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Published: September 21st 2009
Fishing gear
An inevitable view on a day visiting fishing harbours!After a grey start and another enormous breakfast, we ventured forth into an increasingly bright Wednesday. Our journeys today took us along the coast road to the east of Findochty, passing hundred-acre fields that had been recently harvested and were now full of giant, cylindrical bales of straw. There were many large herds of sheep here too and occasional small herds of brown, black or black and white cattle. Great flocks of gulls, crows and rooks whirled around inland, settling now and then among the fields of stubble. All the time, the sea beckoned to our left as we wound along the A98.
We turned off frequently to visit some of the charming little fishing villages, most showing little sign of any adverse effects from tourism except the occasional gift shop or tearoom (many of which we sampled).
Near Findochty’s neighbour, Portknockie, we faced a stiff breeze as we followed a short cliff path to Bow Fiddle Rock, an unusual rock formation a little way offshore.
Continuing through Cullen again, we
Bow Fiddle Rock
We were nearly blown away by the gale here reached Sandend with its tiny harbour at the foot of a winding, narrow road. Coaches could never reach this little spot, and only those ‘in the know’ were to be found at this unspoilt place. A distinct but not unpleasant smell of smoke hung in the air here - from the smoking of haddock, for which it had been known for generations. Although now produced on a small but commercial scale, historically this had been a cottage industry, evidenced by the tiny smoke houses, some in a poor state of repair, standing tall in the gardens of former haddock fishermen’s cottages.
A few miles further brought us to Portsoy, yet another former fishing village with a picturesque harbour. Here was a new café in what was once a pub and before that a smuggler’s retreat. There’s also a shop selling marble from the nearby quarry, which had supplied the stone for construction of fireplaces in the Palace of Versailles. Alas, this marble is now in short supply and used only to make ornaments and tourist souvenirs.
After a welcome cuppa at the café, we moved ever eastwards to the town of Banff - after which Scottish emigrants, banished
Duff House at Macduff
Don't bother with the exhibition, just get stuck into something in the tearoom! following the early-19th-century Clearances, named their new home in Canada. Then, it was on to Duff House at Macduff (a more Scottish-sounding name for a town would be difficult to imagine!). The House is a satellite of the National Art Gallery of Scotland, although we didn’t have time to admire its current exhibition. We did have time, however, to enjoy its tearoom at lunchtime!
Next stop was Gardenstown, known locally as Gamrie. Unlike most of its neighbours, the harbour here was crammed with colourful little fishing boats reminiscent of children’s playthings at bath time.
Across Gamrie Bay we could just see the village of ‘Crivie’ (spelt Crovie, for some reason). This too was once a fishing village, but a violent storm washed away its boats and some of the houses, and it never recovered. It is now a holiday village, reached by a steep and narrow road and with parking for a mere handful of cars. There’s no road within the village either - can you imagine having to manhandle your new three-piece suite along a footpath from the car park to your house several hundreds of metres away? No, neither can I, but that’s what they have
Bathtime toys?
Just a few of the colourful little boats to do here.
Our final harbour for the day was at Pennan, partly restored but seeking finance to preserve it for future generations. It was interesting to see the residents’ washing put out to dry beside the footpath adjoining the sea, probably on lines once used to dry fishing nets too (see the panorama picture above).
Finally, we made our way back to Macduff, where we visited its fascinating Marine Aquarium. It has the deepest open-topped tank in Scotland and holds specimens of all types of fish from the Moray Firth area, including some enormous 20-year-old cod and some particularly ugly Wolf Fish. You can even stroke some hungry rays and dogfish. Unfortunately, we were too late to see the divers feeding fish in the deep tank.
In keeping with the day’s theme, we enjoyed a typical fish supper (haddock of course - cod wasn’t even mentioned on the menu!), followed by an ice-cream from the favourite shop in Cullen.
All in all, a day of rural and fish related sights, sounds, smells and food. We would probably have discovered very little of all this without the help of our friends and their local knowledge. Thank
Crovie - the holiday village with no road
We wondered what will happen to this village when the effects of global warming raise the sea level to the doorsteps of the cottages you both.
~
Next day, we left Findochty on our own in our hired Vauxhall Insignia, a car that was probably too big for just the two of us, but it was ultra-comfortable and loaded to the gunnels with the sort of gizmos that make driving posh big cars such a pleasure. Our route, almost entirely on single carriageway roads, passed through Elgin, Nairn and Inverness, then crossed the Moray Firth. Here we stopped to check for dolphin sightings at the information centre on the northern side of the bridge (two had been seen a couple of hours before our arrival). Then it was on to the Cromaty Firth, where we broke our journey for lunch overlooking the water.
Once over the Dornoch Firth, a little further north, we reached Dunrobin Castle. This magnificent pile, home of the Clan Sutherland, dates from the early-1300s and houses a collection of furniture, paintings and family silver. The formal gardens, still full of colour even now in mid-September, lead right down to the sea shore. Of course, the castle also has a gift shop and a tearoom!
Around an hour after leaving Dunrobin, we reached our B&B,
Valleyview House at Murkle,
Macduff Marine Aquarium
Just marine creatures from the Moray Firth - no exotic sharks or coral - and very interesting it was too! near Thurso. Our comfortable room, with en suite facilities, a TV and DVD player with a choice from a hundred films if we needed them, had a super view across the fields to Dunnet Head (of which more later) and towards the Pentland Firth beyond. Dinner on this night was taken at The Upper Deck, an up-market restaurant above and part of the Ferry Inn at Scrabster, a fishing port and home to the car ferry to the Orkneys. The Upper Deck’s steak was excellent - delightfully tender Aberdeen Angus served with all the trimmings. Breakfast the following morning was prepared by the Valleyview’s owner and former head chef of a well-known hotel nearby and now a lecturer and restaurant manager at Thurso’s North Highland College.
We seem to spend a lot of time eating on this holiday..!
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Angie & John
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AN EXCELLENT BLOG!
Another superbly-written blog from "Keep Smiling" - Here's hoping his services to Scottish Tourism will be recognised by the Tourist Board!