In 1997 - the last time the Tall Ships Races visited the city – Lorna Bell signed up as a volunteer and she has been sharing her memories from the time.
In a short video produced with the Tall Ships team, Lorna explains what it was like to be part of the event in the 1990s from her first-hand experience.
She acted as a ship liaison officer and is keen to be part of the Tall Ships again.
“It was an enjoyable experience and one that I would like to repeat,” she said.
“The tasks as a liaison officer were to provide everything for the crew, to help if they wanted anything, and to make sure that they could participate in all the activities.
“We wanted to give them the best experience Aberdeen had to offer.”
The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 returns to the city for the first time in nearly 30 years from 19-22 July 2025. It is Europe’s largest free family event and is expected to draw 50 Tall Ships from across the globe as well as attract 400,000 visits to the city.
Volunteers are essential to delivering a successful festival and giving the international crews a warm Aberdeen welcome.
The city’s harbour will transform from an energy hub into a world-class event space which will offer a whole range of opportunities from ship liaison officers to transport co-ordinators and visitor experience hosts.
And with time running out for people to apply to be a volunteer, Lorna had some words of encouragement for those thinking about applying.
“If you're thinking about volunteering, just go for it,” she said. “You get to do things that you would never have the opportunity to do otherwise.
“It's a once in a generation opportunity.”
Applications are open to people over 16 years old on 1 July 2025 who are available for a minimum of three shifts between 19 and 22 July. The deadline for applications is the end of this month (31 January), after which the selection and training process will begin.
- Find out more about being a volunteer this summer
- Watch Lorna’s video here
