Susan Rayne’s eyes begin to water as she tells me how much her old friend Tom Burnett-Stuart loved Portsoy.
“He was a very special person with a vision for this town,” she explains as we walk along the harbour’s cobbled streets.
“Tom was all about doing things for real people in Portsoy, and to him, everybody was important. That’s the kind of man he was.”
Whether you were “the street sweeper or the Queen of Sheba”, the local businessman greeted everybody with a grin.
And when Tom died in January 2020, he left behind an extraordinary gift.
Determined to preserve the town’s heritage, he passed six historic buildings at Portsoy harbour into the care of the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT).
His dying wish was for them to be brought back to life for future generations to enjoy.
And for the last three years, Tom’s loved ones and the trust have been working around the clock to do him proud – and continue his “enormous” legacy.
Now, his vision for the coastal town is finally coming to life.
As plans to transform Portsoy harbour into a “thriving destination” gather pace, we take a look at:
- The “extraordinary” legacy Tom left behind
- How his quest to preserve the historic port started with a small marble shop and a big idea
- What went on behind the scenes where all the magic used to happen
- The exciting plans for the derelict buildings and when people might see change
‘What Tom left us is extraordinary’
It’s a bright but chilly morning when I arrive in Portsoy, and the picturesque harbour is at peace.
Only the gentle lapping of the tide, and the occasional squawk of the gulls, interrupt the silence.
I meet Paul Higson, project director for NESPT, outside one of the historic buildings – the Granary, also known as the Old Co-operative Grain Store.
And as we make our way across, he begins to tell me about their plans for the harbour.
Restoring the six unique buildings is a huge project to take on, and there is a lot of work ahead of them.
As well as the Granary, they also have the B-listed Portsoy Marble Workshop and the C-listed “Rag” Warehouse, both dating back to the late 18th Century.
And their crown jewel is the A-listed Portsoy Marble Warehouse, which homes the marble and pottery shop Tom opened in the 1970s.
The bequest also includes two self-catering holiday cottages at the port, and four unused cottages in Whitehills.
Gazing upon the picture-postcard harbour, Paul feels privileged to have been entrusted with these buildings, which are so important for Portsoy’s heritage.
“The potential is there, now we just need to do the work,” he adds.
“But we are talking about an awful lot of money and an awful lot of time.”
It’s a lot to take in all at once, so Paul says he’ll go into more detail as we go along.
Trip begins with the Granary – and some heavy lifting…
Suddenly, an upbeat voice echoes from inside the Granary.
It’s Susan, desperately trying to unlatch the building’s heavy oak doors.
After 10 minutes of struggle – and a team effort from all of us – the gates crack wide open and we are shown into a dark, dusty hall.
Eagerly jumping from one topic to another, she takes me through all of the quirks and distinctive features of the “extraordinary” structure.
The former grain warehouse had been closed for “what felt like forever” when Tom bought it in hope of bringing it back into use.
And in 2018, he carried out significant repairs to the crumbling building, turning the “miserable, sad-looking” place into a “stunning” venue.
But as he died shortly after, he never got to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
Miles of ‘invaluable’ tweed sold off to help fund project
The first thing Susan did when she gained entry to the Granary was to try and preserve the “invaluable” stock of tweed stored there.
She recalls how Tom had bought tonnes of the high-quality material from a closed-down mill in Keith, but never did anything with it.
And one cold Monday last year, Susan and her “Portsoy helpers” got it all downstairs and sold it off so “it can be re-loved”.
All of the money they raised – coming to about £18,000 – was used to refurbish the two cottages at the port, which are now open for visitors.
“What a buzz there was that day,” Susan smiles.
“People went away with it for all sorts of reasons – some to make skirts, others to make cushions, curtains, you name it.
“It’s out there for all to enjoy now. I hope Tom thinks that’s okay…He hasn’t come back to haunt me yet, but there is always time.”
Peaky Blinders brought ‘huge buzz’ to Portsoy – and that’s just the start…
But grain and tweed is not really what the Granary is famous for these days…
The rustic building formed the backdrop to a milestone episode of Peaky Blinders, cementing Portsoy as a “spectacular” filming location.
And with some of the props still in place, Susan – who was hired as a location assistant for the production – hopes one of the rooms they used could become an attraction.
Pointing towards a tattered sign spelling out “Gendarmerie”, which was erected over the Granary, the 53-year-old says the hit TV series brought a huge buzz to the town.
Susan still trembles when she recalls the time Cillian Murphy came into their small marble shop for a wander, turning heads with his piercing blue eyes and Irish accent.
She continues: “Tom really wanted this to happen for Portsoy.
“They [the production company] saw the beauty of this part of the world, and how it can be used for many things in future. And they all loved it here.”
