Fife girl’s emotional message in a bottle washes up in three Nordic countries

Upset after her mum, Chanelle, miscarried, 11-year-old Emily Anderson wrote a letter to her unborn sister, folded it up inside a bottle and threw it out into the sea from Anstruther harbour in late 2017.

Almost three years after launching her bottle, Emily has received replies from four different people in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

“We first heard back in December 2017,” said Chanelle.

“It had been found in Denmark by an older couple from near Copenhagen. They had been on their holidays when they found it.

“They had read the letter and said we must have done a good job as parents.”

The couple then continued the bottle’s journey, putting in their own note and then tossing it back out to sea.

One month later it was discovered again, this time in Norway.

Despite stormy weather, the bottle had made its way north and was discovered by another couple.

They exchanged the glass bottle for a plastic bottle, put in their own note, and threw it back out to sea again.

The Andersons did not hear from anyone new for around two years, until a 12-year-old Norwegian girl got in touch saying she had found it.

“We were emailed by her mum who said that they had found it and re-sent it,” said Chanelle.

The bottle continued on its Nordic journey, and was then found on June 14 by a family in Sweden.

“They were amazed,” said Chanelle.

“They were so happy that they had found it. They called us straight away.

“I answered it and they said they had found the letter.

“You could hear the kids were all excited in the background.”

The bottle, continuing on its European adventure, now has five different letters in, including the one written by Emily, which Chanelle never got to read.

The Andersons now have pictures of each of the families and have kept in contact with their new Nordic friends.

“I don’t think Emily quite believes it,” said Chanelle.

“She was ecstatic and always tells everyone she sees about it.

“It’s just incredible.”

Emily, an Anstruther Primary pupil, could soon be making more friends. The family threw another bottle out to sea last week and are waiting to her back.