Local MSP & Councillor Pay Tribute to Roger Goodyear

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson and Banff & District councillor Glen Reynolds have paid tribute to Vice Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire and community stalwart Roger Goodyear, who sadly died after a short illness.

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson said:

“Roger Goodyear was a stalwart of the community, who was passionate about the local area and showing off all that was great in Banffshire and beyond.

“I was terribly sorry to hear of his passing and I would like to express my deepest condolences to his wife, June, family and friends. I recently nominated Roger to succeed Claire Russell when she retired as Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire. It was a testament to how capable Roger was.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Roger, who was never afraid to keep me in check. His passing will be a great loss to the community.”

Banff & District councillor Glen Reynolds added:

"Roger leaves behind him a legacy rich in community initiatives and support.

“The boat festival is of course, an enduring testament to his connection with Portsoy and its people. Community participation was core to what made Roger tick and little happened without his input, lovingly offered and greatly appreciated. To state that he and his voluntary work will be missed fails to do justice to the enormity of all he poured himself into for the benefit of others."

Local MSP "Tries Sailing in May" at Peterhead Sailing Club

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson accepted the challenge from the Royal Yachting Association Scotland (RYA Scotland) to ‘Try Sailing in May’.

The invitation to the SNP MSP was part of the Push The Boat Out initiative, which is all about getting people out on the water locally and giving them the chance to find out how easy it is to get involved in sailing and windsurfing. This popular national event sees hundreds of sailing clubs and training centres up and down the country offering free or low cost ‘have a go’ sailing taster sessions and open days.

Organised by RYA Scotland, the National Governing Body for all forms of recreational, competitive and professional boating, Push The Boat Out 2019 raised the profile of the sport and fostered enthusiasm, ultimately increasing both participation and frequency of boating. The 2019 event runs until 31 May with some 44 Scottish clubs and centres taking part, each hosting fantastic taster sessions and open days.

Commenting after his visit, Stewart Stevenson said:

“Sailing is something I used to take part in back in my younger days so this was an initiative I was very pleased to be able to support.

“I’m very pleased that RYA Scotland have arranged these taster sessions all across the country as it’s a fantastic way to get involved if it’s something you’ve always fancied but never quite known how to get involved.

“It was a pleasure to meet with the members of Peterhead Sailing Club, who are clearly enthusiastic about opening up sailing to wider participation and I hope that initiatives like this lead to more people getting involved.”

Parliamentary Recognition for Banffshire Hotel's Award

Macduff’s Knowes Hotel, winner of the North Region Hotel of the Year, has had its achievement recognised in Parliament.

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson tabled a Motion congratulating owner Wayne Stewart and his team on their success and also their efforts to showcase prime local produce and provide excellent service.

Wayne Stewart and Stewart Stevenson MSP at the Knowes Hotel.

The hotel won the award at the recent Scottish Hospitality Awards and has also gained a ‘Taste Our Best’ badge from VisitScotland.

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson said:

“I visited Wayne and Linda at the Knowes Hotel last August whilst meeting with several local businesses in Banff and Macduff which were either new starts or takeovers of existing businesses, and they briefed me on their recent extensive refurbishment and extension.

“It’s therefore great to see this investment and hard work being recognised at a national level and I’m pleased to assist with a little bit more recognition for the Knowes in Parliament. This is a tremendous achievement by Wayne, Linda and the team there and I wish them every future success going forward.”