PATERSON

BANFF and RATHVEN

The county town of Banff stands at the mouth of the river Deveron, where it flows into the Moray Firth. Banff was made a royal burgh by Robert II in 1372. But it only really began to flourish in the 18th century, after the harbour was built. Several fine buildings survive from this period. Banff Castle - which is, in fact, a mansion - was built in 1750. Duff House was finished in 1740. The town is now a quiet holiday resort, with sandy beaches and many miles of breathtaking coastal scenery.

GRANGEMOUTH

The first Grangemouth, the Old Town, grew between the River Carron and the Grange Burn and was a direct result of the building of the Forth and Clyde Canal which brought new trade up river. With the growth in trade came the need for bigger port facilities. Soon Grangemouth outstripped Carronshore and then Bo'ness in the amount of trade handled.

The land between the Carron and the Grange Burn was, before long, too small for the population's needs and in 1840 the first house in the "New Town" was built. The rapid growth continued - Grangemouth's first "boom" was due to the timber trade, which continues to play an important role in the life of the town. The chemical industry began in 1897 with the S.C.W.S Soapworks, followed much later (1920) by Solway Dyes which merged with I.C.I. It was not until the end of World War II and the rapid expansion of the oil industry that the name Boom Town was applied to Grangemouth.

For more history see the 1841 New Statistical Account.