Welcome . . .
No.1 High Shore (1675) is one of the most exceptional town houses in Scotland; the corner has a date stone and sundial and the angle turret is a very rare feature. The house was gifted to the Society, who restored it along with No.3 (1740) on the right.
The ancient county town of Banff has a wealth of fine 18th century architecture which makes it unique in the north of Scotland, allowing author Neil Paterson to describe it as a miniature Edinburgh. Inevitably, some of that has been lost, but enough remains to fascinate the eye and stimulate the imagination.
The Banff Preservation and Heritage Society has a suggested walk round the principal streets and when you visit the town you will see many a curious corner, a dormer window, an angle turret or small piece of carving to delight the eye.
We hope that on the following pages you will gain an insight into what makes Banff a town of great architectural and historical interest, and why the Society was founded to improve and to safeguard these treasures.
The Royal Burgh of Banff received its Charter in 1376, but had been a viable community since the beginning of the 12th century.
Situated at the mouth of the River Deveron on the coast of the Moray Firth, the Burgh contains the site of a medieval castle, has numerous examples of Scots vernacular and Georgian architecture, and on its outskirts sits Duff House, the finest country house north of the River Forth.
It was the County Town of Banffshire until the re-organisation of Local Government in 1975 with the creation of Banff & Buchan District Council and of Grampian Regional Council.