'Scotland's biggest ever clean-up event' to take place at Aberdeen Beach

Hundreds of people are expected to descend on Aberdeen Beach on Saturday in a mass litter picking event.

Organised by Community CleanUP, they're hoping it will be Scotland’s biggest ever clean up event.

In light of the multiple storms that have swept through Aberdeen this winter, organiser Mike Scotland says there's thousands of kilograms of litter in and around the beach.

Mike said: “the big goal is to clean up the entire beachfront, it’s a big ask, but it’s definitely achievable.

“Every few steps you’re seeing a piece of plastic packaging, some form of cup or even the kitchen sink at times. I don’t want to see it there, and I’m sure a lot of other people feel the same, so why not do something about it.”

“There are so many people that go down to the beach … to make memories. All I want is to make them litter free memories.

Mike who has organised clean up events since 2019 sometimes as far afield as Vietnam and Ghana says people are too quick to blame others instead of taking action themselves – “moaning doesn’t get anyone anywhere, but action does.

He continued: "For me, litter is personal … it’s taught me that you can take any negative and turn it into something positive”.

When Mike began cleaning up discarded waste he found himself alongside the River Don in an area which he described as being "used as a dumping ground for decades.”

He's been telling us how litter picking has helped him through troubling times in his life.

Mike said: “Litter picking has taken me from a moment of darkness, it has given me so much hope and light.”

“Litter is everywhere, it’s around us no matter where you go but rather than see it as a negative, look at it as an opportunity to do good … you can always make a difference”.

The event which is open to everyone will begin at 10 o’clock.