Moray schoolgirl’s message in a bottle will get reply from Norway 31 years later

A Scottish schoolgirl’s message in a bottle has lastly obtained a reply greater than 30 years later – after being found in Norway.

Alaina Beresford, from Portknockie in Moray, despatched the message in 1994 when she was 12 as a part of a faculty challenge.

It washed up throughout the North Sea the place it was discovered by a volunteer cleansing up a Norwegian island – who then dispatched a postcard to the delighted sender to let her know.

Alaina instructed BBC Scotland Information she couldn’t consider her unique letter was in such good situation after three a long time.

Her handwritten letter had been despatched in an empty bottle of Moray Cup, a fizzy drink produced within the north east of Scotland.

It mentioned: “Pricey finder. My title is Alaina Stephen and I’m 12 years of age. I come from Portknockie and I’m doing a challenge on water so I made a decision to ship a message in a bottle.

“My instructor’s husband took them and dropped them in the midst of the ocean.

“While you discover this message, please write again together with your title, hobbies, the place you discovered the message, when, and when you might, a little bit details about your space. Yours sincerely, Alaina Stephen. PS I come from Scotland.”

Now, 31 years on, Alaina has obtained a postcard from Pia Brodtmann, telling her the excellent news, with footage of the discover.

It mentioned: “My title is Pia and I’m from Germany. Right now I discovered your message in a bottle on Lisshelløya, a tiny island round Vega in Norway.

“I’m right here for seashore cleansing as a volunteer for 4 months and in the present day we cleaned Lisshelløya. On the entrance of the postcard you possibly can see our workboat Nemo and our sailboat Fonn, the place we dwell. You can too see the world round Vega. I ponder when and the place your instructor’s husband threw your bottle within the ocean?”

It added: “PS I’m 27 years previous and I like mountaineering and crusing so much!”

Alaina, now 42, mentioned she was surprised when she picked up the publish and seen the postcard addressed to herself.

“I am on the similar deal with,” she mentioned.

“I did dwell in Buckie, and one other home in Portknockie for some time, however moved again in with my dad and mom.

“I could not consider it, as I had despatched it after I was 12 years previous, 31 years in the past.”

Alaina was capable of finding Pia by way of social media, and messaged her asking to ship a photograph of her letter.

“I used to be shocked when she did, I could not consider how legible it was,” she mentioned.

“I can not keep in mind truly writing the message, however I do keep in mind it was a Moray Cup bottle, and that my instructor’s husband had dropped it into the ocean when he was a fisherman.

“In accordance with my message, I had performed it as a part of a challenge on water. It was after I was in P7.”

She added: “Pia and I’ve been maintaining in contact and hopefully we are going to proceed to take action.”