The organisers of an interactive history tour around Europe’s largest port are confident stories of rogues and fraudsters could help lure visitors to the area.
The 2017 programme for the Peterhead Town Trail has just been published and the event will commence on May 6 with an exploration of the port’s “rogues and rule-makers”.
Overseen by Aberdeenshire Council, the trail takes tourists and locals around the historic heart of Peterhead including the fishing harbour.
This summer’s launch event also coincides with the arrival of the Seabourn Quest – a 450-passenger cruise ship which is one of five cruises already confirmed for Peterhead throughout 2017.
Last night, organiser Heather Barclay said the trail, which is free to participants, can bring an economic boost to the town centre.
She added: “People don’t necessarily realise how important tourism is to the town, but we want to give them a reason to come back.
“The idea is to get people to explore, and hopefully work up an appetite, so they visit the cafes and shops.”
Mrs Barclay said one of the more unusual rogues who will be discussed on the trail is “Mrs Gordon Baillie”. The renowned 19th-century fraudster had more than 40 known aliases and was still deceiving unsuspecting marks in New York when she was in her 60s.
Mrs Barclay added: “The trail is always based on storytelling – our history is so important and stories are such a strong way of communicating.”
Local historian and former Peterhead Academy teacher, Stephen Calder, helps organise the trail events.
Last night he added: “This kind of tourism is important to boost Peterhead as a destination.
“We’ve got a lot of cruises coming to Peterhead and the prison museum is encouraging people to visit. There is a lot of history in the town.”
The full list of Peterhead Town Trail events – which will run monthly between May and November – is available online. Other events include a tour of Peterhead’s whaling past and a look at the impact of the two World Wars.
