Duff House facts for kids
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| Location | Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
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Duff House is a beautiful old country house in Banff, Scotland. It was built in the Georgian style, which was popular a long time ago. Today, Duff House is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. It is also part of the National Galleries Scotland. This means it's a very important building, listed as a 'Category A' historic site.
The house is made from a special stone called ashlar. It has three floors and a square shape. There are also cool towers at each corner. Many other buildings around Duff House are also very old and important. These include the Fife gates, a walled garden, and even a mausoleum.
Contents
The Story of Duff House
Building a Grand Home
Duff House was designed by a famous architect named William Adam. Construction began on June 11, 1735. It was built for William Duff of Braco. He later became the first Earl Fife. The house was finished around 1740.
Originally, the plan was for Duff House to be even bigger. It was supposed to have extra buildings on the sides. But the Earl thought the house would be too large. This led to disagreements between the architect and the Earl. They even had a legal case about it in 1743.
Changes Over the Years
The Earls of Fife lived in Duff House for many years. But they moved out in 1903. In 1906, they gave the property to Banff Burgh. This is the local town council.
Duff House then had many different uses.
- From 1911 to 1913, it was a hotel.
- Then it became a sanatorium until 1923. A sanatorium is a place where people go to recover from illness.
- It became a hotel again after that.
- The hotel closed in 1928.
Duff House During Wartime
During the Second World War, Duff House played an important role.
- It was used as an internment camp. This is a place where people are held, sometimes during wartime.
- Later, it became a prisoner of war camp.
- In 1940, the house was damaged during a bombing raid. Eight people sadly died.
- By 1942, the house was used by the Free Norwegian forces as their headquarters. Polish exile forces also used it.
Restoration and Today
In 1956, the Scottish government took care of Duff House. A big project began to fix up the property. In 1995, Duff House became part of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Today, the house still sits in its beautiful original landscape. There is also a golf course nearby.
Amazing Art Collection
Duff House is home to many beautiful works of art. These are part of the National Galleries Scotland collection. You can see paintings by famous artists like El Greco, Thomas Gainsborough, and Henry Raeburn.
Duff House also has a special collection of rare books. It is called the Dunimarle Library. If you are interested, you can arrange to view these books by appointment.
