A north-east museum has unveiled a new display of artefacts after they were unearthed by chance.
The Friends of Turriff Cemetery are in the process of transforming its town’s burial site into a more welcoming place, and as a result of ground works uncovered a haul of dozens of glass bottles dating back more than 100 years.
Among them are bottles from businesses long since gone from the region, including breweries in Banff and Portsoy.
Artefacts discovered beneath the floorboards of a north-east hotel
They have now been loaned to Turriff Heritage Society, which has put them on display for visitors through the summer.
Last night, the society’s secretary Alan Stephen said there was a variety to see, including glass bottles meant for toddlers and even bottles which would have held poison.
“As for how old they each are, it’s impossible to say,” he added.
“We have one commemorating 60 years of Queen Victoria, and she died in 1901, so some are at least 100 years old.
“They were all uncovered when the Friends of Turriff Cemetery started excavations at the cemetery, and we now have them on display – on loan – alongside our own collection of bottles from Turriff’s past.
“We think they ended up in the cemetery because, at one time, a slate and tile businesses used the land to dig up clay and the walls of the clay pits would have been held up by rubbish – including glass bottles.”
The museum, which is based in the town’s High Street, covers the history of the community and region.
And last year, it opened its doors to the Doric Neuk which aims to promote the Doric language.
Mr Stephen said visitors can visit the exhibition up until the end of August, when the discovered bottles will be returned to the Friends of Turriff for safekeeping.
