History Walks
Cold War Bunker
Below: August 2017: A film by Braemar Media showing the unveiling of a plaque to mark one of the remaining intact cold war nuclear fallout shelters in Scotland. Doug Anderson, chairman of the Braemar Local History Group at the time, , introduces Mr George Anthony of the Royal Observer Corps and he in turn Captain Mark Nicholson to unveil the plaque. This film includes other members of the Corps, who were involved or staffed this particular post, Doreen Watson and Jimmy Green. Post 45, is an underground bunker hidden away in the hills above in Braemar. The bunker was originally used to monitor nuclear fallout in the event of an attack, staffed 24 hrs a day by the local Royal Observer Corps, a civil defence organisation, now disbanded. The post opened in January 1962 and closed in September 1991 but remains intact and as abandoned at that time, but now preserved.
Inverey Castle
Great talk and tour on Sept 17 2023 hosted by Brian Wood on the ruins of Inverey Castle, the work being carried out to unearth its history and the probable site of the Black Colonel’s grave.
Winter Talks 2025/26
September 21: Maureen Kelly launched the new Braemar Local History Group Digital Archive website – http://www.braemarlocalhistory.org.uk. Help and advice was provided by (pictured below) Fiona Hunter (Chair, BLHG); Maureen Kelly; Prof Andrew Flinn (Professor of Archival Studies and Oral History, University College London); Dr Sharon Messenger (Archivist, Librarian and Curator, The British Academy).
October 19: Steve Johnson spoke on the “street furniture” of Upper Deeside. Everything from letter boxes and telephone kiosks to manhole covers and sewage pipes!
November 16: Doug Ledingham told us about turning photographs of historic stones, gravestones and buildings into 3D images (photogrammetry). He also photographs ancient carved stones such as recumbent stone circles and Pictish symbol stones.
Winter Talks 2024/25
September 15: Maureen Kelly spoke about the Redcoats and what their daily lives would have been like whilst garrisoned at Braemar Castle 1748-1832.
November 17: Bruce Keith spoke about his third book “Scotland Beneath the Surface”, a subterranean odyssey, exploring the natural and man-made heritage under our feet.
January 19: Dr Donald Cruickshank and Dr Doug Glass spoke about the challenges and the rewards of being a GP in Braemar and Royal Deeside.
February 16: Alexander M.S. Green, M.Theol (Hons) LL.B, LL.M, M.Litt, MStJ, FSA Scot, Advocate in Aberdeen, Procurator Fiscal, spoke about the Heraldry of Braemar and Deeside.
March 16: Tom Kelly spoke about the history of churches in Braemar.
Winter Talks 2023/24
October 15: Colin Wight spoke about the success of the BLHG Bygone Braemar Facebook page and its growth to over 1600 members.
November 19: Marcus Humphrey, a past Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, explained the origins and development of Scottish Freemasonry worldwide.
February 18 2024: Simon Blackett told us about the history of the Royal Observer Corps bunker in Braemar.
March 17 2024: L Bruce Keith entertained us with a fascinating and amusing history of Scotland’s milestones. Read all about it in his latest book!
Braemar Local History Group 