Banff, United Kingdom

BANFF is separated from its neighbour, Macduff, by a beautiful seven-arch bridge over the River Deveron. Banff has a mix of characterful old buildings and boarded-up shops, which give little clue to the extravagance of Duff House (generally April– Oct daily 11am–5pm; Nov– March Thurs– Sun 11am–4pm; Web: www.duffhouse.org.uk ; £6; Web: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk ), the town's main attraction. Built to William Adam's design in 1730, this elegant four-floor Georgian Baroque house has been painstakingly restored and reopened as an outpost of the National Gallery of Scotland's extensive collection, and while the emphasis is on displaying period artwork rather than any broader selection of the Gallery's paintings, temporary exhibitions of work from the collections are mounted regularly.