In 2014 Keith & District Heritage Group began thinking about how to best mark the centenary of WW1.
At first it was to have a weekly bulletin in Keith Library documenting the war at home from 1914 -1918. This very quickly developed into a more comprehensive account of life at home and abroad in the shadow of war.
It was while using the contemporary reports from local newspapers that the local reporter from The Banffshire Herald thought it would be a good idea to publish our research in a series of monthly articles. This ran from the summer of 2014 to the end of 2018.
In 2019 after numerous favourable comments from the public the group decided that the research merited being published in book form. After many hours of re-writing and proof reading along with the constraints of COVID “Keith and Strathisla During The Great War” is ready.
The book provides an incredible insight into life on The Home Front for one community many hundreds of miles from the theatres of war and it takes just a few entries to see that what was happening in Keith was a microcosm of British life at the time. Keith at the time of the war was the headquarters of the 6th Gordon Highlanders – “The Fighting 6th”, a very important part of the recent history of the area.
This book is a fascinating read and includes great photos from the era. It is sure to provide a great read for all.
Keith & District Heritage Group have been active since 1996 and have produced many booklets but this is by far the most ambitious.
Keith and Strathisla During The Great War can be purchased from Paterson’s, Mither Tongue and The Deli Shop all on Mid Street at a cost of £15
If you would like more information on The Keith Heritage group take a look at their website and Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/Keith-District-Heritage-Group-KADHG-100383552848325
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