New Pitsligo or “Cyaak” Factual Friday

New Pitsligo or “Cyaak” Factual Friday

By Charlie Elphinstone

Seeing as this week is the annual New Pitsligo Gala I thought I would write about the village itself rather than a specific product we have for sale.

New Pitsligo or “Cyaak” as it is also known was first owned by the 4th lord Pitsligo whom lost all his property in 1745 due to his involvement in the Jacobite uprising of that year.

Lord Pitsligo had to flee from the Kings army and hid in a cave at Rosehearty for 3 years.

Later the master of Pitsligo (the 4th lords son) bought back some of his father’s estate and named it, “the six ploughs on the moor”.

After the masters death the estate changed hands again to William Forbes of Monymusk, he was a grand-nephew of the 4th lord.

William laid the foundations for the village and invited settlers to move to the area by advertising it in the “Aberdeenshire journal” in 1787.

Later in 1786 there was less than a dozen residents and these early settlers were able to cut peat from their garden.

It wasn’t until the early 1800s that the village saw an influx of settlers due to the highland clearances in Caithness, at this time houses cost £30 to build.

By the year 1864 there was about 2000 inhabitants of the village. Most of the houses on the far end of the High Street going towards Fraserburgh were split into 3 with one room upstairs and one downstairs.

Later on four churches, two schools and a public hall were constructed, it should be noted that the village hall as we know it today is not what it used to be.

Instead the hall was upstairs and beneath was a weavers shop housing about 12 looms.

A bakery (now the antique shop) was later constructed by an ancestor of mine “Michael Elphinstone”, shortly thereafter a police station, fire station and a glassworks was built.

By 1935 there were multiple grocers and butchers, a sweetie shop, a lodging house, a shoe shop, a tin smith’s store, a bank, a post office and many more businesses and services.

If any of my followers who have perhaps been brought up in New Pitsligo would like to add any other details they may remember or have any photos to share please feel free.