A tranquil day in Newburgh on Ythan

A glorious winter's day on the estuary of the river Ythan - wall to wall blue skies, no wind, and a sharp frost that lasted until sunset. The expensive new town houses in the distance were recently built on the site of the old granary on Newburgh quay. Small ocean-going boats used to bring coal and lime to the quay from Newcastle. The coal and fertiliser were then transferred to small barges which were towed up river to be distributed to farms along the Ythan catchment. The barges returned ladened with oats and barley which were dried at the granary and then sent south on the returning coastal vessels.