And this is just the start for the derelict building.
Could this be the perfect spot for a ‘stunning’ seaside restaurant?
Once repaired and upgraded, the Granary is planned to become self-catering holiday accommodation, with a small shop or cafe on the ground floor.
However, Paul says this is not set in stone just yet.
How they develop the building will depend entirely on who comes forward to take it on.
With the upper floor offering a bright open space with views over the historic harbour, he reckons this could also be the perfect spot for a new seaside restaurant.
And plenty of people have said this is exactly what they would like to see.
Tom was as ‘unique’ as the historic buildings he cared for
As Paul explains their plans, Susan concludes each of his sentences with a cheery “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
For the last three years, she has been the trust’s eyes and ears in Portsoy – helping however she can with the project, while taking care of the cottages.
We shut the Granary’s gates once again (with less bother this time), and Susan begins to tell me how she came to know Tom.
From their first encounter, when he frowned on her modern-looking balcony disrupting the harbour’s historic look, she knew Tom was “unique”.
The pair had a “strong connection”, and Susan went on to work for him at the Portsoy Marble shop in 2016.
And as she says, the rest is history.
‘I don’t want him to be forgotten’
Her demeanor changes as she describes Tom as a very clever man, who would “put his hand to anything”.
A shadow crosses over Susan’s face as she opens up about the last time she saw her dear friend, three weeks before he died.
She goes quiet for a second, and continues: “I knew I was never going to see him again.
“I said to him: ‘Tom, I had such a nice time working with you’ – to which he replied ‘Me too, Susan. And I hope you continue for some time’.
“So here I am. The shop has been good, the cottages are happening, and we continue.
“I just don’t want him to be forgotten.”
Portsoy Marble shop was Tom’s first step to rejuvenating historic port
As our hands and lips begin to grow numb from the breeze, we decide to warm up at the Portsoy Marble shop.
It’s conveniently located in the next building on our list – the Marble Warehouse.
This was Tom’s first purchase back in 1964, and the start of his long-running quest to conserve the town’s traditional architecture.
As we walk in, the shop is heaving with people – all carefully making their way around the shelves filled with polished stone gifts, jewellery and other goodies.
I give in to the temptation and also grab two finely cut marble figures for myself.
My purchase is met with a polite chuckle.
As he points out all of the quirky items that catch his eye, Paul explains the shop was originally selling only Portsoy marble and pottery.
But now, its collection has expanded considerably – offering picnic baskets, textiles, honey and a wide range of crystals, fossils and gemstones.
The most intriguing bit, however, is yet to come…
Inside look at former Portsoy Pottery
A rusty old door, hidden at the back of the Marble Warehouse, creaks open and we enter the former Portsoy Pottery.
It’s like stepping back in time.
Here, Tom’s friend of 50 odd years Brian Cook Shand would spend hours crafting his clay masterpieces, which would then be sold in the store out front.
The workshop has lain disused ever since Brian retired in 2020.
Most of the shelves once filled with polished teapots, vases and plates now lay empty, while broken pieces of equipment have been left strewn across the floor.
A few unfinished ceramics and several sticky notes with drafted designs, however, remain as a faint memory of the once busy place.
Directing my attention to the crumbling wall behind me, Paul says that while the building is in “pretty good” condition externally, it requires a lot of internal repairs.
But I’m soon to find out they have a bigger challenge on their hands.
‘The Marble Workshop was where all the magic happened’
Another brief fight with a temperamental door, and we find ourselves in Tom’s studio at the Marble Workshop – just across from the former Portsoy Pottery.
And what is revealed before our eyes is beyond belief.
The cramped room is “chock-a-block with stuff”, with piles upon piles of vintage items, crockery, chunks of uncarved marble, boxes of stones and whatever else comes to mind.
It’s far cry from the neatly arranged polished ceramics in the Portsoy marble shop.
Reluctant to part with any of his precious possessions, Tom was known to be an avid collector of anything and everything.
You name it, he probably had it.
Even a few of his daily newspapers from 1985 have been preserved, with random pages scattered across the scruffy wooden floor.
And there is more in the office upstairs, where little has changed since Tom last turned the key.
Historic maps, jars of marbles, documents, antique clocks and radios all remain exactly where he last left them four years.
“I think Tom just shut the door to this place one day and that was it,” Paul says.
“There is just an unlimited quantity of stuff – you find box after box, after box with things. It’s endless.
“And we are scared to touch any of it in case it’s of any significant value. The last thing we want is to throw out the wrong thing.”
NESPT hopes to resolve this conundrum by bringing in an archivist, who could catalogue the items, and identify what is worth preserving and what is not.
