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Banffshire facts for kids

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Banffshire
Banffshire County.svg
Country Scotland
County town Banff
Area
 • Total 641 sq mi (1,660 km2)
  Ranked 13th of 34
Chapman code
BAN
Website https://www.lordlieutenantbanffshire.co.uk/

Banffshire (/ˈbænfʃər/; Scots: Coontie o Banffshire; Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray Firth to the north, Morayshire and Inverness-shire to the west, and Aberdeenshire to the east and south.

Local government council

Sheriff Court House (geograph 4095159)
Sheriff Court and County Hall, the former headquarters of Banff County Council

Between 1890 and 1975 the County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, had its own county council. Banffshire County Council was based at the Sheriff Court and County Hall.

In 1975 Banffshire was abolished for the purpose of local government and its territory divided between the local government districts of Moray and Banff and Buchan, which lay within the Grampian region. In 1996, the Grampian region was abolished, and the area now lies within the council areas of Moray and Aberdeenshire (note that both these polities have different boundaries to the historic counties of the same names).

Geography

View to Ben Rinnes - geograph.org.uk - 1339405
Ben Rinnes

Banffshire consists of a 30-mile stretch of coast along the Moray Firth from Spey Bay to Cullaykhan Bay, the immediate hinterland, plus a long, tapering 'tail' stretching inland some 55 or so miles, thus giving the county an elongated shape.

History

Cullen Castle, Banffshire
Cullen House, Banffshire

Considerable evidence of prehistoric human habitation exists particularly near the coastal area. For example, the Longman Hill cairn and Cairn Lee are situated in the northern portion of Banffshire in the vicinity of the Burn of Myrehouse.

Located in the area are the ruins of several medieval castles and the 12th century kirk of Gamrie.

Until 1891 the county contained various exclaves which were locally situated in Aberdeenshire, the biggest being the parish and village of St. Fergus.

Civil parishes

BANFFSHIRE Civil Parish map
Banffshire civil parish map c. 1854

Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time.

From 1845 to 1930, parishes formed part of the local government system of Scotland, having parochial boards from 1845 to 1894.

  1. Aberlour
  2. Alvah
  3. Banff
  4. Bellie (probably now all in Moray)
  5. Boharm
  6. Botriphnie Drummuir
  7. Boyndie
  8. Cabrach
  9. Cullen
  10. Deskford
  11. Fordyce
  12. Forglen
  13. Gamrie
  14. Glass
  15. Grange
  16. Inveraven or Inveravon
  17. Inverkeithny
  18. Keith
  19. Kirkmichael (possibly all in Banffshire)
  20. Marlach or Marnoch
  21. Mortlach (Mortlach distillery)
  22. Rathven
  23. Rothiemay Milltown of Rothiemay
  24. Rothnie
  25. Ontiquhill or Ordiquhill

Settlements

Banffscotland
Banff
Buckpool
Buckie
Dufftown clock tower
Dufftown
Gardenstown from the Sea
Gardenstown
  • Aberchirder
  • Banff
  • Bogmuir
  • Buckie
  • Charlestown of Aberlour
  • Cornhill
  • Craigellachie
  • Cullen
  • Dufftown
  • Findochty
  • Fordyce
  • Gardenstown
  • Glenlivet
  • Ianstown
  • Keith
  • Kirktown of Alvah
  • Kirktown of Mortlach
  • Ladysbridge
  • Lintmill
  • Macduff
  • Marypark
  • Milltown of Rothiemay
  • Newmill
  • Portessie
  • Portgordon
  • Portknockie
  • Portsoy
  • Rathven
  • Sandend
  • Spey Bay
  • Tomintoul
  • Upper Dallachy
  • Whitehills

Transport

The Aberdeen–Inverness railway line runs through the town of Keith in the north of the county.

Architecture

Principal mansions

Principal mansions in Banffshire c. 1854 The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland (1854) Vol. I. by the Rev. John Marius Wilson lists the following :

  • Auchintoul
  • Auchlunkart House (A. Steuart)
  • Balveny Castle or Balvenie Castle
  • Cairfield House (John Gordon)
  • Cullen House (Earl of Seafield)
  • Duff House
  • Edingight House (Major A.F. Innes Taylor)
  • Forglen House and Birkenbog (Sir Robert Abercrombie)
  • Gordon Castle (Duke of Richmond)
  • Letterfourie (Sir William Gordon)
  • Mayen House (William Duff)
  • Mount-coffer House (Earl of Fife)
  • Park House (Colonel Thomas Gordon)
  • Rothiemay

Castles in Banffshire

The Castle, Fordyce
Fordyce Castle, Banffshire
  • Auchindune Auchindoun Castle
  • Balveny or Balvenie
  • Banff
  • Cullen (near Cullen)
  • Deskford
  • Edinglassie
  • Findochty
  • Galval or Gouldwell Castle (Boharm Civil Parish)
  • Grange
  • Inchdrewer, Banff Parish
  • Park
  • Scuth

Notable residents

Surnames

Most common surnames in Banffshire at the time of the United Kingdom Census of 1881:

  1. Smith
  2. Grant
  3. Wilson
  4. Reid
  5. Watt
  6. Stuart
  7. Morrison
  8. Murray
  9. Cowie
  10. McDonald

See also

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