The town is mainly built on a peninsula that projects north-westward into the Moray Firth, surrounding it by water on three sides.

A recent dig just beyond the boundary of Burghead at Clarkly Hill has uncovered Iron Age circular stone houses and Pictish building foundations, as well as silver and bronze Roman coins and a gold finger ring possibly from the Baltic region.

[2] This vitrified fort lies on top of a headland which commands extensive views of the Moray Firth.

It was defended on the landward side by three banks and ditches which were destroyed during the creation of the harbour and modern village; their age is therefore uncertain.

The discovery was made during excavations for a possible municipal water supply after an elderly fisherman recalled a tradition of a well in the vicinity.

Various additions such as re-cutting the steps and deepening the tank were undertaken, but the flow of water proved to be insufficient for the proposed new function.

Later in the 19th century it was suggested that it was an early Christian baptistery possibly associated with the cult of St Aethan, but its origins remain obscure to this day.

[11] A fire festival called the Burning of the Clavie is held on 11 January each year, except when the 11th is a Sunday, in which case it takes place on the 10th.

On 20 January 1689, the young men of the village were rebuked by the church courts for "having made a burning clavie, paying it superstitious worship, and blessing the boats after the old heathen custom".

It has to be specially made to leave a space for the carrier's head to fit between the staves (6 in all) and allowing him to rest it partly on his shoulders while he carries it.

The Clavie crew stop to present bits of smouldering embers to certain households and the three public houses in the village to bring them good luck for the following year.

[24] Burghead was previously represented at Moray Council by the Burghsea ward from which one councillor was elected under the first past the post electoral system.

Since 3 May 2007 the STV electoral system has been used in local elections throughout Scotland, which means that Burghead is represented by several councillors in the significantly larger Heldon & Laich ward.

[27] The 2001 data makes Burghead the eighth-largest town in Moray behind Keith, Kinloss and Lhanbryde but ahead of Hopeman, Dufftown and Fochabers.

Other sectors offering significant employment are local authority, construction and real estate, food and drink, transport, tourism, business services and wholesale/retail.

[35] In 2008 Thistle were awarded the Elginshire Cup without playing in a final after New Elgin and Lossiemouth United were both thrown out of the competition.