Description

William Robertson, Elgin, 1837-8. Neo Greek, long single storey 15-bay classical frontage. Sandstone ashlar main E facing elevation and return gables; harled rear. Advanced Ionic hexastyle portico with coffered ceiling: centre door below shallow pediment; moulded jambs to doorway and single flanking windows. Slightly advanced wide end pavilion bays, each with centre window and coupled clasping pilasters with composite capitals, the outer pilasters return as angle pilasters matched by similar flanking single bay return gables. 6-pane glazing

(replacing former horizontal glazing) in centre 4 windows; renewed horizontal glazing elsewhere. Deep corniced blocking course masks shallow piended slate roof.

Portico approached by wide, shallow flight of steps flanked at top by mirrored single pedestal lamp standards; squat, square polished ashlar margined plinths with shallow pyramidal caps.

REAR EXTENSION: A Marshall Mackenzie, Aberdeen, 1898, repaired after fire 1921. Substantial 2-storey, harled block with tooled ashlar margins to all windows. Piended slate roof.

INTERIOR: 1837-8 coffered ceiling to centre hall, now gym. Studded curved hand rail to staircase serving lst floor of rear block; elsewhere interior modernised.

Statement of Interest

There was a Grammar School in Banff before 1544, the Banff Academy established in 1786 at 9 Old Market Place. The 1837-8 building, also known as 'Wilson's Academy' was financed by money left by James Wilson, 'late of Banff, in the island of Grenada, a charitable fund for the good of Banff...expended on the school'. The 154' frontage faces east on a rise above the outskirts of the town, overlooking the Deveron

River and Duff House gardens, through which runs the re-aligned A98 road. The building is now used as Banff Primary School.

The central hall, or 'great vestibule', was originally a 'Museum of

Natural History, Antiquities, and Curiosities, which would do no discredit to Aberdeen or Edinburgh'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17570716

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)