Whitehills

Whitehills is a small fishing village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, that lies three miles (five kilometres) west of Banff on the Moray Firth. It is part of the historic county of Banffshire. In 2022 it had a population of 990. It surrounds a rocky bay to the west of Knock Head. It has grown as a fishing village since the 16th century and developed especially in the 19th century. It is characterised by its old village, which stretches along the shore towards the harbour. This has developed like other Moray Firth fishing villages, with small houses clustered around each other with gable ends facing the sea. The exteriors are painted a variety of colours; gable ends face the sea and there is extensive use of rybats and edge detailing as well as distinctive white grouting between granite blocks. Most houses front directly onto the street with small informal spaces between them. The village expanded inland in the 19th century through the development of terraced 1+1⁄2-storey and detached villa housing. The shore, links and extensive views from throughout the village add a sense of openness. The landmark buildings in Whitehills are the parish church (built in 1773) and the Downie's fish processing plant, as well as the marina. The clock tower of Trinity Church of Scotland (1879) was built by Alexander Ross. The Methodist Chapel dates to 1840. During the 20th century, the town has developed to the east and also along the southerly edges. Around half the building stock is low density, private new build; these are built in a style which is typical of most modern development. The modern extension to the village has little in common with old town character or its street pattern and its recent spread means that the village can clearly be seen from Banff. The village's exposed location, sea views and unique character, mean that new development is unavoidably obvious. Further expansion to the south west is likely to most favoured by developers, but this should maintain principles…