Fishing and agriculture are important industries, together with associated processing and service activity.

The new district was named Banff and Buchan, combining the names of the former county and town of Banff and the ancient province of Buchan, which had covered the parts of the district from Aberdeenshire.

[13] The offices passed to Aberdeenshire Council on local government reorganisation in 1996.

[14][15] The successor Aberdeenshire Council established a number of area committees to discuss local matters.

[17] The name is also used for the Banff and Buchan constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster).