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Keith A trim country town and agricultural centre with woollen mills and distilleries, Keith combines Old and New towns and, across the R. Isla, Fife Keith. Plans for the New Town
were laid down in 1750 by the Earl of Findlater, who established three lint-mills. Horse- and cattle-fairs also became important here. The oldest working distillery in Scotland, founded in 1786, is
situated here. Keith Show in August is one of the biggest in the North.
The Catholic Church of St Thomas, which has an imposing copper dome, was built in 1830 with a donation from Charles X of France, who, after his expulsion from his throne, took refuge in Scotland for a
while. Keith's oldest building is the Milton Tower, built by the Ogilvies in 1480. The second oldest landmark is the Auld Brig o" Keith over the R. Isla; it was built in 1609 and nowadays is much painted by
artists, as it is highly picturesque. The new bridge, also a handsome structure, dates from 1770. New Keith is full of character. Its three fine parallel streets - Moss Street, Mid Street, and Land
Street- are intersected by a series of narrow lanes, and the houses have a simple dignity reminiscent of the 18th'-cent. part of Banff. |
