Jill Cantlay McWilliam, fae Cruden Bay in Aiberdeenshire, is warkin on a series o Doric films aboot the cultur o the North East.

The videographer has been warkin on the first pairt o the project, ‘The Historians of Cruden Bay’ ower the past ‘ear, an has interviewed a fair puckle fowk fae Cruden Bay an the airts roon aboot.

She hasnae quite completit the interview process yet, but howps tae get the film aa dane in the new ‘ear. Then, she will tak on the task o creatin films aboot ither local areas sic as Peterheid an the Broch.

In an exclusive interview wi the Scots Language News, Jill said that she howps tae put aa o the interviews thegither in ae piece o wark that documents “muckle o the aulder fowk o Cruden Bay, wi their stories o the village an oor cultur here”.

Fan askit foo she tries tae uphaud the Doric, she said: “Ah try tae spik it as much as Ah can”. She added that her family is made up o “very much Doric spikkin fowk, rooted in Doric because o oor cultur fit is actually fermin. So, we hiv got a lot o ‘fermin spik’ as ye wad say”.

As weel as makin films, Jill has her ain Doric YouTube channel, far she describes hersel as ‘”the good news wifey fae Cruden Bay”. It features videos in an aboot Doric, alangside videos anet the history o the North East. She runs a wabsite caad ‘Doric Future’ an aa.

Doric is important tae her acause it helps her tae express hersel. Jill said: “Aires jist certain wards that Ah jist canna get a ward for unless it’s in Doric. It’s jist fa Ah am”.

But, she does fit she does acause she is feart for the futur o Doric an admits that she has experienced its disappearance first-haun.

“Ah feel quite sad that aire’s a lot o Doric wards that Ah’m sure that Ah’ve forgotten aboot that ma faither wad o spoken.”

“Ah really want tae be able tae spik it sae that it doesnae get lost aathegither.”

North East filmmaker fears for the future of Doric

Jill Canltay McWilliam, from Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire, is working on a series of Doric films about the culture of the North East.

The videographer has been working on the first part of the project, ‘The Historians of Cruden Bay’, over the past year, and has interviewed many people from Cruden Bay and the surrounding area.

She has not quite completed the interview process yet but hopes to get the film done in the new year. Then, she will take on the task of creating films about other local areas such as Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

In an exclusive interview with the Scots Language News, Jill said that she hopes to put all of the interviews together in one piece of work that documents “many of the older people of Cruden Bay, with their stories of the village and our culture here”.

When asked how she tries to support Doric, she said: “I try to speak it as much as I can”. She added that her family is made up of “very much Doric speaking folk, rooted in Doric because of our culture which is actually farming. So, we have got a lot of ‘fermin spik’ as you would say”.

As well as making films, Jill has her own Doric YouTube channel, where she describesherself as “the good news woman from Cruden Bay”. It features videos in and about Doric, alongside videos about the history of the North East. She also runs a website called ‘Doric Future’.

Doric is important to her because it helps her to express herself. Jill said: “There are just certain words that I just can’t get a word for unless it’s in Doric. It’s just who I am”.

But, she does what she does because she is scared about the future of Doric and admits that she has experienced its disappearance first-hand.

“I feel quite sad that there are a lot of Doric words that I’m sure that I’ve forgotten about that my father would have spoken”.

“I really want to be able to speak it so that it doesn’t get lost altogether.”