Banff and Macduff is a community council area in the Banff and Buchan committee area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with a community council. [1] The community council area includes the two named towns and a rural area extending to the south west. [2]
Banff and Macduff are two neighboring coastal towns on either side of the River Deveron, known for their intertwined history and long-established rivalry. [3] [4] They are often discussed together. [5] [6]
Banff and Macduff have historically both been fishing towns. [7] The two towns have been home to herring fishermen. [7]
The origins of their rivalry can be traced back to the hanging of Scottish outlaw and folk hero Jamie Macpherson. A messenger with a pardon was reportedly on the way through Macduff before his execution, but the people of Banff set their clock tower to an earlier time so that he would be hung before the messenger arrived. The people of Macduff were more favorable to Macpherson and the actions in Banff led to a rivalry between the towns. [3] [8] [7] The rivalry has been covered in media including the The Herald in Scotland and CBC Radio in Canada, among others. [3] [9]
In 1883, Banff and Macduff had a population of around 9,000. [10] In 1906, the Duke of Fife gifted the Duff House to Banff and Macduff. [11]
Banff and Macduff railway station operated from 1860 to 1872 on the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway; it was renamed as Macduff (Banff) station in 1866. The 1950s saw opposition in Banff and Macduff to the closing of the passenger rail station. [12]
In 2013, the two towns fought over the legal ownership of the bridge between them. [4] [13] A councillor from Banff argued that historic maps showed part of the land near the bridge belonged to Banff and was incorrectly claimed by Macduff. [4] A new bridge linking the two towns was proposed in 2021. [14]
The two towns share the Banff and Macduff Lifeboat Station and the Banff and Macduff Heritage Trail. [15] An annual bowling competition has been held between the two towns for more than one hundred years. [16]
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area's largest town. The main towns are generally in the north of the area on the coastal plain. The south of the area is more sparsely populated and mountainous, including part of the Cairngorms National Park.
Portsoy is a small town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Historically, Portsoy was in Banffshire until 1975. The original name may come from Port Saoithe, meaning "saithe harbour". Portsoy is located on the Moray Firth coast of northeast Scotland, 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Aberdeen and 65 miles (105 km) east of Inverness. It had a population of 1,752 at the time of the 2011 census.
Grampian was one of nine local government regions of Scotland. It was created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and took its name from the Grampian Mountains. The regional council was based in Aberdeen.
Banffshire is a historic county in Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 the area has been split between the Aberdeenshire and Moray council areas. The historic county boundaries of Banffshire are still used for certain functions, being a registration county and lieutenancy area.
Banff and Buchan is a committee area of the Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland, covering an area along the northern coast of the council area. The main towns are Banff and Fraserburgh. Fishing and agriculture are important industries, together with associated processing and service activity.
Gordon was one of five local government districts in the Grampian region of Scotland. The council was based in Inverurie. It was created in 1975 and abolished in 1996, when the area was included in the Aberdeenshire council area.
Banff and Buchan was a constituency of the House of Commons, located in the north-east of Scotland within the Aberdeenshire council area. It elected one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the first-past-the-post system of voting.
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landings by UK vessels, according to a 2019 survey.
The River Deveron is a river in the north east of Scotland. The river has a length of 60 miles (97 km), and has a reputation for its Atlantic salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing. In its upper reaches peaty water flows over a bottom of shingle and rock and is fast flowing.
Portlethen is a town located approximately 7 miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland along the A92. The population according to the 2022 census was 8,969 making it the seventh most populous settlement within Aberdeenshire.
Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron. It is a former royal burgh, and is the county town of the historic county of Banffshire.
Macduff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Banff across the estuary of the River Deveron. Macduff is a former burgh and was the last place in the United Kingdom where deep-water wooden fishing boats were built.
Mintlaw(literally meaning a smooth, flat place) is a large village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies at the intersection of the A950 and A952 roads, west of Peterhead. The 2001 UK census records a population of 2,647 people.
Macduff railway station was a railway station serving the settlements of Banff and Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the terminus of a branch line from Inveramsay. It was opened in 1872 by Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway which was later absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway.
The Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway was a railway company that connected the Aberdeenshire town of Turriff with the main line of the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) at Inveramsay. It had earlier been intended to reach Macduff, but shortage of finance forced curtailment. It opened its line in 1857.
Banff Academy is a S1–S6 secondary school in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It serves the towns of Banff, Macduff, Whitehills, Portsoy, Aberchirder, Gardenstown, Ordiquhill, Fordyce and surrounding communities.
Banff Town House is a municipal building in Low Street, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building, which is used as a customer service point and job centre, forms part of a complex consisting of a steeple, completed in 1767, which is a Category A listed building, and a town house, completed in 1797, which is also a Category A listed building.
Banff and Macduff Lifeboat Station is a former Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station, located in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Whitehills Lifeboat Station is a former Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Whitehills, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.