Banffshire Guide

The history of the Banffshire Coast has been determined through the centuries by its proximity to the sea. Generations of people have relied on harvesting the bounties of the sea and fertile alluvial land for their survival and prosperity. Archaeological relics of their past continue to be found up and down the coast.

The area has a rich geological heritage dating back approximately 350 million years to the Devonian period when it lay submerged by Lake Orcadia.

Here are some interesting facts about Banffshire:

• Fraserburgh, 40 miles north of Aberdeen is also one of Europe's largest whitefish ports.

• Count Dracula's creator, Bram Stoker often went on holidays in Cruden Bay and cited Banffshire's Slains Castle as the inspiration for the vampire's famous home in Transylvania. Early versions of the novel even have Dracula landing at Cruden Bay after a shipwreck, rather than Whitby in Yorkshire where later versions of the novel say the Count was washed up.

• The Banffshire village of Crovie is perched on so narrow a cliffside shelf that driving is literally impossible. Instead, residents leave their cars at the south end of the village and walk to their houses along the very narrow footpath.

• Cullen Skink, (Skink being the Gaelic word for 'essence') is a delicious smoked haddock, potato and onion soup named after the Banffshire town of Cullen.

• Captain WE Johns, who wrote more than 15 of the Biggles books while living on the Ballindalloch Castle estate in Banffshire thanks to his creator.

• Glenfiddich (The world's best-selling single malt whisky) is the only Scotch whisky to use a single source of natural spring water from Banffshire's Robbie Dhu springs.

• The Banffshire town Pennan was the location for the fictional town of Furness in the 1983 film Local Hero, and the film's key prop (a red telephone box). It was only a prop, but due to popular demand a phone box has since been installed on the site and is now one of Banffshire's most popular tourist attractions.

• Known as 'Scotch' or 'Smoky' Topaz, the semi-precious stone found in Banffshire's Cairngorm mountains has been used to decorate traditional Scottish weaponry and sporrans throughout history. Also popular in modern jewellery design too.

Here are just some places to visit in and around Banffshire: