Dufftown Clock Tower is a stone tower with a clock at the crossroads in the centre of Dufftown, Banffshire, at the focal point of the town square. It became a Class B listed building in 1972. [1]
The town was a planned settlement, developed from 1817 by James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, near Balvenie Castle and Balvenie House. There are six malt whisky distilleries operating nearby: Dufftown, Mortlach, Glendullan, Balvenie, Kininvie, and Glenfiddich.
The three storey tower was constructed of grey granite with pink granite dressings in 1839, [1] as the town gaol. After use as a prison, and then as the Burgh Chambers, it is now a Tourist Information Centre.
The ground floor has doors to the south and west, with band courses between the floors. The first and second floors have a window recess on each elevation; some have a sash window but many are blank. The walls have some mock circular gun loops. The crenellated parapet has a clock face on each elevation, with a dummy bartizan at each corner. The tower was originally topped by a leaded steeple; it now has a bellcote with leaded ogee roof, ball finial and weathervane. [1]
The clock was brought to Dufftown from Banff, where it was known as "the Clock That Hanged MacPherson": MacPherson of Kingussie was convicted and condemned to death, and the Sheriff of Banff Lord Braco put the clock forward by 15 minutes to ensure that MacPherson would be hanged before a pardon arrive.
Around the base of the tower are plaques commemorating Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (1849-1912) and Lord Mount Stephen (1829-1921), and another plaque records that the clock was illuminated to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. [1]
A single storey pink granite extension was added to the north in 1925. [1]
Dufftown is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has several listed 19th century buildings and serves as a regional centre for agriculture, tourism and services. The town is well known for its whisky based economy, as it produces more whisky than any other town in Scotland and is home to several existing and former distilleries.
Banffshire 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.
James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, KT, GCH, was a Scottish nobleman who became a Spanish general.
Duff House is a Georgian estate house in Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, it is part of the National Galleries Scotland and is a Category A listed building.
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.
Balgonie Castle is located on the south bank of the River Leven near Milton of Balgonie, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) east of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. The castle keep dates from the 14th century, and the remaining structures were added piecemeal until the 18th century. The keep has been recently restored, although other parts of the castle are roofless ruins. Balgonie, excepting the tower which is used for residential purposes, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This castle is the subject for several ghostlore stories, including a green lady story.
Jamie Macpherson (1675–1700) also known as James Macpherson was a Scottish outlaw, famed for his poetic work commonly called "Macpherson's Lament" said to have been composed by him on the eve of his execution. "Macpherson's Lament" is known also as "Macpherson's Rant" or "Macpherson's Farewell".
John Smith was a Scottish architect. His career started in 1805 and he was appointed as the official city architect of Aberdeen in 1807, the first person to hold this post. Together with Archibald Simpson, he contributed significantly to the architecture of Aberdeen, and many of the granite buildings that gave the city the nickname "The Granite City" or also "The Silver City" are attributed to them.
Inchdrewer Castle is a 16th-century tower house in the parish of Banff, Aberdeenshire, in the north-east of Scotland. Situated on a slight rise 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-west of Banff, it looks across to Banff Bay. Originally owned by the Currour family, it was purchased by the Ogilvies of Dunlugas in 1557 and became their main family seat. The Ogilvies were staunch Royalists, which resulted in the castle coming under attack from the Covenanters in 1640. George Ogilvy, 3rd Lord Banff was murdered in 1713 and his body hidden inside the castle, which was then set on fire. The castle came under siege again in 1746, during the Jacobite rising of 1745–46. At the start of the 19th century, following the death of the 8th Lord Banff, the property was inherited by the Abercromby of Birkenbog family, who leased it to a tenant. It became uninhabited after 1836 and the structure deteriorated.
Forglen House is a mansion house that forms the centrepiece of the Forglen estate in the parish of Forglen, north-west of Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in the north-east of Scotland. The lands were given to the abbots of the Abbey of Arbroath by King William the Lion before 1211 and the Monymusk Reliquary was held there. The original castle, built around 1346, was replaced by a vernacular harled house that was later extended. Significant development of the estate began when it was acquired by the family of Lord Banff and they started the work of landscaping and planting trees. It became their main family seat during the 18th century. After the death of William Ogilvy, the eighth and final Lord Banff, the estate passed by marriage to the Abercromby baronets who continued to enhance the property and maintained it as their main residence. Sir Robert Abercromby, 5th Baronet commissioned the Aberdeen City Architect, John Smith to design the present house in 1839.
General Register House is an Adam style neoclassical building on Princes Street, Edinburgh, purpose built by Robert Adam between 1774 and 1788 as the headquarters of the National Archives of Scotland. It is a Category A listed building.
St Ninian's Chapel in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a Grade B listed Anglican chapel located in the grounds of the Mar Lodge Estate. Built from 1895 to 1898 for use as a private chapel by the family of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, owners of Mar Lodge, it has been the property of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Scottish Episcopal Church since 1899. St Ninian's Chapel is the most westerly church in the Diocese.
Braco's Banking House is a three-storey town house in Elgin, Moray in Scotland. The home and business place of banker William Duff of Braco from 1703 to 1722, the house has borne his name ever since. It was designated a Category A listed building in 1970.
Strichen Town House is a municipal structure in High Street, Strichen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building, which was the meeting place of Strichen Parish Council, is a Category A listed building.
The Feudal Barony of MacDuff is a Scottish Feudal Barony in Macduff, Scotland, contained mostly within the boundaries of the Town of Macduff, in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Clan MacDuff traces origins to the historic, Lowland, Scottish Duff Clan. William Shakespeare's MacBeth has always played a role in the legend of Clan MacDuff, as few can determine the line between The Duff Family history and historical fiction. This ambiguity worked to the benefit of future MacDuff Barons, who were able to prove they were descended from the first Duff to receive a charter in Northeast Scotland. In 1404 David Duff received the charter, in Aberdeenshire, from Robert III of Scotland. In 1759, William Duff was granted the historic Celtic Title of “Fife”, further tying the Duffs of Northeast Scotland, with their ancient Lowland ancestors - the original Earls of Fife from the 11th century. William Duff had five sons - the eldest, James, would become the 2nd Earl Fife and the 1st Baron of MacDuff. James invested heavily in the village of Doune, or “Down”, across the River Deveron from Banff. He built a harbor there in 1760, which quickly became more successful than the harbor at neighboring Banff, which had been established much earlier. In 1783 a charter was granted by King George III, changing the name from Doune to Macduff in his favor and, although a lesser title than Earl, bestowing on him the dignity of the 1st Baron of Macduff.
Ballyclare Town Hall is a municipal structure in The Square, Ballyclare, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The structure, which is primarily used as an events venue, is a Grade B2 listed building.
Culross Town House, also known as Culross Tolbooth, is a municipal structure in the Sandhaven area of Culross, Fife, Scotland. The building, which now serves as a visitor centre, is Category A listed.
Elie and Earlsferry Town Hall is a former municipal structure in High Street in Elie and Earlsferry, Scotland. The structure, which is currently used as an events venue, is Category B listed.
Oldmeldrum Town Hall is a municipal structure in the Market Square, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category B listed building.
Falkland Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Falkland, Fife, Scotland. The structure, which has been converted for use as offices and as shops, is a Category A listed building.