Historical Visitors

The town has had a variety of visitors of note over the years - some welcome others decidedly not. Among those who stayed at Banff Castle were King David I, Edward I and David II in the 13th and 14th Centuries. Later, in 1552 Mary Queen of Scots was also a resident. Banff Castle was the last English-held fortress North of the Grampians. James Sharp, later to become Archbishop of St Andrews was born in the castle in 1618 - he died in 1679, murdered at Magus Muir.

In 1640 the town fell victim to the actions of opposing armies. Major-General Munro and his covenanter troops plundered Sir George Ogilvie's Town house, destroying it and the famous garden. Five years later the Marquis of Montrose destroyed the church and school.

In November 1700 James McPherson, freebooter, was sentenced to be hanged on the orders of Sheriff-Depute Nicholas Dunbar of Castlefield, Cullen. Myth, legend, poem and ballad have been used to record this incident.

The Jacobite Uprising of 1745-46 was supported by some of the population but opposed by the majority and when the Duke of Cumberland and his Hanoverian army rested overnight in Banff on their way to Culloden, the soldiers burned the Episcopal Chapel and hanged two innocent citizens.

Friendlier visitors included the Rev. John Wesley (1764), Dr Johnson with James Boswell (1773) and the Scottish bard Robert Burns in 1787. Two other poets also visited Banff, Byron as a boy in the 1790's and Robert Southey in 1819. In 1834 Thomas Edward, boot-maker, settled in Banff and was later to become famous as the Banff "Naturalist".

Eleven years later the Banffshire Journal was established at 9 Old Market Place. In 1883 the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII arrived at Banff station on his way to stay at Duff House. The Princess Royal in 1921 laid the foundation stone of the war memorial in Castle Street and four years later, Prime Minister Lloyd George received the Freedom of Banff. Neil Paterson, a former pupil of Banff Academy, published a short novel "The China Run" in 1948 and the novel "Behold thy Daughter". Both books are of local content.

Today the town has little manufacturing industry and the main employment is in local goverment, retail outlets, tourism and a variety of other small businesses.

Sport and leisure activities are catered for by the facilities provided at the Princess Royal Park (home of Deveronvale Football Club) for the benefit of the people of Banff, Macduff and the surrounding district.

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Banff and Macduff - Enterprise North East Business Centre - 8 Low Street - Banff - AB45 1AS - Scotland, UK - Telephone: 01261 882006

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