Important Historic

A granite carving of a human head, mounted on the south gable of the shed. This apotropaic (averting evil) carving has an extremely atavistic quality, with its appearance of a severed head it is powerfully reminiscent of Celtic Iron Age works relating to the cult of the head. Indeed if found buried in the peat bog one might think it was such. However it is presumed to date from the origin of the building to which it is attached. This is one of the oldest structures in the village one can clearly see where corrugated iron has replaced thatch, some aspects of the shed suggest it may have originally been a dwelling. It is situated near what would originally have been a major crossroad pre-dating the village square crossroad to the south and the Fraserburgh-Banff turnpike junction a mile to the north. Possibly this structure was part of the hamlet of Cyaak that preceded the village. The house on whose feu it stands No 48 High St is itself nearly as old as the foundation of the village in 1787 and was once a butchers, at which time the shed may have been used for slaughtering.

Solid granite built, pill box like well housings in the village of Aberchirder which like many 18th century planned villages is better known by the name of the farm toon that preceded it, in this case Foggieloan Moss from two Gaelic words foidh (peat moss) and lon (meadow), so Foggieloan means peaty or boggy meadow.

Category B, Abercrombie coat of arms, St Mary's churchyard inset into exterior wall

A restored and gilded marriage datestone for John Anderson and Helen Ogilvie dated 1699 above a religious text.

Listed Category A. Italianante building by Thomas Mackenzie, Elgin 1851-4 , with unusual queen-head capitals and Corinthian pilastered triparte with shell motif over centre light. Linked at south by tall round headed archway incorporating carved bearded head. The interior has 1st floor hall which takes up the entire frontage, the ceiling being supported by 6 pairs of draped female figures clasping laurel wreaths. The Town Hall was originally built as the St. Andrew's Lodge of Masons Hall.

Possibly Colonel Tawse and Messrs Hall, 1936. Single storey and 2-storey with attic, 6-bay, terraced, Art Deco style former Co-operative building adjoining separately listed Carron Restaurant, Cameron Street. Fine decoratively-astragalled top-lights, coloured glass medallions and original shop doors with brass door furniture. Granite ashlar shop fronts, with crenellated, crowstepped darker ashlar 1st floor bays; harl and coursed rubble to side. Oversized stylised keystone and capitals.
N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3 single storey bays to right of centre incorporating stepped moulded shop front at outer right with large centre keystone, deep-set centre door with margined glazing and original handle, flanking fixed display windows and 3-part decorative top light with coloured glass medallion depicting grocery basket over entrance. Paired smaller shops to left with deep-set outer doors (that to right as above), inner display windows and dividing pillar, shop to right with coloured glass medallion depicting cow's head and that to left with wheatsheaf (see Notes). Further pillar to outer left adjoining 2-storey building with 2 similar (but altered) shops, that to centre with decorative top light with pestle and mortar medallion. Broader shop at outer left comprising 2-part fixed display window, boarded top light and doorway to outer angle with metal roller giving way to deeply in-canted door, mosaic-tiled floor with monogrammed 'NCSL' and flanking display windows. 1st floor with 3 wide-centre tripartite windows and 4-light window to outer left angle, later out-of-character flat-roofed dormer to left.
E (ANN STREET) ELEVATION: shop front with 2-part fixed display window and huge centre keystone to right, 2 doors to left and asymmetrical fenestration at 1st floor; small roundheaded window in gablehead.

Original Art Deco glazing combining horizontal patterning with Deco symbols in metal windows to all shop fronts (some obscured by modern fascias); modern glazing above ground. Grey slates, single storey bays with piended roof and large horizontal rooflight to W. Coped ashlar gablehead stacks with cans.

INTERIORS: modern.

A fine recumbent figure tomb set in a gabled enclosure, the Medieval meets the Renaissance in a particularly Scots idiom. There is an interesting central motif below the figure of corn springing from bones. The wild boar in the crest is extremely rotund and has something almost oriental in its design. Inscriptions: (motto at top) Dominus fecit. (main plaque) An. Dom. 1636. Positum a Georgio Baird de Aucbmedden praeposito Burgi de Bamff in honors Dei & in memorii praedicessoru quorum corpora in die resurrectionis . hic sepulta jacent.(underneath with memento mori) G. B. Mors sceptra ligonibus aequans. Spes altera vitae. Coelum non solvm quaero.

A circular white harled 2 story tower. Conical slated roof with round finial, a lum (for a fire to keep watchers warm) and bellcote (for bell to raise the alarm). Recently restored by the Banchory Rotarians. The warning bell is dated 1664 and probably came from an early church on the site, established as a missionary base by St Ternan around 490AD.

The new Banff Castle mansion, was built by Lord Deskford in 1749-52 the architect was John Adam, stands on the grounds of the original fortified castle. The Oglvies of Findlater and Deskford held Banff Castle and the ruins of the old remained beside the new for 70 years until demolished in 1820. All that now remains of the medieval Castle are the northern and eastern curtain walls, ditch and rampart, and the postern. The pavilion roofed mansion has flanking two-storey pavilions, and a 19th century porch.

Gates: Classical harled gate lodges and walls, with shallow arched recesses, pyramid roof. Gates rescued from Duff House.

Two pictures of the staircase, lino cuts produced by the children at Banff Academy in the 1950's in association with the linoleum company each image representing a letter of the alphabet.

Ornate Victorian Gothic drinking fountain with crown head, designed by John Rhind in 1878, commemorates Walter Biggar, one of the founders of the herring trade with the Baltic. The inscription on the Biggar fountain reads 'Presented to the town of Banff in Memory of Walter Biggar Esq. And Mrs. Anne Duff, his wife. 1878.' Biblical inscriptions on the East and West panels. I think the spouts are intended to represent fish heads, possibly dolphin fish?

