Saltoun Square was originally called Kirk Green and was designed to be the heart of the planned town. It was named after the Earls of Saltoun, the Fraser family, and so was the Saltoun Inn. It was built as the Saltoun Arms in 1801 and was a fashionable meeting place for townsfolk.

The site was first occupied by the Earl's town house and, at the back of the hotel, there are remnants of the stables that served it and Kinnaird Head Castle.

Numbers 14-16 Saltoun Square, on your immediate right, probably served originally as market buildings. You can see where the ground floor window openings once reached ground level. It's had several uses over the years.

We'll look at the rest of Saltoun Square later. But now, look down Broad Street and imagine it two hundred years ago. Picture smartly-attired ladies and gentlemen stepping from carriages to visit banks or favourite shops; glimpses of young couples strolling arm in arm. Hear the shouts of carters delivering goods from horse-drawn wagons - and watch nimble boys dashing about collecting and delivering messages.