Mother, 37, is reunited with message in a bottle that she threw into sea 27 years ago

A Scottish mother has been reunited with a 27-year-old message in a bottle which described her passion for ‘cute’ singer Robbie Williams. 

Emma Watt, who as a 10-year-old girl was looking for a pen pal, wrote about her love of boyband Take That, ice skating, and gymnastics in a letter.

Adding her then address to the top of the note, she put the message in a bottle and cast it into the sea at Newburgh beach in Aberdeenshire in 1994. 

To her astonishment, the bottle was found a few miles away by kayakers at Logie Buchan on the banks of the River Ythan nearly three decades later – and returned to her old address, where her parents still live. 

Mrs Watt, now 37 and with a daughter of her own, described how her own mother ‘couldn’t believe it when the woman came round with the letter’. 

‘It was fascinating to read my own writing from all those years ago, the handwriting itself and the little spelling mistakes,’ she said.

Emma Watt, who as a 10-year-old girl was looking for a pen pal, wrote about her love of boyband Take That, ice skating, and gymnastics in a letter. Adding her then address to the top of the note, she cast the message in a bottle into the sea at Newburgh beach in 1994 

The bottle was found a few miles away by kayakers at Logie Buchan on the banks of the River Ythan nearly three decades later – and returned to her old address, where her parents still live 

‘It felt a bit weird, like meeting my old childhood self, but funny as well – I loved the little ‘PS’ where I mentioned how many friends I had.

‘I was probably trying to make sure that whoever found it knew I wasn’t a loner. But it was lovely to read, and just incredible that it’s been found.’  

Mottled, though still in good condition, the letter states: ‘I’m Emma, I’m 10 years old and I would like to have a pen pal any age.

‘I go to 1st Newburgh Guides and my hobbies are ice skating and gymnastics.

‘I go to Albyn School for Girls in Aberdeen. My favourite pop group is Take That and my favourite person out of Take That is Robbie – he is CUTE!

A Scottish mother has been reunited with a 27-year-old message in a bottle which described her passion for ‘cute’ singer Robbie Williams, a former member of boyband Take That

‘I have two hamsters, a dog and a cat, and my favourite colours are black and green. Hope you write soon, Emma.’ 

It ends: ‘PS – my best friend is Lisa and I have lots more!’ 

Mrs Watt, who lives in Kintore, recalled: ‘I’ve a vague memory of writing the letter, but it was so long ago that I’d be lying if I said I knew my reasons for doing so. 

‘I was in the Guides at Newburgh at the time, so it might have been something I did as part of that, but it was just as likely something I simply decided to do off my own back. I was probably just after a pen pal, to be honest.

‘It’s proof that some rubbish just doesn’t degrade. However it’s not so much that it has survived that surprises me – more the fact that it was found, especially in such a remote location.

‘It could well have lain there for another 100 years.’