Category C listed.
Polished grey and red granite memorial fountain bearing a portrait bronze plaque, erected by local worthy Dr. Walford Bodie ("Dr" Walford Bodie, billed as "Electrical Wizard of the North," a show business personality with national reputation.) in memory of his daughter Jeannie. Originally sited by Macduff harbour, it was moved to Macduff Duff St, Macduff to make way for harbour improvements moved again to present site 2009. Bodie, a hypnotist, ventriloquist and performer of electrical tricks in Britain's music halls and theatres, had the (since demolished) public swimming pool and baths built on MacDuff High Shore. His use of "Dr" and "MD" (which he said stood for "Merry Devil" ) upset a number of doctors of the day. Bodie died in 1939.

Category C listed, Scheduled monument . 17th century gable with ball capped bellcote, the sole remains of the kirk. Contains 58 table top stones of which 9 are significantly decorated and over 100 upright stones from the early 19th - 20th century. A high proportion of these stones are decorated with symbols of mortality, immortality and trade emblems.

Cairness House is considered one of the finest examples
of neoclassical architecture in Britain. The house sits four miles south
of Fraserburgh in the County of Aberdeenshire, looking across to Mormond
Hill. It is the largest and finest country house in Buchan and one of the
great houses of Scotland.

Cairness was built between 1791 and 1797 to designs by architect James
Playfair and replaced an earlier house of 1781 by Robert Burn, which was
largely incorporated into the Playfair scheme. Sir John Soane assisted in
the final stages of the construction following Playfair’s untimely death
in 1794. The park was laid out by Thomas White, a follower of Lancelot
'Capability' Brown.

The building shows a strong influence of the French architects
Étienne-Louis Boullée and Claude Nicholas Ledoux. The design incorporates
a complex mixture of Masonic and pagan symbols as well as many
numerological and architectural conceits. It is a calendar house, and its
ground plan shows an adjoining “C” and “H”, variously standing for
Cairness House and Charles Gordon.

Constructed in finely detailed granite ashlar, Cairness House consists of
a 110-ft main block, flanked by two raised “bookend” wings. A tetrastyle
pedimented Roman Doric porch sits to the centre, its unjointed columns
hewn from menhirs taken from a nearby druids' temple (presumably actually a neolithic recumbent stone circle, possibly one that was at Rora about 6 miles to southeast) . A pair of lower
pavilions with representations of the Masonic Altar adjoin at the back.
From these spans a huge semicircular service wing, with a central bell
tower above a lunette arch, enclosing a courtyard at the rear of the
house. The centre of the courtyard is dominated by a round ice house
modelled on the Temple of the Winds in Athens. The main roof is surmounted
by 51 cast iron chimney cans in the shape of fluted Doric columns.

Cairness House was commissioned by Charles Gordon of Cairness and Buthlaw
and was part of a 9,000-acre estate that included the village of St. Comb’
s and the Loch of Strathbeg, today an important nature reserve. The second
laird, Major-General Thomas Gordon (1788-1841), a good friend of Lord
Byron, was a hero of the Greek Wars of Independence and wrote a celebrated
history of the conflict. The Gordon family sold the estate in 1937 to the
Countess of Southesk.

After the Second World War, the house was used as a farmhouse and
gradually fell into serious decline. The park was destroyed from the early
1950s onwards with the mass clearance of trees in order to reclaim land
for agricultural use. In 1991, the house was listed as a Building At Risk
by the Scottish Civic Trust. A major long-term restoration programme of
the house and grounds was instigated by new owners in 2001. Cairness House
now contains a very fine collection of furniture and works of art and is
open to the public.

Listed Category B. Boyndie House 1740, an unusual house with a delicately shaped Dutch-gable, with two round eyes below the chimneys, and carved marriage stone as a shaped cartouche bearing the initials IG MS. Marriage stones appear to have been particularly popular in Banff. It was customary for the sons and daughters of town worthies to have an initialled datestone built into their houses in honour of their union.

Photo 1:Carved sandstone, fragmented, set in the front of Fetternear House which was destroyed by fire in 1919.
Text of top fragment Reads abbr, Jesu Maria with a Greek Cross and another symbol, lower fragment shows the letters PEL, M and I, an outline holly leaf and the date1691.
Photo 2: Carved sandstone set in the front of Fetternear House shows the Coat of arms of the Count Patrick Leslie 1693.

An ornate decorative cast iron arch supporting a large lantern of orange-red glass, which presumably was once illuminated by an oil or gas lamp.
Installed over doorway to a house built in 1712. Used around 1746 by Rev Alexander Grieg for Episcopalian services, when because of support for the Jacobite cause legislation by the (Hanoverian) government prohibited congregations of more than five. In the 1850s the house was home to Peter Christian, solicitor and Sheriff's clerk for Kincardineshire. The Doorway probably originally led through into courtyard area

Former school, dated 1804 with ball- finialled apex bellcote which crowns the gable of the building. Datestone bears the inscription 'FREE SCHOOL Endowed by Alexander Pirie,1805'.

The old kirk now stands as a consolidated ruin, originally dedicated to St. Nechtan, or St. Nathlan, though it was rededicated to St. Mary in 1276. It was never a parish kirk and was suppressed by the kirk session in the 1560s.
The kirk was lengthened at the W. end during renovations in the 15th - century, though the remainder of the kirk is said to be 13th – century in date. Restoration work was carried out in 1870 and it is probable that the lintel to the arched opening in the S. elevation dates from that time.
The E. and W. gables remain, the former composed of three lancet windows, very thin in proportion, broadly spaced and having carved sandstone head terminals. The gable wall is extremely deep with the windows having a remarkably broad internal splay. The W. gable features a large square window opening.The mort-house or arched vault was built in 1842 though the W. end of the kirk extends over this arch making it impossible to see how the vault was entered. The granite side and grassed roof of the vault appear to be in good order.
Tombstones : There are approximately 20 recumbent tombstones of which 4 are significantly well-decorated. There are many hundreds of upright tombstones contained within the kirkyard that is itself located on two levels. The kirkyard is approximately oval in shape and is situated on the cliffs with commanding views over the North Sea.
The bottom photograph shows the wrought iron 'kissing gate'.

A modern stone menhir with bronze plaque commemorating a 14th century battle.

