school. Along with other families who had struggled with the systems that were not suitable for their children she found a gap in services across Aberdeenshire – families did not have access to a safe learning environment, where you could find people in similar circumstances and support one another. They recognised the need for a provision with reliable staffing, and the right resources to support the young people who need it the most.
OaKley ASN now has children from 2-18 now using the facilities. They offer days through the week and at the weekend as well. The amenity is based just outside of Stonehaven, and users come from Portlethen, across Aberdeenshire and even Angus, as this is one of the only available facilities offering children somewhere safe to be themselves.
OaKley are trying to work through local schools to create partnerships as well as Aberdeenshire Council for funding, they have had funding through the National Lottery
After the opening, Dawn Black MSP said: “Giving our children and young people with additional needs a safe and welcoming environment to learn and play is absolutely vital to their development and Oakley have nailed it with this amazing, purpose-built facility.
“Having followed this project through conception, planning and development, I am so impressed with what Oakley is offering and have achieved here. It is exactly what families with ASN children across the area need. In my capacity as the MSP, I hope that I can support them going forward in their journey.”
Stonehaven & District Men’s Shed has taken the top honour, being crowned the ‘Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year’ 2026 in a prestigious nationwide awards initiative organised by the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA), Scotland’s leading men’s health and wellbeing charity.
The Aberdeenshire-based Shed took the top national honour ahead of two outstanding finalists, with Milngavie & Bearsden Men’s Shed (East Dunbartonshire) finishing in second place and Irvine New Town Men’s Shed (North Ayrshire) taking third, highlighting the impressive national spread of Scotland’s Men’s Shed movement.
The Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year awards programme recognises the remarkable contribution Men’s Sheds make to their members and communities across Scotland—providing places where men can connect, share skills, learn new ones, work together and, most importantly, enjoy friendship and companionship.
Stonehaven & District Men’s Shed has grown from a small group of determined volunteers in 2016 into one of Stonehaven’s most valued community organisations. Members transformed a neglected former Beach Pavilion into a vibrant seafront community hub, contributing more than 3,600 volunteer hours to the renovation. Today, with more than 180 members, the Shed combines traditional crafts with CNC routing, laser engraving and 3D printing, alongside activities focused on health (yoga and pilates), wellbeing and social connection. Its commitment to sustainability has also seen the installation of solar panels, air source heat pumps and battery storage.
The Shed’s impact reaches far beyond its own members and its Stonehaven home. Members support local events, environmental projects and community initiatives, while an innovative prosthetics project has helped provide around 600 prosthetic limbs for people in Africa using reusable components recovered from hospitals across Scotland. Having previously received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the Shed’s latest national recognition reflects an exceptional combination of innovation, inclusion, sustainability and community service — demonstrating just how much a Men’s Shed can achieve.
Duncan Cursiter, Chairman of Stonehaven & District Men’s Shed, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year 2026. This award belongs to every one of our members. It recognises the time, effort, friendship and sheer enthusiasm that they bring to the Shed every week.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have built together, but we are equally proud to be part of the wider Men’s Shed movement in Scotland. A huge thank you to everyone who voted for us and supported the Shed. We would also like to congratulate Milngavie & Bearsden and Irvine New Town — both are fantastic Sheds and worthy finalists.”
Jason Schroeder, CEO of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association, said: “A huge congratulations to every single member of Stonehaven Men’s Shed. Winning this title is a fantastic achievement and a wonderful recognition of the contribution the Shed and its members make to their community.
“Our congratulations also go to Milngavie & Bearsden Men’s Shed and Irvine New Town Men’s Shed for reaching the final. All three finalists demonstrated the incredible diversity, commitment and community spirit found within Scotland’s Men’s Shed movement. The Sheds showed exactly what makes the Scottish Movement so special with its age 18 and over model encouraging intergenerational friendships, inclusion, practical skills, community spirit and men supporting men.
“The real winners are the 12,000+ men across Scotland who come through the doors of a Shed every week. Stonehaven’s success is something for the whole Scottish Men’s Shed community to celebrate.”
Each of the three finalist Sheds will receive a trophy, certificate and a cash prize from the SMSA, funded directly from SMSA Shed membership fee income—Sheds giving back to Sheds. In addition, finalists will receive vouchers from Scotmid Co-op, access to Machine Competency and Woodwork training from David Young Training (RRP £638) and a Shed Accounts package from Thyme Accountants (RRP £360), as well as supermarket gifts from Tesco and Co-op.
To learn more about the SMSA charity, join as an individual member for FREE and discover your local Shed using the Scottish ‘Find a Shed’ map, which lists over 210 Sheds nationwide, please visit www.scottishmsa.org.uk.
Representatives from Stonehaven and District Men’s Shed travelled to Perth this morning to accept the trophy. Left to right: Bill Allan, founding chair; Duncan Cursiter, chair; and Steve Holt, vice chair.
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