The village’s property “boom” continued, several holiday homes were sold to permanent residents and developers took the opportunity to transform the stable block opposite Slains Lodge into homes around a central courtyard. This development was renamed Forvie Court.

By now a few small businesses, a tearoom (in the house known as Buckies), publishing, video production and three design consultancies were operating from the village.Collieston had entered the post industrial era and was part of a new trend in people working from home.In the mid 1980s the oil price collapsed along with property prices. The Pier too had begun to collapse. In the winter of 1987/88 it finally gave way under the constant pounding of terrific storms. This time Sir Douglas’s son Rear Admiral Steve Ritchie, who had now retired to the village, provided the rallying call for its repair. Numerous fund raising activities were undertaken to match the £30,000 that was promised by Grampian Regional Council.Oil and property prices recovered and the number of families with young children was expanding for the first time since before World War 1.