The mystery of the North Sea message in a bottle

The mystery of a North Sea message in a bottle found on a Swedish island after 47 years has been solved by BBC Scotland News.

Friends Ellinor Rosen Eriksson and Asa Nilsson found the washed-up bottle earlier this year.

The damp and faded letter was hard to read, but they were able to make out the name Addison Runcie, the year 1978, and an address 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, but who died in 1995. It was written by his then crewmate Gavin Geddes – who was amazed to be told it had been found 47 years after they dropped it overboard.

The two finders in Sweden said it was “fantastic” the mystery of the source had been solved, and Jim’s sister described the story unfolding as “amazing”.

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

“I was out exploring the Vaderoarna islands with my best friend Asa,” Ellinor said.

“We both love searching for beach finds, and that day we took the boat out to Torso, the northernmost island in the archipelago.

“Deep in the bushes on the island, Asa spotted something unusual – a thick glass bottle sticking out of the ground.”

Inside was a damp note that was almost unreadable.

They laid it out in the sun to dry, and were eventually able to make out some text.

The full date appeared to be: “14.9.78”.

They could also make out the name and address “Addison Runcie, Seatown, Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland”.

Ellinor said they were “completely amazed” to find a “real message in a bottle”, and hoped to discover the story behind it.

They posted about it on social media in the hope of learning more.

On closer inspection, the letters “es” could also be made out before Addison Runcie, as well as the number 115 before the address.

BBC Scotland News then established that James Addison Runcie had lived at that Seatown address in Cullen at the time – the “es” was the end of James – and started to investigate more.

Jane Worby, 78, who now lives at the house, described it as “nice to have a little bit of history” when told of the story.

“It does catch the imagination,” she said of the message in a bottle. “It almost makes me want to do it myself.”

Jim Runcie – who was known locally as Peem – died in 1995 at the age of 67.

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

“As soon as I saw the letter I thought that is definitely my writing,” Gavin, 69, said.

Gavin, who lives a few miles from Cullen in Rathven, said he remembered writing it, and even compared his own hand-writing to confirm it.

They had put a “couple of bottles” overboard, and had wanted one to be from Jim Runcie.

“We put one away for Jim – and now that’s the only one found in 47 years,” he said.

“Now at least we got one reply.”

Mr Runcie’s sister Sandra Taylor, 83, happened to be visiting Cullen where she is originally from, and was stunned to be told the story behind the find in Sweden.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” she said.

“To be bobbing around in the sea for 40-odd years and then just all of a sudden go onto the shore, it’s unbelievable.

“The name and address means it was definitely him.

“All my family were in fishing, and it was never going to be anything but the sea for Jim. He was a fisherman all his life.”

Asked what she thought her older brother would have made of it all, she said: “He would have been in stitches, he would find it hard to believe.

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

Back in Sweden, Ellinor and Asa described finding out where the message came from as meaning the world to them.

“This is such a cosy and fantastic story,” Ellinor said.

“Finding a message in a bottle from someone far away, on a freezing February day, far out on a remote island with your best friend, that’s truly magical.”

She explained that if they had known how it would turn out, they would have tried to save the bottle itself too.

“I myself come from a fishing family and absolutely love the sea, spending time on the islands and searching for treasures,” she said.

“Where I live, we call this activity vraga – it means going out to find something lost or hidden, and to uncover its story. And that’s exactly what we’ve done here, with your amazing help.”

Ellinor added: “Asa and I would absolutely love to come to Cullen one day – to talk about the bottle and the story, and experience your beautiful coast and community.

“We are truly thrilled about this.”