Macduff & Banff

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The townscape, which is one of the best-preserved in Scotland, has many historic buildings, including fragments of the former royal Banff Castle, a pre-Reformation market cross, a fine tolbooth, many vernacular townhouses, a museum in Banff donated by Andrew Carnegie, and a maritime heritage centre in Macduff. Close by is Duff House, designed by William Adam in 1730, and one of Scotland's finest classical houses. It is open to the public as an out-station of the National Gallery of Scotland.

Also open to the public are the Wrack Woods, due south of Duff House. In the woods, there is an old ice house, a mausoleum, and a wonderful walk to one of the most beautiful secluded spots in the area. The place is known as the Bridge of Alvah, and a single-arch bridge spans the river Deveron. The river Deveron is known for its great fishing for salmon and trout.

This article was copied on 20 November 2008. The current version with history is available on Wikipedia.

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Attractions

The modern-day towns have an aquarium two golf courses (Duff House Royal and Royal Tarlair), beaches, and were home to the Colleonard Sculpture Park which is now relocated in Aviemore.

Coast Festival of the Visual Arts is an annual festival of weekend-long events and attractions in both Banff and Macduff. It runs over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May each year

History

Early area prehistory is manifested by the nearby ancient monument at Longman Hill, a large long barrow somewhat to the southeast of Macduff.

Banff's first Castle was built to repel Viking invaders and a charter of 1163 shows that Malcolm 1V was living there at that time. During this period the town was a busy trading center in the "free hanse" of Northern Scottish burghs, despite not having its own harbour until 1775. The first recorded Sheriff of Banff was Richard de Strathewan in 1264, and in 1372 Royal Burgh status was conferred by King Robert II By the 15th century Banff was one of three principal towns exporting salmon to the continent of Europe, along with Aberdeen and Montrose.

The settlement of Doune on the east bank of the river was purchased in 1733 by William Duff, who became the first Earl of Fife. In 1760, James Duff, the second Earl built a harbour there and in 1783 succeeded in promoting Macduff to a Burgh of Barony. The town celebrated its bicentenary in 1983, and the signs erected in that year still stand on the main approaches to the town (most visibly, a large sign next to the Banff Bridge on the Macduff side).