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Banchory

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Banchory is a small Town in northeast Scotland, 19 miles west of Aberdeen, 24 miles east of Ballater.

Banchory is popular for the Falls of Feugh, Royal Deeside Railway 2 miles east, Crathes Castle 2 miles east, Cairn O Mount Hill Road, and number of Walks in the area including the Deeside Way.

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The image top is of the Gordon Highlanders Memorial on the west side of Banchory, next to the Main Road, in memory of the 708 officers and men of 7th Battalion Gordon Highlanders killed during World War One 1914 - 1919.

West Parish Church is the most notable building on Banchory High Street, completed in 1885 in Gothic style as a Free Church.

The Burnett Arms Hotel is next to the Church with outdoor seating that gets the sun all day. This Hotel was built from the mid 1800s as a Coaching Inn.

Banchory High Street is where most of the Shops, Cafes and Restaurants are located, with Scott Skinner Square next to the High Street.

Scott Skinner Square was completed in 2015 for small shops and seating areas. James Scott Skinner was born in this area in 1843, becoming a famous musician of the time.

Bellfield Park sits below the High Street where the largest Car Park for the Town can be found. This large Park is used for Recreation, also Walking with a Path to the River Dee.

Banchory Lodge Caravan Park is next to the Park and River Dee, for Holiday Homes.

Cross the Bridge over the River Dee and it is about half of a mile to the Falls of Feugh where you can watch Fish jumping up the Falls.

The Falls of Feugh Restaurant is next to the Falls.

This Road also leads to Cairn O Mount, a mountain road with viewing areas at the top, 12 miles from Banchory to the top, one of the top drives in Scotland.

The Cairn O Mount road leads to Fettercairn Village, 18 miles south of Banchory, popular for its Whisky Distillery visits.

On the east side of Banchory High Street is the old Ternan Kirkyard with its round Watch Tower, used to stop Body Snatchers up to 1832, a time newly buried Bodies were being stolen for sale to Universities.

Aberdeen University was only supposed to get two bodies of executed criminals per year from the 1600s, this leading to Grave Robbing as Universities would pay for more bodies. The more bodies they could get, the more Anatomy Students would want to use that University. New laws in 1832 put an end to Body Snatching, as after this time, it was illegal to take a Body, as a Corpse then had legal standing.

Silverbank Touring Park is on the east side of Banchory, holding up to 62 Tourers, no Tents.

Royal Deeside Railway is 2 miles east of Banchory, next to the main road to Aberdeen. This Victorian Station has a Railway Carriage Tearoom, Shop, and short section of track for Vintage Trains. Next to the Railway is The Milton of Crathes complex with Craft Shops, Restaurant, and Art Gallery.

Crathes Castle is across the road from the Railway, open for visits throughout the summer, weekends in winter. This Castle was built for the Burnett family from the 1500s.

Banchory History

400s - a small settlement was established here by Saint Ternan, known as Banchory-Ternan.

There was a Trail over the 1493 feet / 454 m Cairn O' Mount at this time, connecting Deeside to Angus. This Trail was also used by many Armies during conflicts such as the First War of Scottish Independence in the early 1300s, and Jacobite Risings in the 1700s.

1500s - Crathes Castle was built 2 miles east of Banchory for Burnett's, with them in control of the land around the Town. These Estates would create work for people in the area, such as Farming, Mining and Weaving.

1745 - Jacobite's were defeated by Government forces at the Battle of Culloden, leading to the Government having Military Roads and Forts built throughout northern Scotland to prevent any more Risings, with the Cairn O Mount Trail becoming one of these Roads. The Hill Road over the Mountain is 18 miles, with the Main Road up to Aberdeen then west along the Deeside Valley being about 40 miles.

1798 - the first Horse Drawn Mail Coaches began running between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, also carrying Passengers. Mail was then transported from Aberdeen to Towns in the north by Horse and Rider.

1800s early - Horse drawn Mail Carriages began operating from Aberdeen to Towns in the area, also transporting Passengers.

1853 - Banchory Railway Station opened.

1895 - first Cars were imported into Scotland, with the Military Roads and Carriage Roads soon upgraded and covered with Tar for Cars, Buses and Trucks, soon taking trade from the Railways.

1905 - Banchory Golf Club was founded with the course on the south side of the Town, alongside the River Dee.

1951 - the Burnett family gifted Crathes Castle to the National Trust for Scotland to be used as a Tourist Attraction, now open to the public.

1966 - Banchory Railway Station Closed.

1970s - the name of the Town was changed from Banchory-Ternan to Banchory.

1980s - the 66 mile stretch of A90 road between Dundee and Aberdeen was upgraded to Duel Carriageway, bypassing a number of Towns, cutting travel time to around 1 hour.

1996 - the Royal Deeside Railway was opened 2 miles east of Banchory, at the entrance to Crathes Castle, with a Cafe and Vintage Trains that run on a short section of Track.

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