The mystery of the North Sea message in a bottle

The thriller of a North Sea message in a bottle discovered on a Swedish island after 47 years has been solved by BBC Scotland Information.

Buddies Ellinor Rosen Eriksson and Asa Nilsson discovered the washed-up bottle earlier this yr.

The damp and light letter was onerous to learn, however they have been capable of make out the identify Addison Runcie, the yr 1978, and an tackle in Cullen, Banffshire.

It has now been established the letter referred to fisherman James Addison Runcie who had been on board the fishing boat Loraley, however who died in 1995. It was written by his then crewmate Gavin Geddes – who was amazed to be informed it had been discovered 47 years after they dropped it overboard.

The 2 finders in Sweden mentioned it was “incredible” the thriller of the supply had been solved, and Jim’s sister described the story unfolding as “wonderful”.

Ellinor, 32, and Asa, 55, discovered the bottle on Sweden’s west coast again in February.

“I used to be out exploring the Vaderoarna islands with my finest buddy Asa,” Ellinor mentioned.

“We each love trying to find seaside finds, and that day we took the boat out to Torso, the northernmost island within the archipelago.

“Deep within the bushes on the island, Asa noticed one thing uncommon – a thick glass bottle protruding of the bottom.”

Inside was a humid be aware that was virtually unreadable.

They laid it out within the solar to dry, and have been finally capable of make out some textual content.

The complete date seemed to be: “14.9.78”.

They might additionally make out the identify and tackle “Addison Runcie, Seatown, Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland”.

Ellinor mentioned they have been “fully amazed” to discover a “actual message in a bottle”, and hoped to find the story behind it.

They posted about it on social media within the hope of studying extra.

On nearer inspection, the letters “es” is also made out earlier than Addison Runcie, in addition to the quantity 115 earlier than the tackle.

BBC Scotland Information then established that James Addison Runcie had lived at that Seatown tackle in Cullen on the time – the “es” was the top of James – and began to analyze extra.

Jane Worby, 78, who now lives on the home, described it as “good to have a little bit little bit of historical past” when informed of the story.

“It does catch the creativeness,” she mentioned of the message in a bottle. “It virtually makes me wish to do it myself.”

Jim Runcie – who was recognized domestically as Peem – died in 1995 on the age of 67.

The story took an surprising twist once we spoke to Gavin Geddes, certainly one of Jim’s former crewmates on the Buckie-registered Loraley, which sailed out of Peterhead.

“As quickly as I noticed the letter I believed that’s positively my writing,” Gavin, 69, mentioned.

Gavin, who lives a couple of miles from Cullen in Rathven, mentioned he remembered writing it, and even in contrast his personal hand-writing to verify it.

That they had put a “couple of bottles” overboard, and had wished one to be from Jim Runcie.

“We put one away for Jim – and now that is the one one present in 47 years,” he mentioned.

“Now at the least we received one reply.”

Mr Runcie’s sister Sandra Taylor, 83, occurred to be visiting Cullen the place she is initially from, and was surprised to be informed the story behind the discover in Sweden.

“It is completely wonderful,” she mentioned.

“To be bobbing round within the sea for 40-odd years after which simply rapidly go onto the shore, it is unbelievable.

“The identify and tackle means it was positively him.

“All my household have been in fishing, and it was by no means going to be something however the sea for Jim. He was a fisherman all his life.”

Requested what she thought her older brother would have manufactured from all of it, she mentioned: “He would have been in stitches, he would discover it onerous to imagine.

“He would have poured out a dram and mentioned ‘cheers’.”

Again in Sweden, Ellinor and Asa described discovering out the place the message got here from as which means the world to them.

“That is such a comfortable and incredible story,” Ellinor mentioned.

“Discovering a message in a bottle from somebody far-off, on a freezing February day, far out on a distant island together with your finest buddy, that is really magical.”

She defined that if they’d recognized how it might prove, they might have tried to save lots of the bottle itself too.

“I personally come from a fishing household and completely love the ocean, spending time on the islands and trying to find treasures,” she mentioned.

“The place I reside, we name this exercise vraga – it means going out to seek out one thing misplaced or hidden, and to uncover its story. And that is precisely what we have carried out right here, together with your wonderful assist.”

Ellinor added: “Asa and I’d completely love to come back to Cullen sooner or later – to speak concerning the bottle and the story, and expertise your stunning coast and neighborhood.

“We’re really thrilled about this.”