Just as we thought that the snow was about to disappear there was a fresh overnight fall leaving a dusting on the Promenade railings into late morning, despite the sunshine. |
The Saltoun Place
Fountain was erected in 1904 and originally stood on the current site of the
War Memorial at the junction of Strichen Road and Saltoun Place where it was
intended to create an impressive entrance to the town from the main Aberdeen
road. When it was first erected the fountain was the centre piece of the newly
created playing fields on land gifted by Lord Saltoun . The fountain was one of the prefabricated
iron fountains produced by Walter MacFarlane and Co., Saracen Foundry, Glasgow.
The prefabricated design was customised for Fraserburgh by surmounting the
canopy with an ostrich holding a key. This bizarre addition was in
acknowledgement of the ostrich in the burgh coat of arms. The ostrich is thought
to be derived from the ostrich holding a
horse shoe which appears in the arms of the Comyn Earls of Buchan through whom
the Fraser's of Philorth obtained their lands. The ostrich was incorporated in
firstly the Fraser coat of arms and later, holding the key to the burgh, rather
than a horse shoe, in the burgh arms.
In 1923 the fountain
was replaced by the War Memorial and moved to its current site by the
'Grandad Swings' in Saltoun Place. The fountain was painted silver in commemoration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
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