The annual Rosehearty Freemasons walk, a tradition dating back more than a century, was cut short yesterday due to bad weather.
The procession through the small coastal village is the focal point of the community’s celebrations, and is considered more important than Hogmanay.
More than 100 masons gathered in the village square yesterday and were led around the streets by the Fraserburgh Royal British Legion Pipe Band.
The march, which usually lasts several hours, was led by a marshal and included a bible bearer from the Rosehearty lodge, sword bearers and ordinary members dressed in Freemason regalia.
Villagers gathered on the streets to cheer on the parade, however it was curtailed after less than an hour due to worsening weather.
The event follows another historic north-east parade held over the festive period – Inverallochy’s Christmas Day Temperance Walk.
Generations of north-east villagers turned out on December 25 to keep alive a tradition which is now more than 160 years old.
The annual procession is believed to have started in 1842 – at a time when alcohol abuse was rife in the fishing community – as a protest against the evils of drink.
In recent years, the message about abstinence from alcohol has become more muted, and the walk is now regarded as a celebration of the Buchan village itself.