MSP Announces 10th Annual Surgery Tour

Banff & Buchan SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson has announced details of his forthcoming surgery tour of local communities which commences next week.

This year will be the tenth such tour that Mr Stevenson has undertaken, covering over 40 communities from Sandend in the far west to Cruden Bay at the south-western end of the constituency and inland to Auchnagatt, New Deer, Aberchirder and Inverkeithny.

On day two of his surgery tour, Mr Stevenson will clock-up a milestone 650th surgery when he calls at Macduff.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

"The annual surgery tour with my mobile office is always extremely enjoyable and I think also that people appreciate having their MSP come to their own community rather than having to go to one of my 'static' surgeries in a nearby town or village.

"Even in this age of electronic communications, people still value being able to have face-to-face contact with their elected representatives, which is important. It also gets me into some of our smaller communities which I may otherwise not have reason to visit during the course of a year."

This tour will also be Mr Stevenson's final tour of some communities owing to boundary changes in the Scottish Parliament constituencies which take effect from May 2011. The Banff & Buchan Scottish Parliament constituency will disappear and be replaced by the new constituency of Banffshire & Buchan Coast. Meanwhile, communities in Central Buchan, along with Inverkeithny, Cruden Bay, Hatton and Longhaven will move into a new East Aberdeenshire constituency from next May.

Mr Stevenson continued:

"I'll be very sad to lose these communities as I have very much enjoyed being their representative in Parliament. I will of course continue to be their MSP up until May 2011 when the boundaries change and will continue to serve them with surgeries. However, the tour with my mobile office is an annual summer event so this will, sadly, be the last time the tour takes me to Central Buchan, Cruden and Inverkeithny.

"I'm looking forward to the challenges presented by the new Banffshire & Buchan Coast constituency which stretches from Boddam and Peterhead in the south all the way to Buckie in the west. The SNP's candidate selection process is underway and if I am fortunate to be selected by the local party members and then elected by the people I shall endeavour to do my best for the new constituency, as I hope I have done for Banff & Buchan during these last nine years."


Details of the tour are as follows:

Monday 26 July

New Pitsligo              10.00am – 10.25am             The Square

Strichen                    10.40am – 11.05am             North Street

Memsie                      11.20am – 11.35am             by BT exchange

Rathen                      11.45am – 12.00pm             by Public Hall

Lonmay                     12.10pm – 12.25pm             adj. Ban Car Hotel

New Leeds               1.45pm – 1.55pm                 Manse Street

Fetterangus             2.10pm – 2.25pm                 Hall car park

Old Deer                    2.40pm – 2.55pm                 opp. old Post Office

Stuartfield                 3.05pm – 3.20pm                 The Square

Auchnagatt              3.30pm – 3.45pm                 Hall car park

New Deer                  4.00pm – 4.20pm                 Hall car park

Maud                          4.30pm - 4.45pm                  Station car park

Tuesday 27 July

New Byth                  10.25am – 10.40am             The Square

Gardenstown          11.00am – 11.15am             adj. Petrol Station

Macduff                     11.30am – 12.00pm             Knowes Hotel car park

King Edward           1.20pm – 1.30pm                 lay-by at Kirk

Fisherie                     1.40pm – 1.50pm                 Craigwall Cottages

Crudie                       2.00pm – 2.10pm                 lay-by

New Aberdour         2.30pm – 2.45pm                 car park

Rosehearty              3.00pm – 3.20pm                 The Square

Sandhaven              3.30pm – 3.45pm                 St Magnus Road opp. park

Tyrie                           4.00pm – 4.10pm                 adj. old Post Office

Wednesday 28 July

Longside                  10.15am – 10.30am             Main St. car park

Mintlaw                      10.40am – 11.05am             Newlands Road

Hatton                       11.30am – 11.45am             Hall car park

Cruden Bay             12.00pm – 12.20pm             Main Street

Longhaven              12.30pm – 12.45pm             Hall car park

Boddam                    12.50pm – 1.05pm               Russell Street

Rora                           2.35pm – 2.45pm                 Hall car park

St Fergus                  2.55pm – 3.10pm                 opp. Shop

Crimond                    3.25pm – 3.45pm                 Kirk car Park

St Combs                 3.55pm – 4.15pm                 Hall car park

Inverallochy             4.25pm – 4.45pm                 adj. Post Office

Thursday 29 July

Easterfield (Inverkeithny) 10.15am – 10.25am             adj. School

Aberchirder              10.45am – 11.10am             The Square

Cornhill                     11.25am – 11.45am             Car park

Fordyce                    12.00pm – 12.15pm             adj. Castle

Sandend                   12.30pm – 12.45pm             adj. Phone Box

Portsoy                     2.00pm – 2.25pm                 Church Street

Boyndie                    2.40pm – 2.50pm                 opp. Boyndie Centre

Whitehills                  3.00pm – 3.20pm                 Seafield Street

Inverboyndie           3.30pm – 3.40pm                 adj. Bridge

Alvah                         3.55pm – 4.05pm                 adj. Linhead Hall

Forglen                     4.25pm – 4.35pm                 Bogton Row