Nestled between the River Bogie and River Deveron, is the ancient, rural settlement of Huntly.
The traditional market town and surrounding Strathbogie area is steeped in history dating back to Pictish times.
Its strategic position at the meeting of two rivers made it a key seat for the Gordon family who adopted the now ruinous Huntly Castle as their stronghold in the 1300s.
Huntly became a centre for trade in the 1700s and the town gained its reputation as a bustling market town.
A redevelopment of the streets to reflect this new wealth took place during the 17th and 18th centuries forming the grid-like plan we are familiar with today.
And in 1839, the Duchess of Gordon gifted a building to the town, inviting four local schools to occupy it, becoming The Gordon Schools Huntly.
The entrance to the school’s historic Simpson Building is instantly recognisable in this photo from 1933 where a lone soul walks towards the Castle.
A familiar site for many is the beautiful John Robertson memorial fountain which takes pride of place in the square, seen here in 1970.
A 19th Century bank agent, Robertson established a trust to provide for the town’s poor and the monument was gifted to the people by his widow in 1882.
The tower of Stewart’s Hall on Gordon Street can be seen in the background.
Many Huntly residents will remember the huge snow drifts that engulfed surrounding rural roads in the winters of yesteryear.
This snowplough had a challenge clearing the Huntly-Insch road near Wardhouse Station in the 6-foot drifts of February 1970.
Another view of the busy Square, this time from Castle Street looking down past the statue of the Duke of Richmond towards Gordon Street.
The Spar occupied the building on the corner of the Square in this photo from 1973, but in more recent times it has been taken over by bookmakers Ladbrokes.
The town’s Gordon Primary School did its bit for civic pride in 1980 when it was awarded the prize for being the best-kept school in the Grampian Region.
Pupils Kenny Chan, Carolyn Mitchell and headmaster Ian Calder accepted a cheque and trophy from councillors as the rest of the school looked on.
From school to extracurricular fun, these young lads were part of 1st Huntly Boys’ Brigade Company in 1983 as they prepared for the BBs’ centenary celebrations.
Captain Ian Calder is pictured discussing some of the planned events with the youngsters.
And it wasn’t just the boys who had all the fun, the 1st and 2nd Huntly Girl Guides proved popular too.
In this snap from 1983, guides Alison Brown, Kathleen Raeburn, county camp adviser Elizabeth Fraser, Sandra Milne, Karen Milne and Yvonne Bruce were preparing for a canvas camp at Haddo.
A wide view of Huntly Square below in 1984 shows a number of different businesses including Dempster’s Auction Rooms on the right.
More recently the building has been a carpet and blind shop.
The tower of Stewart’s Hall again dominates the skyline, this time in a photograph from 1993.
The view shows the awnings of shops on Gordon Street, with Nelson Street leading off to the left.
And this festive scene from the early 1990s shows Huntly town centre looking cheerful, decked out in bright, Christmas lights.
The Clydesdale Bank on the left is long gone, and like many traditional towns across the region, Huntly has had to adapt to the changing times in the digital age.
Although the town centre has suffered from the closure of shops and local businesses, its attractive buildings and landmarks have changed little over the years.