Extravagant Neo-Jacobean, tall gabled hospital with timber arcaded cupola with faceted lead roof and weathervane, 1860. Alexander Chalmers of Clunie (Marnoch, Banffshire) wine Merchant and ship owner in Banff left 'the site of his residence' and a bequest of £70,000 to build and endow the hospital.

Delgatie Castle dates from about 1030. The main tower dates from the 1100s while its final extension with the battlement walk above the string course was completed in 1579. Both wings were added in 1743.
From 1314 until the recent death of Captain Hay of Delgatie the castle has belonged to the Hay family. It is now managed by a charitable trust.
The painted ceilings from 1592 and 1597 are amongst the finest surviving in Scotland. Their iconography has interesting comparisons to the much earlier Aberdeen Bestiary and even earlier Pictish sculpture. See The Pictish Arts Society
The castle boasts an eclectic range of architectural decorations and sculpture.

Delgatie is open daily from 10a.m. to 5p.m. every day throughout the year and is only closed Christmas and New Year weeks. There is also a tearoom serving home baking and snacks.
Accommodation is available see Delgatie's own site for details www.delgatiecastle.com or e.mail Delgatie Castle

An unusual pink harled circular structure with three tiers of decreasing diameter. A circular dovecot in good repair: three sharply diminishing stages with batten, rubble-built. Entrance with chamfer and relieving arch, widened at lower courses. 708 stone nesting boxes. Similar to those at Auchry and Huntly but appears to be considerably older.

Listed category A. Domed peristyle Well in Forecourt accompanied by Garden of Remembrance. The new Banff Castle, built by Lord Deskford in 1750, stands on the grounds of the original fortified castle.

Substantial Baroque mansion 3 story on raised basement fluted Corinthian pilasters to tower heads, pediment to principal floor. The South (principal) elevation has the pedimented centre piece with exuberant armorial carving Duff Arms and Motto. The original lead statues are preserved in the house and have been replaced by fibre glass copies which stand above the pediment, representing Mars, Apollo and Minerva. On the north elevation Bacchus, Mercury and Diana.
House open to the public. See their website for details.

Pair of polished ashlar octagonal gate piers with moulded stepped caps supporting fine carved stone urns. Decorated with acanthus and swags of fruit and flowers. Gates probably made by the Banff Foundry (James Fraser) a firm which provided similar to other local country house estates, including Castle Fraser. House open to the public. See their website for details.

A small classical pedimented pavilion with Venetian windows (now blocked and painted with false panes). A solitary survivor of a pair that guarded the eastern entrance of the Duff House policies. It has been relocated and truncated and is now used as an electricity sub-station and the basement for supermarket trolleys.
Well weathered sandstone crests - May show a lion rampant which is the Fife family heraldic device and crest, adorn the East and West pediments of the gate house.

A dramatic hilltop ruin with stunning views over the surrounding countryside.

There have been a number of churches on the present site. The original church, dedicated to St. Bridget in 1394, was replaced in 1593 by the 5th Earl Marischal (George Keith), which in turn was replaced in 1782 by a much larger church. The church was completely reconstructed in 1903 and remodelled into a cruciform plan by G.P.K. Young of Perth, with parts of the 1782 church incorporated into the present building. The kirk is of a rectangular plan built of granite rubble with Gothic details. There is a plain ball-capped bellcote on the E. gable.
The Marischal Aisle is a small stone building in the churchyard, built by George Keith in 1582, as a burial place for his family.The Marischal Aisle is the oldest complete surviving section within the church confines. It was erected in 1582 by the 5th Earl as a family burial place. It was restored in 1913 by Aberdeen University, as a tribute to George Keith who had founded Marischal College.
Numerous tombstones of interest are found in the vicinity of the Marischal Aisle. Some date from the 17th & 18th centuries and are elaborately carved with winged souls, skulls, crossbones, hourglasses and sexton’s spades. Some display tools of trade. On the stone of James Kemlo, town’s officer and bellman, is carved a bell.
There are approximately 36 recumbent stones of which 13 are particularly well-decorated. There are a pair of oval recumbent tombstones a little to the E. of the Marischal Aisle, which are possibly the only two of their kind in Aberdeenshire. There are many hundreds of upright tombstones, many of special note. There is a stone commemorating those who died in the dungeons of Dunnottar for their adherence to the Covenant. There is an extremely well-carved skull in the boundary wall above an upright tombstone.

A relic of St Ternan's Monastery still remaining at Banchory is a slab with two incised Celtic crosses, built into the Tilquilly vault in the chuchyard. Discovered by J W Robertson, Aberdeen.

Listed category C. Designed by Robert Raeburn of Edinburgh in the Ionian mode of that city, with portico and cupola. Enlarged in 1876, fortunately the façade was left intact, it has a most unusual beamed roof inside.

Listed category B.
An elegant building, entered through a Regency pilastered porch with spreading fanlight, originally built for provost George Robinson when it was known as Moray House. There is also some excellent plaster work circa 1790's , the hall being a scaled down copy of the ante- room in Duff House.

The castle; probably occupies the site of a prehistoric fort. St Ninian established a church here about the beginning of the 5thC. It may also be the -Dunfoithir- besieged in 681. In the reign of William the Lion (1165-1214) -Dunnottar- was the place where warrants were returnable for the Mearns, and -le castiel de Dunostre- is mentioned at the beginning of the 13thC. Another castle was erected at the end of the 14thC. In its final form the castle was forfeited in 1716 and the roofs and floors removed and sold. In 1925 the systematic repair and excavation of the ruins was begun.In its present form the extensive remains date from various periods. The oldest portion is the early 15thC keep with a range of buildings extending to the E containing stables & storehouses. The gatehouse is approached by a steep path and defended by three tiers of splayed gun-loops. The arched entrance is the only opening on a solid wall of masonry set into a cleft in the rock; a very impressive and dominating entrance. The buildings to the NW grouped round a courtyard date from the late 16th or early 17thC, including a chapel. A huge water system lies within the courtyard. There is also a bowling green to the W of this later range. The Scottish Crown jewels (The Honours of Scotland) were hidden here in 1651 as it was considered one of the strongest places in the kingdom. In 1685 167 Covenanters were packed into a small vault, (the Whigs Vault) where 9 died due to the terrible conditions. Privately owned (Dunecht Estates) and open to the public. An oval motte was noted in 1970.

