Banffshire
Encyclopedia
The County of Banff is a registration county
for property, and Banffshire (icon; ) is a Lieutenancy area
of Scotland
.
The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county
of Scotland
with its own county council
between 1890 and 1975. The county town
was Banff although the largest community was Buckie
to the west. It bordered the Moray Firth
to the north, Moray
and Inverness-shire
to the west, and Aberdeenshire
to the south. Until 1891 the county contained various exclaves which were locally situated in Aberdeenshire, the biggest being the parish and village of St. Fergus
. The county's area is now split between Moray
council and Aberdeenshire
council.
The region remained largely Roman Catholic after the Reformation
(16th century) and suffered greatly in the ensuing struggles. During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
(17th century), Banffshire was a Royalist
stronghold. Located in the area are the ruins of several medieval castles and the 12th century kirk
of Gamrie. From 1975 to 1996, the area of the previous county lay within the Grampian
Region.
human habitation exists particularly near the coast
al area. For example, the Longman Hill
cairn
and Cairn Lee
are situated in the northern portion of Banffshire in the vicinity of the Burn of Myrehouse
.
Registration county
A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purposes....
for property, and Banffshire (icon; ) is a Lieutenancy area
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
The lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch's representatives, in Scotland. They are different from the local government council areas, the committee areas, the sheriffdoms, the registration counties, the former regions and districts, the...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with its own county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
between 1890 and 1975. The county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
was Banff although the largest community was Buckie
Buckie
Buckie is a burgh town on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland in Moray. Buckie was the largest town in Banffshire by some thousands of inhabitants before regionalisation in 1975 removed that political division from the map of Scotland...
to the west. It bordered the Moray Firth
Moray Firth
The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland...
to the north, Moray
County of Moray
Moray is one of the registration counties of Scotland, bordering Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east...
and Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire
The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
to the west, and Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (historic)
Aberdeenshire or the County of Aberdeen is a registration county of Scotland. This area is also a lieutenancy area.Until 1975 Aberdeenshire was one of the counties of Scotland, governed by a county council from 1890...
to the south. Until 1891 the county contained various exclaves which were locally situated in Aberdeenshire, the biggest being the parish and village of St. Fergus
St. Fergus
St Fergus is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly in the county of Banffshire. St Fergus lies a mile from the North Sea coast and three miles northwest of Peterhead...
. The county's area is now split between Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
council and Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
council.
The region remained largely Roman Catholic after the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
(16th century) and suffered greatly in the ensuing struggles. During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
(17th century), Banffshire was a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
stronghold. Located in the area are the ruins of several medieval castles and the 12th century kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
of Gamrie. From 1975 to 1996, the area of the previous county lay within the Grampian
Grampian
Grampian was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. It is now divided into the unitary council areas of:*Moray*Aberdeenshire*City of AberdeenThe region had five districts:*Aberdeen*Banff and Buchan...
Region.
History
Considerable evidence of prehistoricalPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
human habitation exists particularly near the coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al area. For example, the Longman Hill
Longman Hill
Longman Hill is a prehistoric monument in northern Aberdeenshire, Scotland near Banff Bay. Due to the low lying coastal plain characteristics, the elevation of Longman Hill affords a long distance view as far as the Moray Firth....
cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
and Cairn Lee
Cairn Lee
Cairn Lee is a prehistoric monument in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Cairn Lee and proximate Longman Hill are the oldest prehistoric features in the local area.-References:...
are situated in the northern portion of Banffshire in the vicinity of the Burn of Myrehouse
Burn of Myrehouse
The Burn of Myrehouse is a coastal stream in Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland discharging to Banff Bay. This watercourse has been suggested as an associated feature to the prehistoric feature at nearby Longman Hill.-References:...
.
Notable residents
- James AbercrombyJames Abercrombie (general)General James Abercrombie or Abercromby was a British Army general and commander-in-chief of forces in North America during the French and Indian War, best known for the disastrous British losses in the 1758 Battle of Carillon.-Early life:Abercrombie was born in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland to...
, (1706-1781), born in Glassaugh, BritishBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
general in the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America... - James Ferguson, FRSFRS-Education:* Frontier Regional School, a regional school located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts-Government:*FRS 567 states that, an accountant shall perfom his/ her duty with due care...
(1710-1776), born Rothiemay, astronomer and instrument maker. - Saint John OgilvieSaint John OgilvieSaint John Ogilvie was a Scottish Roman Catholic Jesuit martyr.-Biography:Ogilvie, the son of a wealthy laird, was born into a respected Calvinist family at Drum-na-Keith near Keith in Banffshire, Scotland and was educated in mainland Europe where he attended a number of Roman Catholic educational...
, (1579-1615), born in KeithKeith, MorayKeith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
wasrt a Scottish Catholic martyr. - George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount StephenGeorge Stephen, 1st Baron Mount StephenGeorge Stephen, 1st Baron of Mount Stephen , known as Sir Stephen, between 1778 and 1891.-Canadian Pacific Railway syndicate:...
1829-1921 Canadian railway executie who named Banff, AlbertaBanff, AlbertaBanff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
after his birthplace; Banff National ParkBanff National ParkBanff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
and Banff Springs HotelBanff Springs HotelThe Fairmont Banff Springs or simply the Banff Springs Hotel is a former railway hotel constructed in Scottish Baronial style located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The original hotel, designed by American architect Bruce Price, was built between spring of 1887 and 1888 by the Canadian...
are linked to Stephen back to Banffshire
See also
- Lord Lieutenant of BanffshireLord Lieutenant of BanffshireThis is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Scotland.*James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife 17 March 1794 – 24 January 1809*In commission 1809–1813**Sir George Abercromby, 4th Baronet**Francis Garden Campbell**Stewart Souler...
- Banffshire (UK Parliament constituency)Banffshire (UK Parliament constituency)Banffshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1983...
- List of pre-1975 counties of Scotland