Dufftown
Encyclopedia
Dufftown is a burgh
in Banffshire
, Scotland
.
The town was originally named Mortlach in the Middle Ages, until the 19th century when the Earl of Fife
built the town as a housing for soldiers returning home from war. He named the town Dufftown.
Dufftown also hosts a highland games
event every July which attracts many tourists.
Dufftown's notable buildings include Balvenie Castle
, which was partly built with stones from the ruins of nearby Auchindoun Castle
. The street plan of Dufftown is mainly four main roads meeting at the clock tower; previously a prison but now a tourist information centre.
and is the location of several Scotch whisky
distilleries. It produces more malt whisky
than any other town in Scotland; in fact, a signpost on the way into Dufftown declares it the "Whisky Capital of the World". The largest and best known of the many surrounding distilleries is the Glenfiddich
distillery that distills Glenfiddich
single malt Scotch whisky
. The Glenfiddich distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons
, Dufftown's largest employer. This proliferation puts it on the famed Whisky Trail, which also includes Keith
, Tomnavoulin, Marypark
, and Tomintoul
.
The following distilleries have produced whisky in Dufftown.
series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
; Hogwarts
, the main setting of the series, is said to be close to Dufftown in an article of the "Daily Prophet".
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The town was originally named Mortlach in the Middle Ages, until the 19th century when the Earl of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
built the town as a housing for soldiers returning home from war. He named the town Dufftown.
Dufftown also hosts a highland games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
event every July which attracts many tourists.
Dufftown's notable buildings include Balvenie Castle
Balvenie Castle
Balvenie Castle is a ruined castle near Dufftown in the Moray region of Scotland.Originally known as Mortlach, it was built in the 12th century by a branch of the powerful Comyn family and extended and altered in the 15th and 16th centuries.The castle fell out of use in the early 14th century when...
, which was partly built with stones from the ruins of nearby Auchindoun Castle
Auchindoun Castle
Auchindoun Castle is a 15th century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in the Moray region of Scotland.While there is evidence of prehistoric, probably Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible today are of the castle constructed in the mid 15th...
. The street plan of Dufftown is mainly four main roads meeting at the clock tower; previously a prison but now a tourist information centre.
Whisky in Dufftown
Dufftown is located on the River FiddichRiver Fiddich
The River Fiddich is a right bank tributary of the River Spey in northeast Scotland. It rises on the eastern slopes of Corriehabbie Hill in Glenfiddich Forest and flows northeastwards beneath the A941 road, past Auchindown Castle to a sharp bend adjacent to the A920 road where it turns westwards to...
and is the location of several Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
distilleries. It produces more malt whisky
Malt whisky
Malt whisky is whisky that is made from a fermented mash produced primarily from a malted grain. Unless otherwise specified, it is generally assumed that the primary grain is barley, although whisky is also made using malted rye...
than any other town in Scotland; in fact, a signpost on the way into Dufftown declares it the "Whisky Capital of the World". The largest and best known of the many surrounding distilleries is the Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich
The Glenfiddich Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown, Scotland. Glenfiddich means ‘Valley of the deer’ in Gaelic, hence the presence of a deer symbol on Glenfiddich bottles.- History :...
distillery that distills Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich
The Glenfiddich Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown, Scotland. Glenfiddich means ‘Valley of the deer’ in Gaelic, hence the presence of a deer symbol on Glenfiddich bottles.- History :...
single malt Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. The Glenfiddich distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent, family-owned Scottish company which distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is now run by the descendants of the founder. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky...
, Dufftown's largest employer. This proliferation puts it on the famed Whisky Trail, which also includes Keith
Keith, Moray
Keith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
, Tomnavoulin, Marypark
Marypark
Marypark is a hamlet in Moray, Scotland. It is south-west of Charlestown of Aberlour on the A95 road in Strathspey. The Glenfarclas distillery is located to the east of the hamlet....
, and Tomintoul
Tomintoul
Tomintoul is a village in the Moray council area of Scotland; until 1975 it was located in the county of Banffshire.It is said to be the highest village in the Scottish Highlands, but at is still significantly lower than the highest village in Scotland .The village was laid out on a grid pattern...
.
Active Distilleries
- Mortlach Distillery
- Glenfiddich DistilleryGlenfiddichThe Glenfiddich Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery owned by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown, Scotland. Glenfiddich means ‘Valley of the deer’ in Gaelic, hence the presence of a deer symbol on Glenfiddich bottles.- History :...
- Balvenie DistilleryBalvenieThe Balvenie Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland owned by William Grant & Sons.-William Grant:...
- Glendullan DistilleryGlendullan DistilleryGlendullan is a single malt Scotch whisky, produced at the Glendullan Distillery in the Speyside region. Glendullan is owned by Diageo.-Production:...
- Dufftown Distillery
- Kininvie DistilleryKininvie DistilleryThe Kininvie Distillery is a distillery in Dufftown, Moray which produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons and the product from the distillery is used in their vatted malt and blended whisky brands.-History:...
Pop culture
According to the third film in the Harry PotterHarry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. The novel won the 1999 Whitbread Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short-listed for other...
; Hogwarts
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
, the main setting of the series, is said to be close to Dufftown in an article of the "Daily Prophet".
Notable People
- Leslie BenziesLeslie BenziesLeslie Benzies is a Scottish video game producer who works at Rockstar North. He is best known for his work on the Grand Theft Auto series.-History:...
the president of Rockstar NorthRockstar NorthRockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
, which produces the famous Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto (series)Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
game series amongst other games, was born in AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and grew up in Dufftown. - George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount StephenGeorge Stephen, 1st Baron Mount StephenGeorge Stephen, 1st Baron of Mount Stephen , known as Sir Stephen, between 1778 and 1891.-Canadian Pacific Railway syndicate:...
, one of the founders of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
was born in Dufftown.
See also
- WhiskyWhiskyWhisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
- Scotch whiskyScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
- List of whisky brands
- List of distilleries in Scotland