Current News and Events
Tarbh goes to Holyrood!
This week, Scottish Coastal Clean Up, a project of the Balanced Horizon charity, took its crucial marine conservation work to the heart of Scottish politics with an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament.
The exhibition shed light on the urgent challenges faced by beach-cleaning organisations across Scotland and advocated for greater awareness, policy change, and industry accountability in the fight against marine litter pollution.
What’s more, they took our striking litter sculpture with them! Tarbh na Muraige (‘Flotsam Bull’) stands as a bold reminder of the pressing challenges faced by island communities and the need for targeted actions to reduce marine industry waste at its source – including litter from fishing, aquaculture and shipping.
Documentary: Shaping our Shores
Delighted to share that Shaping Our Shores is now publicly available for everyone to watch via the link below.
Presented by Shian Denovan and filmed across Scotland, Shaping Our Shores is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that delves into the devastating impact of marine plastics on our ecosystems, wildlife, and coastal communities.
Created in collaboration with EssBeeFlix Studios and Caledonian Horticulture, this eye-opening film follows the journeys of passionate individuals and organisations dedicated to tackling pollution and restoring Scotland's shorelines.
Through compelling personal stories and breathtaking views, Shaping Our Shores captures the urgent need for action while celebrating the resilience and determination of those working to protect our marine environment for future generations.
Further information, the Q&A from the premier, additional interviews and more are available on the dedicated webpage:
https://caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/shapingourshores/
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Big Blue Bag presented to Clean Coast Outer Hebrides
On Monday 14th April 2025, Clean Coast Outer Hebrides CCOH had an event at Garry Beach, Isle of Lewis in association with Hurtigruten Expeditions HX. As well as a beach clean, scientific experiments were carried out using a Big Blue Bag. This initiative delivers more scientific information as it has the equipment to discover the degree of microplastics, measure sea temperature, and assess wildlife as well as holding a beach clean.
The image shows Gebhard Reiner the CEO of HX presenting a Big Blue Bag to Janet Marshall, Founder and Chair of CCOH, with Monty Halls, broadcaster and expedition leader.
Monty Halls measuring the degree of microplastic on the shore with one of the younger volunteers. This was filmed by BBC Scotland and shown that evening both on the BBC Scotland evening news, and a Gaelic interview was shown on BBC Alba later in the evening.
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The Big Blue Bag initiative is being rolled out initially around the Scottish islands, with 70 bags being given to relevant community groups.
Other Events
Scottish Coastal Clean Up's ongoing battle to preserve Scottish beaches! | Scottish Rural Network
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Beach of Dreams 1 May — 1 June 2025
A UK-wide coastal arts festival exploring the unique heritage, cultures, and futures of our coastlines in the face of the climate emergency. Click here for more information.