Plans have been lodged to add spiked railings at Duff House near Banff in a bid to stop “loitering youths” from hanging around the historic mansion.
Historic Environment Scotland has applied to Aberdeenshire Council seeking permission to install the measures at the early Georgian building.
In planning documents, architect M J Pendery complained the venue “suffers from being a place where youths loiter”.
Young people who hang around the site after hours tend to use the window sills as makeshift seats.
While this may seem harmless, it can cause security alarms to go off as anyone sitting down will trigger the window’s sensors.
So now, a proposal has been drawn up in a bid to stop these false alarms in the future.
What will the spiked railings look like?
Historic Environment Scotland is looking to add the spiked bars to the window sills in the hope that will discourage people from resting on them.
Two sizes have been put forward, however bosses are keen to keep the new additions as minimal as possible.
But, they are aware that the larger spikes may be needed to “adequately perform”.
Will anything else be added to Duff House?
And the spiked railings aren’t the only proposed addition to Duff House.
Bosses also want to add a handrail next to the stairs leading to and from the shop.
A staff member recently fell at that very spot and it was thought that a handrail would have prevented this from happening.
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The proposed fixture would pivot into position once the double inward opening doors are open to guests.
And finally, a new alarm sounder and light could be mounted on the outer wall to meet updated security systems and insurance rules.
Duff House’s fascinating history
The three-storey A-listed Duff House is currently home to a collection of paintings and furniture supplied by the National Galleries of Scotland.
It was designed by architect William Adam and owned by William Duff – but the duo came to blows over cash during its construction.
And, it had a significant role in the Second World War as a prisoner of war camp.
You can view the application here.
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