If you are visiting the Clan Hay Centre at Delgatie Castle over the summer, be sure to call in at the Turriff and District Heritage Museum in the town, now open for the summer season.

This local folk museum is operated by the Turriff and District Heritage Society, a subscription-based organisation.  The museum first opened its doors in 1979 and recently moved to the old Turriff Municipal Chambers, the seat of the town council until the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1974.

The museum collection contains a wide range of artefacts and documents relating to the local area, defined as within a 12-mile radius of the town.  This encompasses areas such as Banff, Fyvie, Auchterless, New Deer and King Edward, all areas of extensive Hay populations in the past.  Currently, the museum is developing a family history archive based on local documents which, in the fulness of time, will be available to those of us with family connections in the area.

In addition, the museum has an 'outlier' in the Session Cottage in Turriff, formerly the house of the Session Clerk, the main administrative officer of the parish.  It is preserved as a typical example of a 19th century rural  cottage which will be of interest to all who are looking for their roots in the Aberdeenshire countryside.  The museum also contains the "Doric Neuk", a facility looking at the native language of North East Scotland and providing Doric books and advice for those from outside the North East for whom the language may be something of a mystery.

You will find more about the museum and society at turriffheritage.org