Everything that’s valuable could then be showcased in temporary exhibitions at the Granary, or sold off to raise further funds for the restoration of the buildings.
So what’s in store for the Marble Warehouse and the Workshop?
The Marble Warehouse and the Workshop are hoped to become the core of a “thriving” revamped Portsoy harbour.
NESPT plans to link the two developments and run it as a “much needed” creative hub, with a mix of flexible studios and workshops.
This was a favoured option among Portsoy residents, showing a “strong appetite” for such a thing.
Meanwhile, the ground floor could be turned into a gallery space for those wishing to display their masterpieces – whether that would be furniture, stained glass or paintings.
There would also be a designated “artist in residence” accommodation.
Visitors would be able to watch the artists do their magic, take part in arts and crafts workshops and purchase local products.
This is hoped to create employment and, crucially, generate income to help them look after the properties for decades to come.
Could a new luxury holiday home be on the cards for Portsoy?
Last on our list is the C-listed “Rag” Warehouse, which would potentially be converted into another “superb” holiday home.
To my slight disappointment, the building’s condition is too bad to go in and explore.
But Paul does his best to paint a vivid enough picture of what it is now and what it could become in future.
Upon buying it, Tom put up a new roof and did some other external repairs.
However, the building has been an “empty shell” for years, and there is still a lot of work to be done internally to bring it up to standards.
Once fixed and polished, the ground floor could be turned into another retail unit – suitable for a watersports centre, a hospitality venue or a shop.
And the upper floor could be transformed into a luxury three-bedroom apartment with views over the harbour.
But as with the Granary, NESPT are open to other ideas.
When will residents begin to see change?
The Marble Warehouse and the Workshop will be the first to be restored as part of the harbour’s major overhaul.
And work will start as soon as the properties are officially passed onto the care of the trust, which would hopefully be early next year.
How long it would take to complete it, however, would depend mainly on available funding and what other challenges they might face along the way.
But Paul says it would probably be a minimum of three to four years, with the cost of this first stage expected to reach around £5 million.
And he adds the generated income from the shop and the cottages will play a big role in seeing it through.
The trust recently received a share of a new £5 million heritage fund, boosting their efforts to move the project forward.
Once they finish the revamp of the Marble Warehouse and the Workshop, the trust will move on to tackle the Granary and the Rag.
Revamped cottages visitors to picturesque Portsoy harbour
After such a riveting morning, it’s only fitting we conclude our trip on a high with Susan’s most rewarding project yet.
Our final stop is to see the “cute and cosy” holiday homes at the port, which came up several times in conversation during the day.
But Susan insisted I need to see them with my own eyes to really take it in.
Both cottages, as well as one of those in Whitehills, were fully refurbished earlier this year and are already enjoying a steady flow of visitors.
Doing what he used to do best, Tom came to save the buildings in the 1970s as the council wanted to condemn them due to their dire condition.
And he did a “wonderful” job converting them into holiday homes.
But as the years passed, they became “a bit outdated” and customer numbers began to dwindle.
Now freshly re-painted and equipped with new furniture, the properties have been given a full makeover – with bookings rolling in.
Walking up the twisting staircase in one of the cottages, Susan explains how they kept their 1970s look long after that fell out of fashion.
She laughs: “When we came in here, the walls right up the stairs were all woodchip, the kitchen was in bright orange and the sofa was falling apart.
“The bedroom and the bathroom were also in pink and brown flowery wallpaper. You can imagine…It was hilarious.
“And when we were allowed to, after Covid, we just came in and spent our days painting and painting, and painting.
“But it’s a beautiful place now, and no need to even mention the view.”
What would you like to see happen to the buildings? Let us know in our comments section below
‘If it weren’t for Tom, none of this would have happened’
We switch off all the lights, chuck the hefty bundle of keys back in the drawer and get ready to get back on road.
As we say our goodbyes, Susan gazes across the historic harbour into the horizon beyond… And her thoughts take her back to her friend Tom.
None of this would have happened if it weren’t for him.
“I miss him a lot, and it’s very hard at times,” Susan sighs.
“But he is about – he is in every building here, and in everything that we are trying to do.
“Whatever happens in future, it would be amazing to have the place buzzing.
“And if we can pull this off and keep it going, Tom would be very happy.”
Read more about efforts to breathe new life into other north-east landmarks:
- ‘It’s a family legacy’: Inside look at Newburgh’s Udny Arms Hotel after million-pound makeover
- ‘We turned Fraserburgh’s fire-hit John Trail bookshop into million-pound hotel – and we’re just getting started!’
- From Nashville to New Aberdour: Take a look inside derelict Dower Hotel and meet the Americans behind the £2m revamp plans
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