Banff and Macduff: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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GBP 49 - 150 Banff Springs Hotel
 On the outskirts of the Royal Burgh of Banff, the Banff Springs Hotel overlooks the North Sea. It offers a restaurant, brasserie and spacious room wit… More | ||||||
Banff and Macduff: Guide
:''This article is about the towns in Scotland. For the fictional Shakespeare|Shakespearean character, Macduff, see Macduff (thane).
The Gaelic Banbh) and the Gaelic MacDhuibh) are neighbouring burghs in Aberdeenshire (unitary)|Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Prior to 1975 Banff was the county town of Banffshire, and this is sometimes still given in postal addresses.
Attractions and history
Banff lies on the west bank, and Macduff on the east bank of the mouth of the River Deveron, around 20 miles west of Fraserburgh. The towns have an aquarium, golf course, beaches, and are home to the Colleonard Sculpture Park. The well-preserved townscape has many historic buildings. Also close by is Duff House, designed by William Adam in 1730, and now open to the public as a gallery and a part of the National Gallery of Scotland.
Many of the nearby villages also contribute to tourism in the area; in particular Gardenstown and Pennan. Banff's Tourist Information Centre opens during the summer and can be found by the car park en route to Banff Bridge and Macduff. Their audio tours provide an insight into the town, its history and architecture.
Banff and Macduff don't quite merge, but are separated by the valley of the River Deveron. This unpredictable river was only finally tamed by the seven arched bridge completed in 1799 by John Smeaton, famed for the Eddystone Lighthouse. An earlier bridge had been built in 1765, but was swept away in 1768. The old ferry was brought back into use, until it was lost in a flood in 1773.
Though no longer a commercial port, the harbour still serves leisure traffic and small fishing boats.
The Canada|Canadian Banff National Park and town of Banff, Alberta|Banff are named after Banffshire.
Sport
Banff and surrounding areas have a local football team, Deveronvale F.C..
Duff House Royal Golf course is bordered by the River Deveron and Duff House.Some interesting holes which can be difficult depending on the wind.
Etymology
The name "Banff" is derived from the Doric dialect of Scots language|Scots, or English language|English
Notable residents
Sandi Thom
Colin Newton
Richard Gordon (Scottish Author)|Richard Gordon
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Banff and Macduff". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.