Turriff

More recently, the 1913 Turra Coo incident in the parish was the result of a local refusal to pay National Insurance when this was introduced by Lloyd George’s government. Sheriff’s officers seized a cow from a local farmer who refused to pay National Insurance contributions for his workers. The officers had difficulty selling the cow, as locals were sympathetic toward the farmer. Eventually they brought in an outside auctioneer, but the auction was disrupted by protesters and the cow escaped. A statue of the “coo” was erected in 2010 in the town centre at the junction of High Street and Main Street and has become a popular emblem for the town.