Stone Fringe Sound

A walk around the Hope

Enjoy a freeform audio tour around the lovely town of Lossie and learn about its fascinating history, told by authentic local voices and expertise!

A remote collaboration between two artists in Cornwall and rural Aberdeenshire. Initially based around the notions of parenthood, whilst also considering personal, geographical and political space. Composition naturally began to accommodate responses to the pandemic as the album was written during the COVID19 lockdown of 2020. The first five tracks use only the voice and audio production techniques, field recordings, and radio excerpts, whilst the final track contains additional instrumentation.

INVERBOYNDIE BEACH - MAGGIE MACHLIN FROM THE ALBUM "SAND SILT, FLINT" BY FIONA SOE PAING https://FionaSoePaing.bandcamp.com The ballad of Maggie Machlin recounts the sad story of a local domestic servant who worked in service for the Manse at Boyndie. According to the song and regional folklore poor Maggie, once favoured by those she worked for, was cast out when she became pregnant by a local dignitary – ‘a Boyndie man of high degree.’ Sadly for Maggie the man of high degree also rejected her and in despair one evening she walked down the water’s edge at Inverboyndie Beach. Here she sat down on a rock and stared out to sea. The ballad tells us that the rock Maggie sat on was bare and covered with spray from the sea. But here Maggie sat from evening until dawn. Sadly, Maggie didn't survive the cold night in this wild, windy spot on the edge of the North Sea and was found dead of exposure the next morning. Inverboyndie Beach Walk Don’t let the sad tale of Maggie Machlin deter you from a walk along this wild bonnie beach situated west of Banff in Boyndie Bay. The sands and sea at Inverboynie are a popular spot for local walkers, surfers, and swimmers who all gravitate here to take in wide views of the North Sea and surrounding gorse covered cliffs. The car park adjacent to the Banff Links Caravan Park is a favourite place to park and from here it’s a short walk to the beach’s golden sands past a large children’s play park. The voices of playing children meet with the sounds of the sea and wind enroute to the beach and form a poignant echo to Maggie’s sad story. Alternatively, park at the east end of the beach and head down to the coastal pathway that leads through a wide expanse of grassland on the edge of the shoreline. The walk from either end of the beach is filled with the smells of grass and seaweed and lined with picnic tables and jaunty beach shelters with striking blue roofs. The far east side of the beach is the more remote spot to find a bare rock to sit on, stare out to sea and remember poor Maggie. From here the coast path carries onto Banff to the east or, from the other end of the beach, along the coast to Whitehalls – a favourite local dolphin watching spot. Practical Information The facilities at the Banff Links Caravan Park (open seasonally from the end of March to early January) include a small shop and public toilets. For a sit down meal head west to The Gallery at Whitehalls, a café and fish restaurant on the edge of the marina, or east to Banff which has a number of places to eat and stay. Those travelling on public transport to Inverboyndie can hop aboard one of a number of bus services that run from Banff, Macduff and Fraserburgh. Soundwalk text researched and written by Lesley Anne Rose at Open Road Ltd, with profound thanks. Image with thanks to Isla Goldie Photography.

Commissioned by Findhorn Bay Arts as part of Dandelion Scotland Unexpected Gardens Project. Music by Dopey Monkey (Danielle Price and Martin Lee Thomson) Mix and Master by Sonny Johns With thanks to Moray Rotary Club, Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches and the Elphinstone Institute. The Unexpected Gardens Project is by Dandelion Scotland, commissioned by Events Scotland as part of UNBOXED creativity in the UK.