Apart from the original Preston tower this is not a building with serious defensive intent, more a stylish country palace. As with the tomb for the same client and the other castles he was involved in the design of, Leper has combined what was then modern style with older traditions to create a fusion that is peculiarly Scottish. He has an approach that resonates with C. R. Mackintosh in a much later era.

Fettercairn will have had some kind of market cross since 1504 when the status of a free burgh of barony was first granted. It is is said by some that the shaft of the current cross originally stood in the burgh of Kincardine which declined and eventually ceased when the judicial headquarters of the county moved to Stonehaven in 1600. There is no historical record of the cross being moved in this manner.

The royal license to hold markets in Fettercairn was renewed in 1670 and the shaft may indeed have been relocated at that time, at the same date the capitol was made and added to the cross. It bears that date 1670 on the north side, alternatively the shaft may pre-date the capitol and be the (Fettercairn) original from 1504 (it certainly appears older than the capitol). The capitol bears a sundial on the south side, the lion rampant from the royal arms of Scotland on the west and the coronetted initials of John, First Earl of Middleton, the local seigneur at the time on the east.

The shaft is octagonal and set on six sandstone steps. On the west of the shaft a deeply cut line marks the length of a Scot's ell (95.25cm or 37.5inches) the measurement used by traders in the market. There is also an iron hasp with two links still attached, presumed to be for the attachment of 'the jougs' an iron collar, persons found guilty of minor offences were restrained in this collar and exhibited at the cross as a punishment.

Corrennie granite Cross (erected 1868) and cairn – all
that remains on the site of the former St Mary’s priory Fyvie a cell of Arbroath Abbey. Founded in
1285 by Reginald de Cheyne. (the last traces, of the buildings, vanished in 18th century).

Stone carved figure covering face with hand, the other hand appears to be cradling the head of an infant at waist height. Interpretation is slightly speculative as the stone is quite badly eroded.

A large asymetrical stone with a socket and plaque.

Sandstone, the upright slab to Gilbert de Greenlaw, who was slain at the battle of Harlaw in 1411, stands in the kirk and exhibits a finely incised figure of a knight. The stone was obviously broken and reused, by a Forbes in 1592, with a Forbes incised armorial crest of three dogs and dated 1592 on the reverse side also inscribed with latin and greek texts.

Category B listed building. The Market Inn is dated 1585 on a painted lunette stone with grotesque moustachioed head - you can see it by going through the pend arch. The building in it's present form could be as late as 18th century but incorporating earlier fabric, but it is certainly the oldest building in continuous occupation in Banff.

Category B listed building. Incorporated in this symmetrical fronted building, centre corniced door with shoulder lintel with carved grotesque head and heavily quoined jambs, there is hint of Adam Senior influence in the doorpiece.

Category A listed building. Interesting and unusual survival of an early town house, the angle turret is a very rare feature, this distinguished dwelling also has a polygonal stair to the rear. The corbel stone bears the date 1675 and is decorated with two leaves. The building also incorporates an angle mural sundial. The building was restored by Banff Preservation Society circa 1970 and is now privately owned.

A small carved stone armorial plaque embellished with gilding. Plaque dated 1780. The plaque pre-dates the building it is affixed to. It shows the monogram JJ, the motto, of the Innes family,"ORNATUR RADIX FRONDE, The root is adorned by the foliage" with the palm frond crest of the Innes family. I believe the plaque may relate to John Innes, 8th of Edingight, Provost of Banff (b 22.02.1721, d 07.06.1790).

Listed Category A. Italianante building by Thomas Mackenzie, Elgin 1851-4 , with unusual queen-head capitals and Corinthian pilastered triparte with shell motif over centre light. Linked at south by tall round headed archway incorporating carved bearded head. The interior has 1st floor hall which takes up the entire frontage, the ceiling being supported by 6 pairs of draped female figures clasping laurel wreaths. The Town Hall was originally built as the St. Andrew's Lodge of Masons Hall.

Bronze metal panel built into the north wall of Kinkell Church, showing the crucifixion, a figure of the Virgin Mary and an Angel.
This is a replica of the original of 1525, which was lost. It bears the initials of Alexander Galloway, Rector of Kinkell

A stone carving of a lion crouched to spring in the middle of a large circular pool.

Incorporating 3 story domed tower, in 1865 the church was re-modelled and the original steeple replaced by a Italliante square tower with lead domed roof and cupola into which was installed the town clock.

Category B listed granite cross incorporating small carved plaque at apex, inscribed narrow slabs as arms mounted on square tooled granite plinth. Carving on apex depicts a figure on horseback and bears the arms of the Earl of Fife. Dated 1783 but incorporating earlier fragments. The cross bears the inscription, on 2 panels one on either side: Macduff Cross. Rebuilt at Macduff by the Earl of Fife, 1783 when the town was constituted a Royal Burgh by George III. May it flourish, increase in number and opulence, ----- while it's inhabitants gain the blessing of life by industry, diligence and temperance." The words on the inscription are taken to refer to the fact that a stone was taken from the ancient Macduff Cross in Fife and built into the Macduff one, to form some sort of symbolic connection between the ancient and modern bearers of the name Macduff. At the beginning of the last century it was popular for youths to light fires at the foot of the cross. As a result the cross fell and is now shorter.

