Peter Buchan

The limn o Peter Buchan pintet be Michael Knowles. Arbuthnot Museum, Peterheid. © Aiberdeenshire Museum Service.

HEIRSKIP

Peter Buchan (1917-1991) wis aine o the true gairdian o the Doric, throuw his ain scrievin an throuw takkin tent tae hain the leid. He is a fisherman, makar, screever, broadcaster, kemper fir the heirskip o Buchan.

He wis born in Jamaica Street, Peterheid in 1917. Firstlin, he wint tae see abuird the femily’s heering drifter, ‘Sparkling Star’, an efterhin warkit we Peterheid Herber Buird. He got yokit scrievin poems an sma stories in the Doric efter the Second Warld War, settin furth three collections fit wis affa weel-kent an weel-thocht o in the Nor-East o Scotland an ayont. Syne, he warkit we David Toulmin tae scrieve Buchan Claik.

Fae the 'Buchan Clan'
Altho’ yer name’s nae Buchan if ye come fae Peterheid,
It’s surely mair gin likely ye’ve a drap o’ Buchan bleed,
For the Buchans thro’ the centuries, for better or for waur,
Hae mairrit into ither tribes till gweed kens fit ye are,
Ye’re a Pirate, or a Tinkie, or a Royal in yer pride,
Or ye’re come o’ auld man Noah, that shivved Buchan ower the side.

PETER BUCHAN ON 'WEIR'S WAY'
Log-in tAE STV PLAYER NOCHT

Peter Buchan wint tae Peterheid Academy an taen up poetry fan he wis 30 eers auld. He scrievit near athing in Doric, his mither tongue. He scrievit ower sivventy poems as weel as mony sma stories aboot the fishing an the wye o life in the Nor-East o Scotland.

His first buik o poems wis “Mount Pleasant”, sett oot in 1961; ithers includit “Fit like, Skipper?” an “Fisher Blue”, baith a when o stories an poems. Inspiration for his wark cam fae his ivryday life an roonaboot, an the fowk he met - fit he ayewis caaed "human naitur".

A kemper and bonnie fechter fir the leid an tradition o the nor-east, Peter Buchan, alang we David Toumlin, scrievet a compendium o North East wirds an phrases, “Buchan Claik: The Saut an the Glaur O't”, fit brocht the gither Buchan’s fisher Doric with fermer Toumlin’s teuchter tung.

The Skipper's Wife. © The Estate of Peter Buchan.

Lug in tae hear Professor Rita Marcella, hersel fae Peterheid, read 'The Skipper's Wife'.

Peter Buchan broadcastit aften on the radio, an wis aften kent is the vyce o the Nor-East's fishing community. He was Vice-President of the Buchan Heritage Society 1988-1990, an its Patron till 1991. Tae handsel his foremaist place in the North East, a limn wis commissioned in 1991 be the North East Scotland Museums Service (noo Aiberdeenshire Heritage) be the limner Michael Knowles and fit is kythed it the Arbuthnot Museum in his hametoon o Peterhead. Peter Buchan deid on 12 December 1991 an is beeriet in Peterhead.