Alaina Beresford
Alaina Beresford was 12 years old when her bottle was dropped into the North Sea.
A message from a Scottish schoolgirl in a bottle finally received a reply over 30 years after it was discovered in Norway.
Alaina Beresford, a native of Portknockie in Moray, sent a message in 1994 at the age of 12 as part of a school project.
It was washed away across the North Sea, where it was discovered by volunteers cleaning the Norwegian island. He informed her and was willing to send her a postcard to the sender.
Alaina told BBC Scotland News that she couldn’t believe the original letter would be in very good condition in 30 years.
Irene Stephen
Alaina was happy to take a picture of her telling her that the bottle was found.
Her handwritten letters were sent to empty bottles of Moray Cup, a soda drink produced in the northeast of Scotland.
“Dear Finder. My name is Alaina Stephen and I’m 12. I’m from Portnockie and I’m doing a water project so I decided to send a message to the bottle.
“My teacher’s husband took them and dropped them in the middle of the ocean.
“If you find this message, write down a little information about your name, hobby, when you find it, and if possible, your area. To your sincereness, Alaina Stephen. PS I’m from Scotland.”
Alaina Beresford
Letters can still be clearly made
Now, 31 years later, Alana receives a postcard from Pier Brodman and gives her the good news in pictures of the discovery.
“My name is Pier, I am from Germany. Today I found your message on a bottle of Lisheroya, a small island around Vega in Norway.
“I’ve been here for beach cleaning as a volunteer for four months. Today we cleaned Lisheroya. In front of the postcards you can see the nemos and yacht boat phones on our work boats. Where we live.
“I’m 27 and I love rock climbing and sailing!” he added.
Pia Brodtmann
The bottle was found in Norway
Alaina Beresford
Alaina was pleased to receive the response
Alaina, now 42, was shaking when she picked up the postbox and said she noticed a postcard addressed to her.
“I’m at the same address,” she said.
“I lived in another house in Bucky and Portnocky for a while, but I came back with my parents.
“I couldn’t believe it because I sent it 31 years ago when I was 12.”
Alaina was able to find the PIA via social media and sent her a message to send her a photo of her letter.
“When she did it, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to read,” she said.
“I don’t remember actually writing a message, but I remember that it was a bottle of a Moray cup and when the teacher’s husband was a fisherman, I dropped it into the sea.
“My message is that I did it as part of a water project. That was when I was on P7.”
She added:
