The recent rainy weather may have put a dampener on some plans over the past couple of weeks, but the reprieve from water scarcity across Scotland will come as a relief for many.
Local farmers will particularly welcome the break, as livestock and crops felt the effects of the exceptionally dry spell.
Rain or shine, we have enjoyed some fantastic summer shows and festivals locally.
The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy was a great, if windy celebration and at the time of writing I am getting ready for New Deer Show at the weekend.
And at the end of the month, the ever popular Turriff Show promises to attract thousands to celebrate our agricultural heritage and showcase much of what north east Scotland has to offer.
These shows provide a major boost to the local economy, as well as being a key highlight of the local rural calendar..
I was delighted to welcome, Fraserburgh-born Felicity Buchan MP to see local projects in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Macduff.
I made sure that the Levelling Up Minister took this opportunity to review harbour improvement plans in all three towns.
And, she is not the only Minister I have been speaking to on behalf of my constituents.
I recently raised concerns with the Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake about postage charges for online deliveries
I was also pleased to see Aberdeenshire Council refer to that meeting in their latest trading standards bulletin.
They have also shared a useful website in their latest bulletin - www.deliverylaw.uk – which provides guidance for consumers and businesses.
In essence, traders must provide full transparency on delivery fees and arrangements to customers up front.
This allows you to make informed choices.
If extra charges are sprung upon you at the end of an online purchase for example, you have grounds for complaint.
For web or phone purchases, the law requires traders to provide clear information on how to cancel or return orders.
You have protections against unclear or hidden policies.
While businesses can reasonably charge more for delivering to remote locations, inconsistentpractices by some major couriers have caused outrage.
Firms cannot arbitrarily introduce remote surcharges without informing customers first.
Fundamentally, no one should pay over the odds simply because of where they live.
I was saddened to learn of another outbreak of avian flu detected recently at a farm near Banff.
Significant numbers of dead seabirds have also been found washed up on some of our beaches.
I urge residents to avoid touching any dead birds and keep pets away too..
The risk of transmission of avian flu from dead birds to humans is very low.
There are other diseases however, that can be picked up from dead animals, so the advice remains to stay away from carcasses and to keep dogs/pets under control and away from them.
Members of the Public can report significant numbers of dead birds (more than ten) through the following online form - https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/environment/animal-health/dead-birds/
Finally, as Summer Parliamentary Recess approaches, I look forward to getting out and about across Banff and Buchan even more over the next few weeks.
Details of my Summer Surgery Tour will be published soon but of course my office can be contacted any time to help with queries or to make an appointment to see me.
Please contact my office on david.duguid.mp@parliament.uk or 01261 818744
