Basic Site Details Name: | Duff House | City or county: | Banffshire | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | In 1913 Duff House became a sanatorium, and later prison of war camp; George Bennett Mitchell's alterations have now been reversed.
William Adam, 1735-40; George Jamieson, mason; John Burn, specialised in carving. 'Buildings of Scotland' states that John Burt was clerk of works.
Golf course laid out by the leading golf course specialists, A & C J MacKenzie. | Alternative NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | New Duff House Sanatorium | | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Country House | | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1735 | 1741 | Build/construction | Also temple on the Hill of Doune and a triumphal arch on an island in the River Deveron. Landscape design - perhaps not executed. | | c. 1761 | | Build/construction | First floor entrance vestibule and family apartment and part of the attic floor fitted out as bedrooms. Overdoor friezes and fireplace in private dining room. Book cases in library. | | 1764 | | Proposed | Alternative scheme | | c. 1767 | | Build/construction | Garden landscaped. | | 1780s | | Alterations and additions | Landscape restyled. | | 1790s | | Build/construction | Decorative ceiling in Great Drawing Room | | c. 1791 | c. 1792 | Build/construction | Marble floor and stair itself fitted in hall | | 1811 | | Decoration carried out | Furnishing and decoration under guidance of James Gillespie Graham. | | 1870 | | | Corridor block and service pavilion | | 1913 | | | Alterations | | c. 1920 | | | Minor interior alterations and nurses' home; scullery and gate lodge; engine house; laundry; alterations to pavilion | | 1956 | | Restoration | | | 1994 | | Restoration | Restoration of Fife Gates |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Duff, John, 2nd Earl of Fife | Client for John Woolfe scheme | | Fife, 1st Earl of | Client for William Adam building | | New Duff House Sanatorium Ltd | 1913 alterations | | Scott & Gilchrist | 1913 alterations |
Related Buildings, Structures and DesignsChild StructuresThis structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details): | | Building Name | Notes | | Duff House (proposed hotel scheme) | In November 1907, the Duke of Fife presented Duff House to the townships of Banff and Macduff. The two town councils initially decided to convert the house and some 140 acres of the surrounding land into a hydropathic establishment. Sutherland and George prepared sketch plans, but the scheme was abandoned. Instead, in August 1908, the councils offered Dewynter Limited the option to turn the house into a hotel. Sutherland and George were retained by Dewynter Limited and continued working on the scheme between 1 October 1908 and 14 January 1909. About this time Dewynter Limited seem to have determined not to proceed, nor to pay their architects' fees for the abortive work. In December 1910 the matter was ultimately settled in court where the full claim of £810-2-11 fees and expenses was awarded to the plaintiffs.
The estimated cost of hotel conversion in January 1909 was £200,000.
(Colonel George, the town clerk of Macduff, was a brother of Clement George.) |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Adam, William | 1820 | Vitruvius Scoticus | | | Plates 146-8. | | Anon | 1743 | Braco Case Petitions and Depositions | | | From this he appears to have also designed a temple on the Hill of Doune and a triumphal arch on an island in the Deveron. | | Donaldson, Peter R | 1995 | Conservation case study: the Duff House project | VI | Architectural Heritage, VI (published 1996), pp32-48 | Illustration | | NMRS | | NMRS Jubilee: A Guide to the Collections | | | pp22-23 | | Vitruvius Britannicus | 1767 | Vitruvius Britannicus | | | Voluem v, 1771, plates 58-60. | | Walker, David W and Woodworth, Matthew | 2015 | The Buildings of Scotland: Aberdeenshire North and Moray | | Yale University Press | pp45, 76, 94-96, 98, 101-104 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Aberdeen Press and Journal | 8 December 1964 | | | Obituary of George Angus Mitchell |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Aberdeen City Archives | George Bennett Mitchell and Son Collection | | GBM/1920/50/1-2, GBM/1920/51/1, GBM1920/52/1, GBM/1920/53/1. GBM/1920/54/1, GBM/1920/55/1 | | Courtesy of Harry Mantell | Information sent via'Contact Us' on DSA website | | Sent October 2009 | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 21985 | | | National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO) | Gifts and deposits | | GD 248 'The Buildings of Duff House' by James Simpson | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Drawings Collection | | Original drawings by Bryce |
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