(possibly 17th century, certainly older than the 1884 date of the building) carved heads thought to have originated at the nearby Dunnottar Castle, situated to the south of Stonehaven. Although badly weathered, the fine carving can still be seen on those of the human and lion heads.
Wall-mounted clock set in slightly raised decorative pedimented panel at lintel level between outer bays at right, and 4 carved heads and central shield date stone (see related atefacts) regularly disposed between ground and 1st floors

A shield shaped datestone decorated with an anchor and 2 monograms

A tall tapering five storey tower, Greek cross in section, with a crenellated parapet corbelled out over the remainder.
In the photograph it is being towered over by an oil rig in the bay ' Galaxy I' estimated at around 100m high since the monument is 58m above sea level. the stone over the door is inscribed; Reform Tower Erected 1832, Renewed by Kenneth Smith Of Meethill 1907

The dovecot at Mount Coffer House is cylinder-shaped. The walls are harled and rest on a plinth. A blocked up narrow slit recess, shaped as a cross at the top and a circle at the bottom, is present on the north and on the south side. The entrance is in the west side. Currently roofless probably late 18thC.

There are many different stories as to the origin of the horse. One is give below. The horse is constructed of quartz on Waughton Hill which is contiguous with Mormond hill (usually the whole prominence is referred to as Mormond). It is 162' long by 126' high. The horse was cleaned in 1937, 1949, 1968 and more recently in 1994. The hill is neither high nor steep but as the surrounding landscape is very flat, much of it peat bog, the hill and the horse are a significant presence in the landscape for some miles around.

A tall dovecot with chamfered angles forming an octagonal plan. It is built of harl pointed rubble with tooled granite ashlar dressings and margins with heavy boulder footings. It is built in two stages with long elevations on the N, S, E and W with doorway in the west. There is an oval oculus in the E, W and S elevations above a continuous alighting ledge. The wallhead is slightly corbelled and crenallated wallhead with each merlon capped by ball finial (12 in number). The wallhead masks a pyramidal slate roof. Inside the interior is lined full-height with approximately 300 brick nesting boxes with the base of each box constructed of brick slabs. A tall potence ladder still survives although some of the rungs are missing. Dated 1800. It was built by Lord Garden of Gardenstown when he bought the Pitsligo Estate. Each ball finial is said to represent one for each of his 12 Estates.

Angle mural sundial and date stone enscribed "George Massie, Elspet Morrison 1739 Gods Providence is ourInheritance."

Highly ornate wrought iron cemetery gates, bearing winged angels and painted town emblem with rider on horseback, also featured on MacDuff Town Cross and Town Hall.

A small monolith of pink Peterhead granite set upright on a rotunda of masonry itself set on a pavement of irregular slabs all in rough Peterhead granite, a bronze plaque has this inscription "From the sands of Cruden Bay on the 30th July 1914 the Norwegian Aviator Kommander Tryggve Gran D.F.C made the first crossing of the North Sea by air."
Underneath in smaller letters "RGC"

A simple 16th century table top tomb for a hausband and wife. Inscription reads: ANO. DNI. 1558.29 NOVE. OBIIT. VALTERVS. OGILVY. DE. DVNLVGVS. MILES . PRAEPOSITVS . HVIVS . VRBIS . ET . HIC. JACET. CV. ALISONA. HVME. EIVS. SPOSA. OBIIT. 23. JVLII. ANO. 1557.

Five carved 17th and early 18th century monogrammed pediments and armorial panels reset in the South return gable of the Royal Bank. The panels were removed from the house of Thomas Ogilvy which formerly occupied the site. The property later became the town house of the Baird of Auchmedden, later being demolished and reset into The National Commercial Bank (now Royal Bank) in 1937. The Royal Bank, 1937 by James McCallum, Architect and Master of works, Commercial Bank of Scotland. The panel in the fourth photograph has the Ogilvy motto "secundat vera fides" (true faith prospers).

Cairness House is an important work by James Playfair the gate piers and sphinxes were added to mark the centenary of its building.

Near to plague burial-ground; plague or victims were interred not here but in a nearby hollow to the south east of Victoria Street, at a site known as The Maltman's How. The site is now occupied by modern buildings and gardens. Two gravestones were found about 1842 (which had lain on a what at that time was a piece of waste ground, they were then erected against a bank on the left of the path opposite the Bog Well ) and are now set into the E wall of a public footpath at NO 8741 8552. Stone to N dated 1608 with death's head and shield incorporating 'MT' monogram, reading 'Heir lyes ane honest man, Magnvs Tailiovr, seyman, qvha depairtit in November, (in the time of) pest 1608'. Stone to S dated 1648 and reading 'Heir lyes ane Honest mans bairns Alexander and William Brokie, sones lawful to Alexander Brokie, who departet the 12 of Jwnie, of the age of tvalf and nyn yeirs old, in ano 1648'.

A carved painted datestone with a relief carved cock salmon between figures 18 and 34 within plain raised border with angle fluted 'fan' motif. The salmon is somehow more 'cuddly' than most representations of this popular subject

Built into house wall above entrance door on east side of street. A small stone carving showing two female and one male nude figures. This is a small sculpture about a foot across and set quite high up. The female figure on the left has suffered some unfortunate censorship (unintentional I hope) by cement render.
It is thought that the owner of the house at the time travelled widely and some are of the opinion that it may in fact be a piece of Indian Hindu sculpture brought back to Banff in the 18th century. Indeed now we have a higher resolution image I have no doubt that this work is Indian in origin: the details of jewellery, body ornaments and coiffure also the voluptuous female figures, the poses and the style of the columns all suggest an erotic temple sculpture. It also appears to be of great age. Perhaps of medieval or even earlier date it is certainly not a piece of pre-reformation European religious art.

Listed Category A. Italianante building by Thomas Mackenzie, Elgin 1851-4 , with unusual queen-head capitals and Corinthian pilastered triparte with shell motif over centre light. Linked at south by tall round headed archway incorporating carved bearded head. The interior has 1st floor hall which takes up the entire frontage, the ceiling being supported by 6 pairs of draped female figures clasping laurel wreaths. The Town Hall was originally built as the St. Andrew's Lodge of Masons Hall.

