VOTE: Four finalists chosen – now it's YOUR chance to pick Banffshire's new flag
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THE public are set to be given the chance to decide Banffshire's new flag after four finalists were confirmed.
A total of 424 entries were whittled down to these finalists by a local panel at The Northern Scot's office.
The winner – whichever flag receives the most votes – will be unveiled as Banffshire's flag at an event which will take place later in 2023.
Voting on the competition will be open for six weeks, from today (Tuesday, June 27) until Tuesday, August 8. Voting is available online at www.northern-scot.co.uk/banffshire-flag/
The finalists
A
The boars head is inspired by the possible origins of the name Banff and Banffshire deriving from Gaelic for pig, and also serves as a reference to the famous Deskford carnyx discovered in the county.
A boar's head also features in the arms of the former county council, which is where its blue colouration here is derived.
The checked background serves as a reference to and completes the colours of the Shades of Banffshire tartan, where the black was used to symbolise the Aberdeen Angus which was first bred and registered in Banff and gold representing agriculture and whisky industry.
B
The deep golden colour denotes the whisky industry of the in-land county, while the blue recalls the maritime industries of Banffshire's coast.
The diagonal division between the two recalls the shape and orientations of Banffshire.
Over the top is a barrel, an item that was key to both industries across the county from maturing whiskies to storing fish landed from the sea.
C
The two diagonal blue lines represent the two mayor waterways that help to define Banffshire's boundaries; the Spey and the Deveron.
This leaves a single diagonal stripe inbetween them to reflect the unique orientation and narrowness of the county's outline.
On this is placed the county flower of Banffshire; the Dark Red Helleborine. The Dark Red Helleborine was chosen as the county flag of Banffshire in a national competition organised to mark the Golden Jubilee of HM The Queen in 2002.
D
The white horizontal band recalls the bridges that are emblematic of this narrow county with rivers running through it and along its borders; from ancient in-land river crossings to the mighty industrial viaducts along the coast.
As such the blue colour can represent both the rivers and the sea, whilst the golden-orange below the bridge represents the whisky made from the county's waters and above the bridge the sun symbolises the natural sunsets and agriculture.
Why should you vote?
The winning flag is set to be flown locally for years to come, and it is hoped it will be seen on Banffshire exports and become a figure of identification for locals.
Andrew Simpson, lord lieutenant for Banffshire, said: "For centuries, individuals have shaped the heritage and identity of Banffshire.
"The competition to design a flag for the historic county of Banffshire gives us all the opportunity to make our mark.
"We are grateful to Philip Tibbetts, Scotland's leading expert in flags, for his input, and to our sponsors.
"Please vote and help choose a flag that will represent Banffshire's special identity both locally and to a wider audience."
While some of the flags were sent in from abroad, the majority were made by locals – especially schoolchildren.
In the interest of fairness, no details on the flags' creators will be revealed until the winning effort is hauled up a flagpole in a few months time.
The winning flag will be registered with the Lyon Court and the Flag Institute's UK Flag Registry.
