Lost footage of the Queen Mother on a visit to Stonehaven in 1963 has emerged from the archives of an Aberdeenshire museum.

The rare nearly 50-year-old film shows her greeting crowds before opening the town’s Tolbooth museum.

Tolbooth committee member Phil Mills-Bishop said: “It wasn’t an everyday occurrence for the Queen Mother to attend an opening. We still have the silver key that she used to open the museum.

“The only thing we don’t have is the signature book which she signed which the council has.”

Aberdeenshire Council and Stonehaven and District Community Council became involved in a wrangle earlier this year after the authority closed the museum as part of efforts to slash £52m from its budget and removed all the artifacts, some of which have not been returned since a group of volunteers took over the facility.

Mr Mills-Bishop said: “Despite many requests they have not returned the book or the Lord Provost’s chain and robes.

“We are in an active discussion with them and putting forward our point.

“Pre-1975 we were a Royal Burgh and any gifts belonged to common good and the residents of Stonehaven and that includes those items.

“There’s a little bit of discussion going on about that but it’s not resolved.”

The council has said that the items require specialist storage and protection but that is working with the group to find a solution.

Mr Mills-Bishop also revealed that the museum has had more than 8000 visitors already this season, more than any year when the facility was in council ownership.

He added: “That will be the highest they have ever had coming through the museum.

“You have to remember we opened a month later because the artifacts were taken out and we were only opening on weekends for the first month.

“We will open at weekends in winter and on demand. If people tell us say a club or school – we’ll open up the tollbooth for them.

“We’ve had requests from authors and musician who want to launch CDs and books in the Tolbooth.

“We’re open to all ideas to generate income.”