A Scottish dog walker found a bottle on a remote beach carrying a note written just seven months earlier by a Canadian woman sailing between Prince Edward Island and Quebec’s Magdalen Islands.
Mike Scott was strolling with his Labrador Maggie along St. Cyrus beach, south of Aberdeen, when the dog dragged a small green bottle from the shallows in early March 2025.
Inside, sealed in a plastic bag to stay dry, was a handwritten letter in French dated August 12, 2024.
The note was simple and full of hope: “If you find this bottle, please write to me on Facebook. My name is Annie Chaisson.”
The Exact Route the Bottle Took
The bottle was released from the ferry crossing the Northumberland Strait between Souris, Prince Edward Island, and Cap-aux-Meules on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
Oceanographers say it likely rode the Gulf Stream northeast, passed south of Newfoundland, then caught the North Atlantic Current straight across to Scotland in record time.
Most transatlantic bottles take years, sometimes decades. This one made the 3,200-mile journey in under 220 days, one of the fastest verified crossings ever recorded.
The Marine Conservation Society in Scotland confirmed the find and logged it into their message-in-bottle database, calling the speed “remarkable.”
Who Is Annie Chaisson?
Annie Chaisson is a school employee from the Magdalen Islands who regularly takes the ferry to Prince Edward Island in summer.
Friends say she has thrown bottles into the sea almost every year since she was a teenager, a family tradition started by her grandfather.
Scott’s wife found what appears to be Annie’s correct Facebook profile, but it shows no activity since last autumn.
As of March 20, 2025, Annie has not yet replied to the message sent from Scotland. Many island residents say she rarely checks social media during the winter months.
Why This Story Hits So Hard Right Now
In an age when we send messages instantly across the world, a bottle taking seven months to arrive feels almost magical.
People are sharing photos of the note across social media, many saying it reminded them to slow down and wonder.
One commenter wrote: “My grandad sent a bottle from Newfoundland in 1968. We still hope someone finds it one day.”
Another said: “This is proof the ocean still keeps old promises.”
The St. Cyrus find comes just eight months after an Irish couple discovered a 2012 bottle from Newfoundland on the Dingle Peninsula, a 13-year journey that made headlines worldwide.
Fastest Transatlantic Bottle Journeys on Record
- 2024-2025: Annie Chaisson’s bottle – 217 days (Canada to Scotland)
- 2018: Norwegian bottle – 11 months (Faroe Islands to Scotland)
- 2013: German school project – 17 months (North Sea to Shetland)
- 1914: Famous Challis bottle – 99 years (released by UK Marine Biological Association)
Ocean experts say warming currents and stronger storms may be speeding up some bottle routes in recent years.
The Scottish find has already inspired dozens of people along both coasts to launch their own bottles this spring.
Mike Scott says he plans to release one himself next month, writing: “Thank you Annie for reminding us the world is still full of good surprises.”
He told local reporters he will keep checking for Annie’s reply every single day.
Somewhere across the ocean, a woman from a tiny Canadian island is about to learn her simple note reached exactly where it was meant to go.
What would you write if you sent a message in a bottle today? Drop your answer in the comments and use #BottleFromAnnie if you share this story.
