Dufftown

Dufftown or Balvenie as it was initially named is a small town in the Moray parish of Mortlach, 17 miles south of Elgin. Dufftown was founded in 1817 by James Duff, the fourth Earl of Fife. The planned village of Dufftown replaced the ancient settlement of Mortlach on the banks of the Dullan Water. The Town was originally named in 1817 as Balvenie. The purpose in establishing the settlement was to relieve the unemployment following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Dufftown is laid out in the form of a crooked-armed cross with the towns Clock Tower which is an important attribute of the town being built in the 1830's originally the town jail, later becoming the borough chambers, it has now become a Tourist Information Centre. Dufftown's perfect water sources soon saw it become a centre for the distilling industry, is best known as the ' Malt Whisky Capital' with its malt whiskies produced in seven local distilleries namely Balvenie, Dufftown-Glenlivet, Glendullan, Glenfiddich, Mortlach and Kininvie. Convalmore, the 7th distillery is presently unfit to work. With these seven distilleries Dufftown for it's size, is possibly the largest earner of foreign currency in the British Isles.

Mortlach Parish Church

Mortlach Parish Church is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Scotland, allegedly founded in 566 by St Moluag. The site may have been of significance to the Picts, as there is a Pictish Cross in the graveyard. In the vestibule of the church there is an even earlier Pictish stone, the 'Elephant Stone' having been reconstructed in 1876 and 1931, the church looks substantially modern but portions of the older building have survived.

Auchindoun Castle

Auchindoun Castle is an L-plan tower house standing at three storeys high overlooking the valleys all around. It is perched on a steep hillside above the River Fiddich, 1 mile south of Dufftown. The ground level has the cellars, the hall on the first floor with the living quarters on the second. There is one round corner tower, at the north-west angle, a 16th century addition. It was built in the 15th century by Robert Cochrane for the Earl of Mar. Auchindoun was restored after the Mackintoshes raged through it in 1591 in revenge for the murder of the Bonnie Earl o' Moray, but by 1725 the stone work was being used for building material in nearby areas, leaving it as a ruin. The prehistoric earthworks which protect the castle testify that the site has been fortified since an early date. The surviving ruin was built by Thomas Cochran, an architect and favourite of King James III, from whom he received the Earldom of Mar in 1479. The Castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland. It is not open to the public for safety reasons.

Dufftown Highland Games

Highland Games have a long history in Scotland. There is a tradition from the 11th century that the clan chief's organised competitions to find the fastest runners and toughest fighting men. Also to find the best musician and dancers for entertainment. These early competitions developed into the 'Gatherings'. The title 'Gathering' was retained by some communities whilst others adopted the modern title of 'Games'. The highlight of the year, like many other villages and towns in the Highlands, Dufftown is proud to host their own Highland Games a tradition dating back over 150 years, devoted to preserving and promoting Scottish Culture at its best. The Dufftown Highland Games are held on the last Saturday of July each year, there is a full programme of heavy, light and track events. The events include throwing the hammer, tossing the caber, tug-of-war, running and jumping, plus a great display of Highland dancing and piping competitions. Dufftown highland Games is known as a Massed Band Event as it goes to great expense to provide many bands, providing a spectacular display.

Dufftown today is an ideal location for fisherman to use the world famous salmon fisheries of Speyside and the rivers Dullan and Fiddich. The town has a lot to offer visitors including an outdoor adventure centre, nearby old castles, nature trails and whisky distilleries. Dufftown is also surrounded by many attractive country walks. The Speyside Way, is one of three official Long Distance Routes in Scotland. It first opened in 1981, it extends for 84 miles from Aviemore in the west to Buckie in the East. There are two spurs one to Dufftown and one to Tomintoul. The 30 mile Spey bay to Ballindalloch was completed in 1981, and is linked to Dufftown by a spur from Craigellachie. One mile from the village is the Dufftown Golf Club, the 18 hole golf course is one of the highest courses in Scotland. The 9th tee is the highest above sea level at 2000ft. Hole 10 has a magnificent view of the town and the vertical drop of 130ft to the green. Dufftown is an ideal base for skiing, snow boarding and cross country skiing being 30 minutes from the Lecht, 60 minutes from Aviemore and about 90 minutes from Glenshee.