Sandend village was established by the early 1600s although many of the older fisher cottages and the harbour you see today, were built in the 1800’s.

Nearby Portsoy was even earlier, with the burgh established in a charter signed by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1550, and the first harbour built at around the same time.

Today’s Old Harbour dates from 1692, when Sir Patrick Ogilvie, the 8th Laird of Boyne replaced the existing harbour with another built entirely of stone. The Ogilvies were influential in the area until their support for the Jacobite cause led to their being stripped of their lands and the ruins of their grand house now stand a couple of miles to the east of Portsoy. The New Harbour was built later in 1825 to meet the demands of the herring boom and the volume of trade going through Portsoy. The importance of fishing to the local area can be traced at the Salmon Bothy, a local museum, venue and heritage centre, and also at the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival.

The salmon bothy in Portsoy is also a good place to start if you are wanting to trace your ancestors in the North East of Scotland. Further advice and resources are available at northeastscotlandroots.com.