Tall Ships Races: Aberdeen 2025

Earlier this month, the Tall Ships Races returned to Aberdeen for the first time since 1997. As both a maritime musicologist and former resident of the Granite City, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to explore the ships, soak in the atmosphere (quite literally – it rained all weekend), and reflect on the intersections of music and maritime history.

My visit began at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, where we stood in the pouring rain waiting for gate authorisation so that the public could finally enter. Somewhat anticlimactically, this happened after the ribbon had been cut. Despite the wet start, I was excited to see the harbour come to life. Aberdeen Harbour, long and narrow with a somewhat awkward layout, proved challenging to navigate amid the inevitable crowds. Queues for food and drink were long, and the food itself looked pricey – though I didn’t sample any myself. Access points changed throughout the day: the entrance used for the ribbon cutting later became the designated accessible entrance, meaning a considerable walk to reach alternative entry points, such as Blaikie’s Quay.

Despite the logistical frustrations, walking amongst the tall ships was unforgettable. With the majority of the vessels dating from the twentieth century, I was struck by how modern the fleet felt overall – some ships were built as recently as 2014. The Peruvian ship BAP Unión was perhaps the flashiest, while the Omani ship drew attention with its impressive rig. But it was two ships in particular that drew me in immediately: Belem (1896) and Sørlandet (1927), both of which Stan Hugill sailed on during his career. I made a beeline to them, and managed to board the Sørlandet, where I was overwhelmed by a strange sense of familiarity – likely the result of having transcribed hours of footage from a 1980’s Tall Ships documentary featuring Hugill on board the same vessel. I mentioned this to some of the crew, who were (understandably) unfazed. Still, for me, the moment was quietly monumental. I did buy some Tall Ships merchandise: a programme, a t-shirt and a notebook from the Sørlandet gift shop; minor souvenirs from a major day.

Musically, I only caught one performance, but it was a highlight: a Polish-Scottish song group singing sea songs in both languages. I was particularly taken by their rendition of Rolling Down to Old Maui with unfamiliar lyrics, and a Polish version of The Leaving of Liverpool. The set concluded with an enthusiastic version of Being a Pirate (inspired, it seemed, by the Fisherman’s Friends), with the crowd joining in the bilingual refrain: “Piratem, piratem!” If you're familiar with the modern history of the sea shanty, you'll appreciate the deep connection to Poland's vibrant shanty-singing tradition – largely thanks to the efforts of Stare Dzwony (The Old Bells), who translated Stan Hugill's songs into Polish, introducing his repertoire to a vast and enthusiastic new audience.

I was also connected to this year’s Tall Ships in two small but meaningful ways. Back in 2022, I reached out to Aberdeen City Council to propose a shanty-focused programme for the festival. I spoke with one of the event organisers about the logistics of hosting a shanty festival, but ultimately the organisers opted to book popular music headliners such as the Kaiser Chiefs and Deacon Blue. (Fair enough!) Separately, I was contacted by a writer working on the official souvenir programme for the event. We had a rich conversation about the multilingual, multinational nature of shanties. I sent along Hardi, les Gars, Vire au Guindeau, a French version of Goodbye Fare Ye Well, as an example. The resulting article condensed our chat into a compact Q&A-style feature. While heavily edited, I was pleased to be referred to as a "maritime musicologist" and to see a snippet of our conversation – along with the shanty – appear in print.

Despite the unrelenting rain, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. The opportunity to stand aboard the Sørlandet – a ship tied so intimately to the legacy of Stan Hugill – was a joyful experience. That it happened in Aberdeen, a city that was my home for three formative years, only deepened its significance.

Dr. Mollie Carlyle

Photos from the Tall Ships Race: Aberdeen © Mollie Carlyle.

Photos from the Crew Parade, 20th July 2025 © Mollie Carlyle.