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 Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1New Duff House Sanatorium  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Country House  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 1317351741Build/constructionAlso temple on the Hill of Doune and a triumphal arch on an island in the River Deveron. Landscape design - perhaps not executed.
Item 2 of 13c. 1761 Build/constructionFirst 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.
Item 3 of 131764 ProposedAlternative scheme
Item 4 of 13c. 1767 Build/constructionGarden landscaped.
Item 5 of 131780s Alterations and additionsLandscape restyled.
Item 6 of 131790s Build/constructionDecorative ceiling in Great Drawing Room
Item 7 of 13c. 1791c. 1792Build/constructionMarble floor and stair itself fitted in hall
Item 8 of 131811 Decoration carried outFurnishing and decoration under guidance of James Gillespie Graham.
Item 9 of 131870  Corridor block and service pavilion
Item 10 of 131913  Alterations
Item 11 of 13c. 1920  Minor interior alterations and nurses' home; scullery and gate lodge; engine house; laundry; alterations to pavilion
Item 12 of 131956 Restoration 
Item 13 of 131994 RestorationRestoration of Fife Gates

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 19William Adam A17351741Also designed temple on the Hill of Doune and a triumphal arch on an island in the River Deveron and provided a design for the garden.
Item 2 of 19William Boutcher K1735 Provided scheme for the garden. Probably not executed.
Item 3 of 19Thomas Dott G1760s 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.
Item 4 of 19James Adam Ec. 1761 Fireplace in private dining room
Item 5 of 19John Adam Ec. 1761 Fireplace in private dining room
Item 6 of 19John Woolfe S1764 Alternative scheme
Item 7 of 19William Bowie Jc. 1767 Design of landscape executed by the 2nd Earl's gardener, Thomas Reid.
Item 8 of 19Thomas White L1780s Garden by Bowie restyled
Item 9 of 19John Paterson J1790s Decorative ceiling in Great Drawing Room
Item 10 of 19James Robertson Kc. 1791c. 1792Marble floor and stair itself fitted in hall
Item 11 of 19James Gillespie Graham H1811 Guided 4th Earl in furnishing and re-decoratin of hhouse.
Item 12 of 19David Bryce (junior)  1870 Corridor block and service pavilion
Item 13 of 19George Bennett Mitchell B1913 Alterations
Item 14 of 19George Angus Mitchell Cc. 1920 Minor interior alterations and nurses' home; scullery and gate lodge; engine house; laundry; alterations to pavilion
Item 15 of 19George Bennett Mitchell Cc. 1920 Minor interior alterations and nurses' home; scullery and gate lodge; engine house; laundry; alterations to pavilion
Item 16 of 19H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) F1956 Restoration
Item 17 of 19William Wyld Mather Boal F1956 Supervised restoration
Item 18 of 19Henry ('Harry') James Lyall Mantell D1994 Restoration of Fife Gates
Item 19 of 19Meldrum & Mantell D1994 Restoration of Fife Gates

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 4Duff, John, 2nd Earl of FifeClient for John Woolfe scheme
Item 2 of 4Fife, 1st Earl ofClient for William Adam building
Item 3 of 4New Duff House Sanatorium Ltd1913 alterations
Item 4 of 4Scott & Gilchrist1913 alterations

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Duff 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.)

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Adam, William1820Vitruvius Scoticus  Plates 146-8.
Item 2 of 6Anon1743Braco 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.
Item 3 of 6Donaldson, Peter R1995Conservation case study: the Duff House projectVIArchitectural Heritage, VI (published 1996), pp32-48Illustration
Item 4 of 6NMRS NMRS Jubilee: A Guide to the Collections  pp22-23
Item 5 of 6Vitruvius Britannicus1767Vitruvius Britannicus  Voluem v, 1771, plates 58-60.
Item 6 of 6Walker, David W and Woodworth, Matthew2015The Buildings of Scotland: Aberdeenshire North and Moray Yale University Presspp45, 76, 94-96, 98, 101-104

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Aberdeen Press and Journal8 December 1964  Obituary of George Angus Mitchell

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 5Aberdeen City ArchivesGeorge 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
Item 2 of 5Courtesy of Harry MantellInformation sent via'Contact Us' on DSA website Sent October 2009
Item 3 of 5Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register21985 
Item 4 of 5National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)Gifts and deposits GD 248 'The Buildings of Duff House' by James Simpson
Item 5 of 5National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSDrawings Collection Original drawings by Bryce