Getting Into the Spirit of the Summer

With the summer now in full swing, though the sun has been scarce, the summer feeling has nevertheless been in the air with the many seasonal festivals which brighten up our towns and villages. Banff & Buchan is host to a number of such eclectic events each summer, including shows, galas and carnivals which celebrate the glorious season and highlight the array of assets our area possesses - its magnificent beauty, its traditions and its culture. The Portsoy Boat Festival, the Banffshire Show and the Turriff Agricultural Show, to mention but a few, are examples of such vibrant affairs which add colour to our lives and to our area.

Last week saw the celebration of Scottish Week in Peterhead. Despite the odd inevitable shower the festival was a great success for the Blue Toon. The celebratory week originated forty six years ago as a nationwide phenomenon and primarily a means of promoting Scottish produce. Nowadays Peterhead boasts the last remaining Scottish week which has evolved into an all round celebration of Scottish culture with a wide variety of amusements to cater for every disposition. Activities cover the entire spectrum of entertainment, ranging from food fayres to bingo to dance and theatrical performances.

The festivities create an immensely positive feeling in the town, lifting spirits and awakening in us all a sense of summer fun and pride in our town. Indeed Scottish Week does much to promote the town and businesses of Peterhead and attract visitors to the area. The valuable festival is only made possible by the vast number of volunteers and sponsors involved in its production. Its success and smooth running is a credit to their hard work. Indeed I sponsored one of the week’s events myself this year - The Antiques Road Show. As I say, there was something for everyone in the activities this year - even the antique enthusiasts among us.

Safety on our Roads this Summer
Amongst all the seasonal festivities this summer, we must remain aware of our safety, particularly in one of the places we are most vulnerable – on our roads. This is why I was delighted to recently launch the summer road safety campaign in Scotland in my capacity as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change. The campaign targets those who continue to drink and drive. Though these individuals are thankfully few, there remains a minority of people who take the risk, thereby endangering their and other road users’ safety and indeed their lives. It beggars belief that in this day of elaborate road safety campaigns and harrowing TV adverts that such foolish behaviour persists. However there remains a group of people who believe they are either infallible behind the wheel or invincible to getting caught. This is clearly far from the reality however with one in seven road deaths in Scotland a result of drink driving.

In an age of such heightened awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving there is simply no excuse for risking it. We are all far too familiar with the devastating effects of drink driving not only for the victims, but also for their families and friends and indeed even for the perpetrators. While police forces are always tough on drink driving, this campaign means that this summer there will be an even higher chance of those who get behind the wheel after a few drinks getting stopped, breathalysed and ultimately prosecuted. This signifies greater security and peace of mind for motorists and pedestrians alike on our roads here in Banff & Buchan and across Scotland.