GARDENSTOWN - FISHER'S LULLABY - FROM THE ALBUM "SAND, SILT, FLINT" BY FIONA SOE PAING http://FionaSoePaing.bandcamp.com Lullabies sung by the wives of fishermen are common in the fishing communities of North East Scotland. The women of these tiny coastal villages constantly worried for their husbands while they were out at sea. Singing lullabies was a simple way for them to calm both their children and their worries. The Fisher’s Lullaby is based on the song of the Fisherman’s Wife. In this sad song a worried waiting wife prays with her children for the safety of their father out at sea as she sings them gently to sleep with her bittersweet lullaby. The original version “The Sang O' The Fisherman's Wife" was written by Zetta Sinclair, mother of Scottish singer and former game show host Isla St Claire, who grew up in Buckie on the north Aberdeenshire coast. Zetta was also one of the original founders in the 1960s of the Aberdeen Folk Song Club. Gardenstown Walk The village and harbour of Gardenstown is one a handful of tiny sea facing hamlets that cling to the steep cliffs of coastal Aberdeenshire. All houses face seawards around both the hamlet’s old harbour and the only road that winds its steep way down to the sea. Gardenstown was founded in the early eighteen century and fishing began in its harbour about a hundred years later. Both salmon and herring fleets were once based here and, at the height of the peak the local fishing industry at turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries, 92 boats operated from Gardenstown’s tiny harbour. It’s easy to imagine this old sea-soaked village surrounded by steep cliffs full of boats selling their catch of the day and large salmon nets hanging out to dry and to still feel the worry of those waiting at home when the fleet left safe harbour for open sea. Take time on a walk around the old harbour to read the information boards detailing the history of the town’s fishing industry. If you’re visiting on a weekday during the summer drop into the Heritage Centre (open Monday to Friday 2pm-4pm during the summer) to find out more about Gardenstown’s harbour, fishing fleet and old fish wives. If you’ve time for a longer walk, head east along the coastal path to the tiny community of Crovie a few miles along the coast whose main street can only be travelled along by foot. The path is a perfect place for dolphin or bird spotting, but some parts get covered by the high tide. In wild weather it’s best avoided altogether. Practical Information Getting There Two narrow roads lead off the B9031 to Gardenstown, one to the east and the other to the west of the hamlet. Both meet and merge into the B9123 as it makes a steep, twisty, and increasingly narrow, downhill journey to the Gardenstown’s harbour and heart of the village. Parking is located at the harbourside. A local bus service (no 273) runs between Gardenstown, Fraserbourgh to the east and Banff to the west. Toilets & Refreshments Picnic tables and public toilets can both be found at the harbourside. Places to eat include The Garden Arms Hotel (closed on Tuesdays) which dates back to 1743 and also has accommodation - the hotel boasts a visit by Bram Stoker in 1896. Eli’s Crafts, Cakes and Coffee is located close to public parking and champions local produce on their menu – take away also available. Accessibility The roads and lanes around Gardenstown’s harbour are accessible by wheelchair. Text for the Soundwalk researched and written by Lesley-Anne Rose at https://OpenRoadLtd.co.uk , with many thanks. Image with thanks to Isla Goldie Photography

PENNAN VILLAGE - FISHER'S LULLABY - FROM THE ALBUM "SAND, SILT, FLINT" BY FIONA SOE PAING http://FionaSoePaing.bandcamp.com Lullabies sung by the wives of fishermen are common in the fishing communities of North East Scotland. The women of these tiny coastal villages such as Pennan, Gardenstown and Crovie, constantly worried for their husbands while they were out at sea. Singing lullabies was a simple way for them to calm both their children and their worries. The original version “The Sang O' The Fisherman's Wife" was written by Zetta Sinclair, mother of Scottish singer and former game show host Isla St Claire, who grew up in Buckie on the north Aberdeenshire coast. Zetta was also one of the original founders in the 1960s of the Aberdeen Folk Song Club.

Originally mapped to East Beach on the Isle of Berneray, Tidelines draws upon the coastal landscape of the Western Isles, featuring poems written and narrated by writers on Uist, with music and soundscapes composed by Taigh Chersabhagh Museum & Arts Centre Musician in Residence, Duncan MacLeod. Credits Poets: Liz French, Barbara Hunter, Thelma Marl, Kirsty O'Connor, Loriana Pauli, and Pauline Prior-Pitt. Narration: Calum Ferguson, Liz French, Barbara Hunter, Ciorstaidh Monk, Kirsty O'Connor, Loriana Pauli, and Pauline Prior-Pitt. Music and soundscape compositions: Duncan MacLeod

The Moray Way Soundwalk presents liminal moments using stories, memories, and atmospheres. It captures moments while walking that are so fleeting and familiar, that they are often missed. This sound map covers the 100 mile walking route of the Moray Way in Scotland and is a tool for walking and thinking. A walk aims to encourage an awareness of our environment using sound. Yet, it is also about the pleasures of listening to the unique voice of a community that walks. By listening to the soundscapes and audio clips during your walk, the sounds offer an insight into the rhythm, history, ecology, and community of the Moray Way. This sound map was created and produced by Lise Olsen, who became the artist in residence for The Moray Way Association, in July 2021. Her practice involves walking the 100-mile-long circular route, collecting stories from the community, and defining the in-between experiences happening within a dramatic Scottish landscape. Lise questions “Can listening while walking capture the tangential way of thinking that walking provokes?”