Macduff
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|---|---|
 Macduff harbour | |
  Macduff Location withinAberdeenshire | |
| Population | 3,830 (2020)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NJ704646 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MACDUFF |
| Postcode district | AB44 |
| Dialling code | 01261 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 57°40′16″N2°29′49″W / 57.671°N 2.497°W /57.671; -2.497 | |
Macduff (Scottish Gaelic:An Dùn) is a town in theBanff and Buchan area ofAberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated onBanff Bay and faces the town ofBanff across the estuary of theRiver Deveron. Macduff is a formerburgh and was the last place in the United Kingdom where deep-water wooden fishing boats were built.[2]
The settlement of Doune (from theScottish Gaelicdùn, "hill fort") was purchased in 1733 byWilliam Duff, who became the first Earl Fife. In 1760,James Duff, the second earl, built a harbour there and in 1783 succeeded in raising Doune to the status of aburgh of barony, renaming it "Macduff" afterhis supposed ancestor. The 2nd Earl Fife appointed his factor, William Rose, as the first Provost of Macduff in 1783. The town celebrated its bicentenary in 1983, and the signs erected in that year still stand on the main approaches to the town (most visibly, a large sign next to the Banff Bridge on the Macduff side).
Banff and Macduff are separated by the valley of the River Deveron. This unpredictable river was finally tamed by the seven-arched bridge completed in 1799 byJohn Smeaton. 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.Early area prehistory is manifested by the nearby ancient monument atLongman Hill, a largelong barrow[3] somewhat to the southeast of Macduff.
The town hasan aquarium, a maritime heritage centre and a golf course (Royal Tarlair).COAST Festival of the Visual Arts is an annual festival of weekend-long events and attractions in both Banff and Macduff. It runs over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May each year.The town once hadan outdoor swimming pool, which has fallen into disuse, but is intended to be restored.[4]Many of the nearby villages also contribute to tourism in the area; in particularGardenstown andPennan.
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Macduff Town Hall, on Shore Street, is a Category Blisted building constructed in 1884.[5][6]
Macduff has anRNLI lifeboat station which is equipped with anAtlantic 85 inshore lifeboat,Lydia Macdonald. The Macduff lifeboat is unique within theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution, being the only inshore lifeboat that is stored on, launched and recovered from a LGV fitted with its own crane. This allows the lifeboat to be launched and recovered from different locations along the coast should the need arise.
Macduff was served from 1860 by theBanff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Railway, later absorbed by theGreat North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) which at first ran toBanff & Macduff station, almost one mile (1.5 kilometres) from the town. In 1872 the line to Banff & Macduff station benefited from a replacement station closer to the town centre;Macduff railway station opened, and the original station closed on 1 July 1872. The preceding station before the terminus in Macduff wasBanff Bridge railway station, placed near the bridge between Banff and Macduff. Banff itself was served by another station,Banff Harbour (later just Banff), and since this was on a separate line (originally belonging to theBanff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway, though later absorbed by the GNSR), it also provided an alternative route that came close to Macduff.
All the lines suffered from mid-20th century railway cuts, with Macduff station closing by the end of 1961.
Macduff has a golf course known as Royal Tarlair which was built on land which ends on precipitous cliffs so lost balls really are lost. It is home to the famous 13th hole called The Clivet.
In 2016 the Macduff Sports and Community Centre was opened. It houses a 4G AstroTurf pitch with an indoor tennis court sized hall.
Macduff have a new welfare football club called Macduff AFC. They play their home games at the new Macduff Sports Centre.
Settlements and places of interest inBanff and Buchan,Aberdeenshire | ||
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| Primary settlements |  | |
| Other settlements | ||
| Places of interest | ||
Areas and primary settlements inAberdeenshire(see also:Aberdeen City) | ||
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| inBanff and Buchan |  | |
| inBuchan | ||
| inFormartine | ||
| inGarioch | ||
| inKincardine and Mearns | ||
| inMarr | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