The two medieval burial monuments have been placed against the outer face of the WNW gable. The first, which measures 1.05m in height, is the head and torso of the effigy of a knight dating to the late 13th- or early 14th century. It is heavily weathered, and the figure's face has sheered off, but traces of detail survive along its more sheltered sides; the figure is clad in mail armour, with a coif, a surcoat, a belt, and a large shield. Beside the effigy there is a grave-slab of red sandstone measuring 1.8m in length by 50mm in thickness and tapering in breadth from 0.43m to 0.34m. At its wider end a wedge-armed cross has been incised within a circle. Running along the slab is an incised inscription reading: ORATE:PRO:ANIMA:RADULFI:SACERDOTIS:.
Although the inscription has been damaged, it suggests it may be dedicated to a priest Radulfus, Chaplain to the Bishop of Aberdeen between 1172 and 1194. A Radulfus is recorded as being a witness to a grant of land in Rayne to the convent of Melrose in 1172-99. Sandstone The stone, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, is a simple rectangle incised with an inscription and a simple circle enclosed cross. A badly eroded half of a figure statue lies beside the tombstone.

Monument; erected in 1833 , it was erected by local ‘Tories’ (Conservatives) on the site of the market cross to celebrate Parliamentary reform. A Roman Doric column surmounted by the arms of the Earl Marischal with a lion above; this coat of arms was originally in a gateway to Inverugie castle, recently restored.

A Victorian pink granite basin and cover carved with a scallop shell motif, for a spring traditionally associated with the dark age St Drostan who is supposed to have landed on this beach before evangelising the Buchan area in Pictish times.

Category B listed building. Coat of Arms dated 1675, built into arched gateway. Plaque initialled IG IS to John Gordon and his wife Janet Saunders, incorporating coat of arms. The plot of ground was called Saunders Heritage. The plaque was reset above the archway at the East return gable of Banff's former Police station, later the Post Office.

Listed Category A. Italianante building by Thomas Mackenzie, Elgin 1851-4 , with unusual queen-head capitals and Corinthian pilastered triparte with shell motif over centre light. Linked at south by tall round headed archway incorporating carved bearded head. The interior has 1st floor hall which takes up the entire frontage, the ceiling being supported by 6 pairs of draped female figures clasping laurel wreaths. The Town Hall was originally built as the St. Andrew's Lodge of Masons Hall.

Listed category B. Plaque above pend entrance inscribed '1716. Rebuilt by the incorporation of shoemakers 1787' motif of a leather workers crescent shaped knife surmounted by a crown. Small lower plaque reads 'Restored by Banff Preservation Society 1975. The plaques were restored and painted by the Society in 2000

Privately owned and not accessible to the public.
Tall Italliante House, incorporating ground and 1st floor glazed conservatories with original glazing bars with mask decoration. Ornamental urn with anthemion and decorative detailing masks chimney stack above attic as apex finial, tall hand thrown chimney cans elsewhere. Decorative cast-iron apex finial to SW gable. Interior; Decorative plaster friezes, cast iron spiral staircase winds to attic view room, upper portion of tower constructed of bolted iron plates.
Influenced by a design by John Gordon. Murray was the owner of Banff foundry, hence the cast iron components in the house.

Rubble built tunnel type entrance, the well is said to have been built in the early part of the 7th century. The well 2ft diameter, and still flowing, is now covered by a stone cupola with an arched entrance. The well is hidden away in an earth mound (Perhaps a burial mound since it is adjacent to the cemetery) You can only see the well if you actually enter the cemetery by the gate at the bottom of the hill opposite the caravan for the warden of the caravan site. The plaque, made from the soft unstable yellow sandstone of the area, is just recognisable as St Colm's well but will be lost soon, the plaque dates from when the well was restored in 1893 though the date is now hardly readable.
Near the site of an ancient chapel, or oratory, said to have been dedicated to St Columba the last remnants of which disappeared in the early 1800s.

All that remains of the old kirk of Insch, said to be gifted to the Abbey of Lindores before 1195, is the W. gable complete with a stunning example of a 17th - century pedimented bellcote, in ornately carved red sandstone. The elaborate carving includes the letters M I L , The minister John Logie and the date 1613
The remains of the former parish church of Insch stand in its burial-ground on the E side of the town of Insch (NJ62NW 42). The visible portion of the church has been reduced to the WNW gable and the stumps of the NNE and SSW sides; it measures 6.2m in internal breadth and the random rubble walls are 1.05m in thickness. The gable incorporates a rectangular-headed doorway, and, above it, an arch-headed window, both of which splay internally. A scarcement at a height of 2.2m on the internal face of the gable indicates the former existence of a loft in the WNW end of the church. The apex of the gable is surmounted by the ashlar plinth of an elaborately decorated bellcote, which is dated 1613 and bears the initials M I L around a shield on its S side.

The ruined church of St Johns; the ruins of former parish church dedicated to St John the Evangelist said to be founded in 11thC. The present church has been built in two periods at least, the east end probably early 16thC and the rest 17thC; measures 28.75m long by 4.72m wide; rubble built, gable ends; wall and gable remain to roof height; ambry in E wall; 16thC Barclay of Tolly monument; 17thC onwards monuments in churchyard; fell in to ruin mid 19thC when new parish church built in 1830. Repointed in 1961.
In 1004 after a battle with the Danes the battle of the Bloody Pits (or pots) trophy skulls were brought here where they remained till fairly recently in a niche in the wall, Bloodymire (NJ 726 635) where Barbara Bruce lived is a possible site for the battle. One of the skulls went to the Banff museum. Arial photos of Bloodymire farm show crop marks of pits.
An entry in E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. says " "Kirk of Skulls."Gamrie church in Banffshire: so called because the skulls and other bones of the Norsemen who fell in the neighbouring field, called the Bloody Pots, were built into its walls. " presumably relates to St Johns and not the newer 1830 Gamrie church.

Church; 19thC; built over the ruins of the little mansion of the Lairds of Braeloine. The west extension of the church incorporates an arch and to the north a small bell-tower from this 17th C building. Still in use as a church. To the south of it a small farmstead called Braeloine, consisting of three buildings, is depicted on the OS map of 1867 but not on the 1888 edition.

Gravestone in abandoned churchyard made of crude slab of grey granite
about 3 feet high by 1'6" wide incised with a Greek cross and with a relief of a sword or dagger. An early memorial aimed at a non-literate audience.

Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The Old Kirk : The old kirk is situated on a small hill that was once allegedly the site of the 6th - century Chapel of St. Ciaran. St. Ciarán was an Irish monk, missionary to the Picts (if it is was St. Ciarán founder of Clonmacnois who lived from circa 512-544AD it is hard to see how he had the time) there are also many other saints of the same name St. Ciarán [the Elder] of Ossory or of Saighir not to mention Saint Ciarán of Disert-Kieran, Saint Ciarán of Clonsost, Saint Ciarán mac Colga and an often confused St. Piran, in fact there are so many dark-age St Ciaráns it is something of an academic joke.
When Stonehaven became the county town of Kincardineshire in 1600, subsequent population growth necessitated the building of a New Kirk on Bath Street and St. Ciarán's fell derelict, but was rescued by the Duffs of Fetterresso who used it as their burial ground.
The Pictish period chapel was replaced by one built in the 13th – century of which the N.W. doorway and portions of the N. adjoining wall are said to belong. The main body of the present kirk dates from the second half of the 17th - century. Internally this elevation can be seen to have contained a number of window and door openings. The N.W. gable of the kirk is crowned by a bellcote, dated 1737, though the bell is no longer present. Internally the kirk contains a superb white marble tombstone to the memory of Rbt. Wllm. Duff of Fetterresso, dated 1834, and features a finely carved armorial panel in a good pediment. The memorial is in reasonably good condition.
Tombstones : There are approximately 71 recumbent tombstones, of which 12 are significantly decorated. There are many hundreds of upright tombstones of which a high proportion are stylish Victorian tombstones.
Some of the 18th century stones were engraved by a Mr. Cresswell, a farmer "who could not form a single letter with the pen".

A fascinating surviving burial ground of medieval origin in the heart of a town. It exhibits an almost theatrical assemblage of memorial art. It is enclosed by low rubble wall with railings and containing late 16th century Banff aisle, burial enclosures and tombstones. See external link for a complete list of inscriptions.
The old Kirk : The old kirk of Banff was erected in 1471 and demolished in 1797, the partially reconstructed 16th - century "Banff
Aisle" is all that remains. A low canted aisle with geometric traceried window and stone slab roof. Contains memorial tablet
dated 1580 recording erection of aisle. Also table tomb of Sir Walter Olgilvy of Dunlugas (and Banff), died 1558 and his wife Alison Hume died 1557.
Tombstones : There are approximately 220 table-top and recumbent tombstones of which 48 are significantly decorated, with many hundreds of upright stones dating from the 16th - to the 19th - century. There are amongst others, a fine
recumbent figure tomb of George Baird of Auchmedden, an exceptionally well executed pyramidal tomb with a white statuary marble tablet carved in relief, and a superb 1698 Renaissance style memorial complete with Corinthian columns and trumpeting angels.

The sacramental recess for the communion cup in the ruin of St Meddans Church, Carved relief calvary in dark pink granite c. 15th century, showing the crucifixion with 2 Saints?

Heavy wrought iron gates in a grid pattern with protruding scrolls at top and bottom of the vertical bars. The building dates from the 1500s but I do not know if the gates are contemporary with it.

The Stuart Royal Arms built into wall adjacent to Banff's Town house steeple, situated at The Plainstones, res-et and painted.

After the union of the monarchy of England and Scotland 10th April 1603 after the ascension of James the VI in 1578 (James the I of England) In Scotland the Unicorn of Scotland is shown on the dexter side of the shield in England it is shown sinister.

A square concrete block of the kind that once covered much of the coasts of Britain and Europe, with carved graffiti. Blocks of concrete such as this still stretch all the way from Aberdeen to the mouth of the River Ythan at Newburgh. There are also extant examples on more northerly Aberdeenshire beaches that could have been used for landing. Built in 1940 they were designed to prevent tanks landing during the feared Nazi invasion. Some have simple graffiti on them but this one was richly decorated by Louis Lawson. There is a caricature of Churchill who is watching Hitler looking upwards at a bomb falling from the sky. At the bottom there is the chilling message "Hitler's Graveyard".

Belvedere in the form of domed arcaded rotunda. Modern harl. 6 round headed keystone arches rising from a continuous plinth. Domed roof capped by a small ball finial. Built for the Earl of Fife on a hill over-looking Duff House, the Earl's folly once housed a statue of the goddess Venus. Built by the Earls of Fife to improve the skyline.

This ceiling is decorated on the beams only, mostly with a long inscription on the sides, with decorative work on the underside.

One of the most important surviving 16th century painted ceilings in Scotland The iconography has interesting comparisons to the much earlier Aberdeen Bestiary and even earlier Pictish sculpture.

Colonel Tawse and Messrs Hall, 1936; renovated 1999-2000 by Hall and Tawse. Tall single storey and basement, 3-bay, piend-roofed, Art Deco restaurant with bowed concrete-pillared loggia/verandah and bowed front comprising Art Deco glazing to large windows combining vertical and horizontal patterning with Deco symbols, set on terrace above period garden. Banded brick and reinforced concrete.
S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Double stair leading to loggia with Art Deco metalwork balustrade railing, centre bay of set-back face with large bow comprising narrow-centre 5-part full-height window with decoratively-astragalled top-lights, similarly-detailed 4-part windows to outer bays with outer lights as doors.
W ELEVATION: tall piended bay at centre with tall raised-centre 5-light window, flat-roofed loggia to right with later infill glazing, and lower piended bay to left with symmetrical glazing.
N (EVAN STREET) ELEVATION: listed separately as Art-deco Shops 26 to 32 Evan Street.

Metal framed windows with decoratively-astragalled glazing patterns to S combining vertical and horizontal patterning with Deco symbols; largely multi-pane glazing elsewhere. Grey slates.

INTERIOR: fine Art Deco interior comprising main apartment with vaulted ceiling, horizontal panelled walls incorporating some decorative metalwork panels, and counter with clock incorporated behind; E end wall with Art Deco engraved 'Picasso glass' mirror and tall curved mirrored supports (with lights?). Original light fittings. Toilets with original decorative floor and wall tiles and fittings. Wood floors reclaimed from Aberdeen College of Commerce. Top-lit link corridor leading to N entrance (Evan Street).

