IT was perhaps appropriate it was from the sea that the Queen's Baton arrived in Buckie, a town that grew out of once separate fishing villages.

Having spent the night at RAF Lossiemouth, the baton was flown by a Sea King helicopter to a point offshore, where the Buckie lifeboat was waiting to receive it .

Orange flares were dropped and the baton lowered to the lifeboat in the arms of winchman Flight Sergeant Mark Lean, whose wife Adrienne and their two children were waiting for him at the harbour.

They were not alone. There were plenty to welcome the baton ashore for its day in Moray. It may be whisky country but the people of Moray embraced this symbol of sporting endeavour.

Moray Community Choir were in good voice and Bill Greig, who has just stood down as president of the Rotary Club of Buckie, said it was a proud day for the town.

It also marked the halfway stage in the baton's 40-day tour around Scotland, with organisers confiding it had still to be wet by Scottish rain.

The oldest person to carry the baton in Moray was Dot Bremner, 75, who has refused to let her own degenerative sight and hearing issues get in the way of encouraging older people all over the area to get active and enjoy dancing and exercising.

She said: "I am registered as partially sighted and am undergoing long cane training at the moment. I am deaf in one ear and wear a hearing aid in the other. I am a total wreck, but I just love dancing. All dancing - ballroom, Highland, line, tap, I even had a go at pole dancing in Elgin.

"I got extra qualifications last year as a fitness instructor at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. I was the oldest in the course by about 40 years. In March I also qualified as a chair-based exercise instructor so the less able can still do my couch potato Highland Fling."

She was pleased to see the baton: "It makes wee places like Buckie feel part of the whole Commonwealth Games. But it seems unfair I have the honour of carrying it for something I just love doing."

Next stop was along the coast at Cullen, which gave its name to the famous fish soup Cullen Skink.

Then the baton travelled inland to Fochabers, which also has a famous soup connection, being the home base for Baxters, where the baton made a stop.

At the other end of the village there was a loud welcome from the pupils of Milne's Primary School.

As the relay moved through the village, parents were promoting their campaign to save the local secondary, Milne's High, from a closure threat.

Beside them Janet Halyburton, who is running a shop for local fruit and vegetables, said of the baton's visit: "There have been children with smiles on their faces today and a lot of proud parents."

Back at RAF Lossiemouth, a full marching contingent stood to attention for inspection. Above, one of the Typhoon jets of the RAF's Six Squadron, newly arrived from RAF Leuchars, staged a flypast.

Then it was on to Kinloss via the base, which used to be RAF Kinloss but is now an army barracks.

One of those carrying it on this section was Kim Neill, 50. She was originally from South Africa but came to live in Scotland with her family in 2004.

She has spent years coaching cricket and netball around the schools in the Moray and Highland council areas.

She got involved when she came to live in Nairn.

Her two sons had played cricket in South Africa but found no organised cricket for them in their new home town.

Kim said: "There were other boys hitting a ball with a bat, so I decided to arrange matches for them. That's how I got into coaching. Then I got my umpire's ticket and am the only active female umpire in the north of Scotland."

She estimates she is now coaching about 400 youngsters at cricket and 80 in netball.

As the baton moved on, there were nervous glances skyward but no rain was reported.