Our History
Frasers has been around for quite a while – in fact, we must be one of the oldest established businesses in Ellon having been around for over 90 years!
The family business, however, originated well over 100 years ago. The oldest record being a picture of a Horse and Cart, bearing the name of James Fraser, Whitecairns.
At that time the business was a general merchants and tailors, and apart from trading around Whitecairns and Udny, the Horse and cart was also taken to the market, at The Green, in Aberdeen.
The son of James Fraser was Alexander Laird Fraser, who acquired a shop in Udny Station before moving to Ellon. There he acquired property in Station Road and had a general merchants shop. Around 1930 Alexander
decided to expand and venture in to the house furnishing trade. A disused church, in Ythan Terrace, Ellon, was bought and converted into a showroom.
The building next door, which had also been a church was snapped up and converted into a showroom and store.
Son James Fraser who, since returning from the war, had toured the countryside in a general merchants van, taking much needed supplies to rural areas, also helped out in the furniture business.
In 1951 John Stephen came to work alongside James Fraser and added the skills of upholstery and carpet fitting to the business. He played a big part in the expansion of the company staying until his retirement and his son John still works for Frasers as Flooring Director.
In the late sixties several stages, of alterations in the construction of the original buildings took place. The flats in Ythan Terrace were merged into the shop building forming a first floor. The extra space allowed more stock to be displayed and, also, made room for the expanding carpet and curtain trade.
As time went on even these premises began to struggle with the ever expanding business and Frasers purchased the old egg-grading station, in Station Road, as an additional store. This was used as a storage facility, for customers goods and, also, to store and sell second-hand furniture.
In the early seventies a new purpose built building was constructed in the grounds of the second former-church and around that time James enlisted the help of his son-in-law, Stewart McKay, who gave up his career in the police to join the family business. He was followed, several years later by his son Gordon Fraser, who had also been in the police force.
Also, at that time, a new store was constructed at the Industrial Estate in Castle Park and this replaced the store in Station Road. The new store, which is still in use to this day, houses all the furniture stock, a flooring cutting bay and flooring stock.
In 1980 some further construction was carried out which served to link all three, existing buildings, in Ythan Terrace, together, bringing all the showroom areas under one roof.
Frasers of Ellon remains a family run business and was run, up until around 2019 by Gordon and Stewart. Gordon retired, from overseeing the Furniture side of the business then.
Meanwhile Stewart has taken a step aside in June 2022, to be succeeded as Managing Director by his eldest son, Colin McKay who has been actively involved in running the flooring department since 2006.