TERRACED GARDEN, BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND GATES: rubble and brick terracing to ornamental garden, garden walls to street with period gate- and end-piers, ironwork archway incorporating name 'CARRON RESTAURANT' and boldly detailed wrought-iron gates.

The facade of a Gothic style doocote rebuilt beside the castle.

Scheduled, Category A Listed,Site of Regional Significance. The cross depicts the Crucifixion on one side and on the other the Virgin and Child. The Mercat Cross originally stood where the Biggar fountain now stands, but because of it's size and it's interference with the traffic was removed in 1767 and custody given to the Earl of Fife, who erected the capital on top of a dovecote at NJ682 632. In 1900 the cross was restored within the bounds of the burgh, and in 1994 an exact replica of the 16th century cross, polychromed as it would originally have been, was placed on its 17th century shaft, and restored to almost it's original location. The original carving was placed in Banff Museum. The Reformation in Scotland was begun by John Knox in 1541, and eventually led to a widespread destruction of artworks and manuscripts by iconoclasts. The Mercat Cross survived and was given a new shaft in 1627. It is a rare survival of such overtly religious pre reformation work.

Sandstone commemorative stone worded 'THEOBALD BARCLAY 1150' 'MATHERS 1351 URIE' (see Notes below) from the 1781 bridge re-cut and set into wall below a milestone which is incised with BERVIE 10 / L(signifing Laurencekirk)14 / A(signifing Aberdeen)14.

Late 18th century and circa 1830, converted to flats in 1998. 2-storey and attic, 7-bay, L-plan former coaching inn converted to flatted dwellings late 20th century, with hexastyle colonnade. Red sandstone ashlar with coursed squared rubble to sides, squared and snecked rubble and some harl to rear. Cornice and blocking course.
S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: ground floor with colonnade, outer pilasters and Doric entablature with triglyphs, metopes and guttae, mutuled cornice and blocking course across 3 centre bays with window flanked by panelled timber doors with 4-pane fanlights, windows to remaining bays, and smaller regular fenestration close to eaves at 1st floor. Blocking course with raised centre comprising corniced ashlar tablet and painted panel reading 'THE MILL INN'. 2 slate-hung piended dormer windows to each side behind blocking course.

Red Well is a well fed by a chalybeate spring said to have healing properties. It lies within a tall circular structure with a beehive-shaped or domed roof. An iron gate forms the entrance.

A highly decorative late-Victorian footbridge. Single span, shallow segmental-arched, cast-iron footbridge over Carron Water. Cast in 3 sections with dated makers plaque to centre of riveted girder, wrought-iron quatrefoil parapet, cast-iron standards with wrought-iron arch at centre, and pyramidally-coped, stop-chamfered ashlar terminal piers.
Made by Blaikie Brothers - Engineer was G.S. Hird.

The oldest building in Fraserburgh, probably named from a past use as a wine cellar or possibly a corruption of "wynd tower".

Its original purpose is still the subject of some academic debate. It is roughly built of rubble with three vaulted storeys, the centre reached by a hatch from the uppermost. This first floor level is lit only by one small window in the E wall. The original entrance is at second floor level and had been reached by a ladder or moveable stair, arriving at a landing supported by two stone corbels which are still extant. The outer doorway admits to a small vestibule which is closed by an inner door beneath which is the hatch to the two lower levels. The upper chamber has a window in each of its four walls and has a remarkable series of finely carved heraldic pendant bosses, three in the main vault and one in each of the four arched window soffits. Bryce suggests that this upper chamber was designed to serve as a Roman Catholic chapel. The fact that this chamber was raised, concealed, semi-defended and provided with two -secret- chambers below, points to the true date of this enigmatic structure as belonging to the period of the Reformation in Scotland. from SMR

The Tolquhon Monument, built by Thomas Leper in 1589, of a chocolate- coloured sandstone, to commemorate William Forbes of
Tolquhon (perhaps to Forbes' design) and his wife Elizabeth Gordon, is supposed to be the relic of the S. aisle of the old kirk. Rich arched altar tomb mixed gothic and Renaissance motifs inspired by Dunbar tomb at St. Machar's, Cathedral.
It is somehow very Scottish in style.
Present pedimented setting probably of 1798. The monument is housed in a classical surround believed to be of 1798 in date, though a large porch has been erected by Historic Scotland consisting of sheets of perspex with bronze structural supports. The tombstone is remarkably well preserved with its representative figures, though the structure preserving it rather resembles a domestic green house.

Coats of arms as shown for William is 'Forbes quartered with Preston' and shown for his wife is 'Forbes impaled with Gordon'.
The charges on the shields show, heads of boars, unicorns and muzzled bears. The unicorns appear again at the top of the arch either side of the crown flanked by hounds hunting on the right a deer and on the left another animal I cannot definitely identify (perhaps a fox or martin).

Reputed to be the site of a 13th - century kirk, there was said to be no visible signs of its position within the yard though a four-sided structure is present to the rear of the site bearing a carved stone lintel and chamfer-edged doorway. This enclosure, is said to be a burial ground. Built into a corner of the kirkyard is a small old watch-house with a good secure door and a small watch window.
There are approximately 10 recumbent tombstones, of which 3 are particularly well-decorated. There are several burial enclosures of particular note: - The Stratton of Kirkside enclosure,complete with original railings, contains a huge polished pink sarcophagus, a memorial with a bronze portrait by John Steell and a shattered 17th - century sarcophagus.The most visually commanding structure is the Graham of Morphie Aisle. Rebuilt in the 19th -century of a crow-stepped form, it sports a good armorial panel over the doorway.
The three carved figures, shown in one of the photographs, although presumably representing biblical characters, are a little reminiscent of the genii cucullati (hooded gods) figures of Romano Celtic Europe/Britain in pose if not in hoodies.

An ornate neo-classical granite fountain.