Portsoy History & Heritage
Telling the story
of Portsoy
A dedicated effort to collect, protect and share the enduring stories of this historical coastal town in NE Scotland for generations to come.
OUR PURPOSE
Preserving the soul of Portsoy
Portsoy History and Heritage is dedicated to the conservation and celebration of our town's unique narrative. Through focused education and historical stewardship, we bridge the gap between our community's past, present and future, ensuring the legacy of Portsoy remains a source of pride and discovery for generations to come.
Local History Highlights
Pages are being added regularly.
Please check back soon!
The Old Harbour (1693)
The Royal Marble
Portsoy's Charter, 1550
Commissioned by Sir Patrick Ogilvie, the Old Harbour transformed Portsoy into a vital gateway for international trade and maritime heritage.
Extracted from the local cliffs, the rare Portsoy marble was highly prized across Europe and famously used in the Palace of Versailles.
Portsoy was created a Burgh of Barony in 1550 by Mary, Queen of Scots.
The sailing Zulus and later the steam drifters were central to Portsoy's economy during the herring boom of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Portsoy's Boats
Brebner's House & the Smuggling Trade
Alexander "Laird" Brebner, 1714 - c1784
Merchant, shipowner and smuggler.
Salmon Fishing
Findlay Pirie's Research
OUR AIMS
Preserving Portsoy's Stories for Future Generations
Portsoy History and Heritage is recorded in many sources. These include local histories produced by a number of authors over the years. This material is either out of print or has never before been published.
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This website aims to bring these sources together for the first time, and makes the material available to a wider audience than was ever possible through traditional media.
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To the best of our knowledge, the material here is not held in copyright. If this is not the case, we apologise and ask copyright holders to contact us so that the necessary changes can be made.
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This project is a work in progress. Pages will be added regularly, so please come back and check for new additions.
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