Many thanks to
The Spotty Bag Shop for facilitating this camera's location and to
Aberdeenshire Council for capitally funding its installation in partnership with
The Deveron Bogie & Isla Rivers Charitable Trust. The construction of Banff's first castle was primarily motivated by the need to defend against Viking invaders. Historical records from 1163 AD indicate that King Malcolm IV resided there during that period. Despite lacking its own harbor until 1775, the town flourished as a bustling trading center within the 'free hanse' of Northern Scottish burghs. Richard de Strathewan became the first recorded Sheriff of Banff in 1264, and in 1372, King Robert II bestowed Royal Burgh status upon the town. Additionally, King Robert II had established a Carmelite priory near Banff in 1321, which unfortunately fell victim to arson in 1559. By the 15th century, Banff, along with Aberdeen and Montrose, had become one of the three principal towns exporting salmon to Europe.During the seventeenth century, Scotland experienced a significant level of lawlessness, with some members of the nobility being among the worst offenders. Historian William Cramond's records recount an incident that took place in 1628 at the tolbooth (courthouse and prison) of Banff, where Lord Banff engaged in a physical altercation with his relative, James Ogilvie. Allegedly, Lord Banff struck James Ogilvie on the head with a baton during a court hearing, prompting twenty of his companions to attack Ogilvie with swords. They pursued Ogilvie into the street and ultimately ended his life with a pistol shot.Banff and Macduff are situated on opposite sides of the River Deveron valley. This unpredictable river was finally controlled with the completion of a seven-arch bridge in 1779, engineered by John Smeaton. A previous bridge had been constructed in 1765 but was swept away in 1768. Following its loss, the old ferry was temporarily reinstated until it was destroyed by a flood in 1773. In 1800, a public meeting resolved to construct a turnpike road between Turiff and Banff due to the poor condition of the existing road. Later in the 19th century, transportation improvements included the establishment of two railway lines: the Macduff to Turiff line in 1860 and the Banff, Portsoy, and Strathisla Railway in 1859, which connected to the main Aberdeen to Inverness line.During the 19th century, the Banff Fishery District, encompassing ports from Crovie to Sandend, played a significant role in the herring trade. Production reached its peak in 1853, with over sixty thousand barrels, of which nearly thirty-four thousand were exported. However, by 1912, production had declined to just over eight thousand barrels.Presently, the predominant languages spoken in Banff and its surroundings are the Doric dialect of Scots and English.
Banff Bridge, an appealing structure composed of seven arches, carries the road connecting Macduff and Banff over the Deveron River. Designed and constructed by John Smeaton, it was the last of three large bridges in Scotland under his direction. In 1772, Smeaton estimated the bridge's cost at £4548 14s 11d, which was relatively low due to the availability of excellent rubble stone from a nearby quarry. The construction took seven years and was completed in 1779. A contemporary drawing depicts the piers supported by short timber piles. Originally, the roadway of Smeaton's bridge measured 18 ft wide, but in 1881, the bridge was widened on both sides through the removal of parapet walls and the addition of conjoined segmental arches with a larger radius. The decorative occuli used in the masonry of Smeaton's bridge and the parapets were reused in this expansion, with John Willet serving as the engineer for the project.
