Duncan Downie has had a lifelong interest in the history of the local area and in recent years this has become more important to him as customs and businesses disappear, and families of ex-pats return to their roots wishing to find out about their forebears, their homes and way of life. He and a friend have recently completed, after seventeen years of work, the cataloguing of the Burnett Archive at Kemnay House. This record, extending to over 1400 pages, lists all the documents in the extensive archive covering the period from the late 17th century to the early 20th century on a wide variety of topics relating to family life and estate management. Duncan also contributed monthly articles to Kemnay Newsletter for some sixteen years on topics relating to the history of the parish.