Stonehaven Horizon Project

An opportunity - not a commitment. The Horizon Project now has around 50 volunteers who tend over 200 floral displays from various street planters, hanging baskets, barrels and boats, including displays at the railway station - so obviously there is lots to do. They have weekly work parties that ensure the cycle of planting and maintenance is attended to. But one of the best things about joining Horizon is they are delighted to see you if you manage along, but there is no need to worry if you can’t. So don’t let a busy life stop you from joining in!

The group works closely with Aberdeenshire Council Landscape Services and many community groups who provide financial and/or physical help, enabling them to make Stonehaven a bright and cheery and beautiful town.

In 2022, Stonehaven Horizon Project won the Beautiful Scotland Discretionary Year of Stories Award: As part of their contribution to the 2022 Beautiful Scotland  theme of Scotland’s Year of Stories, members of Stonehaven's local writing group - The Mearn's Writers, wrote a series of narrations relating to aspects of the town: its views, its facilities, its flora and fauna, its history, its connections to the land and the sea, all of which combine to tell something of the story of Stonehaven itself. These were then recorded, and an impressive walking tour leaflet created which takes people around thw town. QR codes at each site enable an auditory and visual explanation that ties in each location historically. During the judges’ tour, an exceptional performance, in character, of John Duncan, an eminent Botanist, was given in Doric - luckily one of the judging pair was able to interpret!

In 2021, Stonehaven Horizon Project won the Haddington 700 Award for their Burns Memorial Garden restoration project: The group focused on restoring and redeveloping the garden, created in memory of Rabbie Burns who had links to the town. Working with other local groups and the school, QR codes have been added, with access to a variety of music, drama and poetry, and there has been an innovative approach taken to plant choice reflecting the Baird, as well as artwork and agricultural heritage pieces, again which link to Rabbie Burns.