Early Keith Show

Early Keith was a nodal centre, a crossing place of the river from East to West, and a gathering place for cattle being driven South to the great Markets. Not surprisingly, it became itself a considerable market centre for cattle, a trade only recently lost.

Small though it was, however, the Old Town was distinguished by the Great Fair of Simmareve, held in mid-September each year, and lasting for a week or more. J.ES. Gordon relates: "To it the whole Merchants of Aberdeen, leaving their shops almost empty, with all their goods repaired, and very little unsold was carried back... All the Carriers and many smaller farmers in the vicinity of Aberdeen were employed for ten or twelve days before the Market; they travelled in caravans, from a dozen to forty together. Numbers of Trading people and Manufacturers from Glasgow, Perth, Dundee and other towns in the South, were met by all the Merchants of the Western Highlands and Northerly parts of the Kingdom, from the distance even of Kirkwall and the Orknev Isles... with all the black cattle and horses, several thousand of each, from all the country far and wide around." How could so small a town accommodate such a concourse? Apparently the visitors were well content to "lie together in scores and dozens upon straw.. in all the pantries, barns and kilns of the Town and Farms for miles around."

With the advent of the New Town, the Fair moved to the Square there, and gave place eventually to its successor, the Great Keith Show, run annually by the Central Banffshire Farmers Club. This takes place a short distance away, in Seafield Park, while the Square now accommodates amusements.' Once hailed as "the largest One- Day Show in Scotland", it was traditionally held on the second Tuesday in August, when the Town was crammed with visitors. It was blessed with extraordinarily good weather. Indeed for over forty years, it never rained during the Show. This was credited to two 'worthies' who held their Annual Day of Prayer pleading for good weather for the show. Their prayers were answered in life, and when they were finally called to their Maker, they were even better placed. But times change and the growing expense of staging the show made it impossible for one day to cover costs. Monday was added, and Sunday became a 'Free' day. It proved so popular that Monday was virtually dead. Tuesday was dropped, and the show covered Sunday and Monday. Since then, the weather has not conformed, but the sale of umbrellas and wellingtons has increased.