Take a step back in time with fascinating old images of Fraserburgh, Scotland.
Fraserburgh – known locally as ‘The Broch’ – is located in northeast Aberdeenshire, Scotland and has the biggest shellfish port in Europe. Its videos of the past reflect a small and close community.
“The name of the town means, literally, burgh of Fraser, after the Fraser family that bought the lands of Philorth in 1504 and thereafter brought about major improvement due to investment over the next century.”
tourscotland on YouTube
Fraserburgh History In Old Photographs
A lovely collection of old photographs of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, made into a video.
Ancestry Geneology Photographs Fraserburgh – tourscotland on Scotland
Fraserburgh During World War 2
Fraserburgh at War (1939-45)
This small fishing town in Scotland was at great risk during World War 2, despite being almost 600 north of London, and suffered much damage.
Three men from this small fishing town won the Victoria Cross, a very high number for such a samll population.
Unfortunately, Fraserburgh’s location was right under the German Luftwaffe route from the merchant conveys they bombed, back to their base in Trondheim, Norway.
So they’d unload any unused bombs on the small fishing town.
A’Bhruaich – Fraserburgh at War/Little London – mathieson72 on YouTube
Fraserburgh In The 1950s
St Combs Train(1959)
During the 1950s the railways were an important way to move around Aberdeenshire, and thankfully this was caught on film. But as in the rest of the UK, Dr Beeching’s cuts changed the local rail industry forever. In just a few short years, Scotland lost 650 miles of its railway line and hundreds of railway stations, including Fraserburg.
This video made at Easter 1959 includes footage of the
- cab of the cow-catcher equipped LMS Ivatt class 2 mogul no 46460
- filmed from the roadside
- very small Halt at Philorth Bridge
- station at Cairnbulg
- terminus at St Combs
- busy Cairnbulg
- large terminus at Fraserburgh
When the Light Railway branch from Fraserburgh to St Combs closed as part of the Dr Beeching cuts on 3rd May 1965, it was running 11 services a day, with 12 on Saturdays.
Easter 1959 in Scotland Part 2 – Unseen Steam on YouTube
Fraserburgh In The 1960s
Fraserburgh v Ross County (1964)
Fraserburgh FC v Ross County FC at Bellslea Park on Saturday 2nd May 1964.
Fraserburgh v Ross County – MrBryanb74 on YouTube
Fraserburgh In The 1980s
Fraserburgh (Broch) Folk 1988
This is a home video made in 1988, showing local people going about their daily lives.
Fraserburgh (Broch) folk 1988 – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Fraserburgh In The 1990s
Fraserburgh Hogmanay 1991
Hogmanay, celebrating the start of the New Year, is an important Scottish tradition where a community gathers together in the heart of the town.
Home movie footage of the 1991 famous Hogmanay, filmed in the town centre, shown in three parts:
Fraserburgh (Broch) Hogmanay 1 (1991) – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Fraserburgh (Broch) Hogmanay 2 (1991) – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Fraserburgh (Broch) Hogmanay 3 (1991) Part 3 – by Broch Tapes on YouTube
Fraserburgh Brochers Trolly Jacking (1992)
A home video of lads making their own entertainment in 1992.
Fraserburgh Brochers trolly jacking – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Town Centre Broch Folk 1993
This is a home video made in 1993, showing local people going about their lives on at the town centre.
Fraserburgh (Broch) Folk 1993 – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Dalrymple Dyke (1993)
This is a home video from 1993, made outside the Dalrymple Dyke.
Fraserburgh (Broch) Folk – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Stormy Seas At Fraserburgh Harbour (1997)
This was filmed at the Harbour during some very rough seas in 1997.
COURIER BF 575 enters Fraserburgh Harbour – 62mckMrs on YouTube
Woolies (1999)
The Woolworths Group, fondly called ‘Woolies’ across the UK, once stood on the majority of our High Streets.
The last branches closed on 6 January 2009 in the aftermath of the credit crunch – and amongst some criticism of Deloittes.
30,000 Woolworths staff across the UK lost their jobs.
Fraserburg town Centre. Woolies 1999 – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Fraserburgh In The 21st Century
Fraserburgh (Broch) Fish Yard (2000)
The video of young women working in the fish factory in the year 2000 reflects the importance of the harbour and fish trade to the town.
The dangerous nature of the local seas in rough weather is also seen in other videos on this page..
This is a rare chance to see inside a Scottish fish processing facility back in the year 2000.
Fraserburgh (Broch) Fish Yard – Broch Tapes on YouTube
The Blacknen In Fraserburgh
The Blacknen is very much a local custom practised in Orkney, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Fife and not widely known about in other parts of the UK.
Traditionally, a bride or groom would be covered in soot, treacle, flour and feathers on the day before the wedding, then paraded around town to ward off evil spirits.
Today, everyone in the Hen group (bride’s friends) and Stag group (groom’s friends) cover their faces in soot, get very drunk, and drive around on a truck with horns blaring. Finally, everyone jumps into the North Sea from the harbour!
Girls’ Blacknen Harbour Jump (2000)
In this video recorded in the year 2000, a hen do enjoys taking part in the Blacknen pre-wedding tradition.
Fraserburgh girls jump in harbour on a Blacknen – Broch Tapes on YouTube
A chance to see men enjoying the Blacknen pre-wedding tradition in Scotland in the year 2000.
Mens’ Blacknen Harbour Jump (2000)
Fraserburgh mans blacknen – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Broadsea Fraserburgh (2000)
These images of Broadsea were recorded on 14th April 2000.
Broadsea Fraserburgh 2000 – Broch Tapes on YouTube
Oak Tree Bar (2001)
This home video made on 6th May 2001 shows people socialising in the Oak Tree bar.
Oak Tree bar Fraserburgh Scotland – Broch Tapes (YouTube)
Fraserburgh Strongest Man (2007)
Recorded back in 2007.
Fraserburgh Strongest Man – ffbull on YouTube
Visiting Fraserburgh (2007)
A few people and places back in 2007.
UK Tour 2007 – Episode 6 – starfieldband on YouTube
Rough Weather At The Harbour (2013)
This boat comes into harbour during rough weather.
fraserburg in ruff weather – Davy Moates on YouTube
More Scotland pages
- Old images of Dunnottar Castle, Aberdeenshire
- Old images of Crathie Kirk, Aberdeenshire
- Old Photographs of Bieldside, Aberdeen
- Old images of Cairnburg, Scotland
- Old images of Broadsea, Scotland
.
Find other locations with our Sitemap for Scotland
Thanks to The_Red_Queen from Pixabay for use of the image at the top of this page, used under CC by 2.0 licence.