An Aberdeenshire Staycation

Funnily enough, I’ve had more free time than usual these days. Usually my year would be punctuated by fun trips travelling to new places but that’s not really possible right now, so what better time to be making the most of the places we have here on our doorstep? It can be so easy to become complacent about the place where you live but there’s probably a lot more beauty around you than you give it credit for.

At the moment I’m staying with my parents up in Peterhead which is a small fishing town on the most north easterly corner of Scotland. Over the last few months, having to make outdoor plans in order to hang out with people I’ve been exploring a lot of walking spots along the coast. Aberdeenshire has so many great places to visit, so I’m going to tell you about my favourite spots along the north coast of Aberdeenshire. Each of these spots are within at most an hour from one another so it could be a single day trip if you were coming from farther away and wanted to see them all.

Bow Fiddle Rock – between Portknockie and Cullen. I would recommend parking in Cullen then walking towards Portknockie over the top of the viaduct, then walking back over Cullen beach. Then when you get back you can treat yourself to an ice cream from the famous The Ice Cream Shop in Cullen.

Findlater Castle – between Cullen and Sandend There’s a car park that you can navigate to then it’s a short walk along the path until you can see it from above. There are a couple of paths down and it can be a bit steep, so I’d recommend you wear some decent shoes and be prepared to take your time going down. The castle structure is partially visible and some of it has become one with the hill but there’s a couple of rooms you can get into and imagine yourself as Merida looking out over the sea.

Pitfour Lake – near Mintlaw Just outside Mintlaw and across the road from Aden Country Park is the beautiful Pitfour Lake. It makes for a great wee walk as you can loop around the lake, seeing the swans, ducks and the boathouse as you go.

Talair Swimming Pool – in Macduff At this spot there is an old abandoned outdoor swimming pool right next to the sea. You still can’t swim there but it’s quite cool to have a look at. The beach beside it is also pretty cool and I’m in love with this rock archway that makes for a great pic with friends. There’s also loads to enjoy in Macduff so that’s worth checking out while you’re there.

Slains Castle – near Cruden Bay. Just up from the Bullers of Buchan is the ruins of Slains Castle, widely considered to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I’d recommend using the car park just as you turn off the A975 because the path up to the castle is full of potholes and the walk up from there isn’t too long. Again, take caution as you’re very close to the cliffs but it’s a great place to explore!

Bullers of Buchan – between Boddam and Cruden Bay I cannot believe I went 22 years of my life before actually going here, it is so cool. The Bullers is basically a walking path that follows along the cliff edge between Boddam and Curden Bay, you could get there from any point along the way but there is a car park near the middle that starts you off in a great spot. Be sure to take care and stick to the paths as you are obviously close to the cliff’s edge and I wouldn’t go if it was wet or super windy. It is a great spot to watch the sunrise. You can also see puffins here during the summer season (roughly April - July) if seabirds are your jam, but the seagulls are there year-round!

If you decide to head out on any of these adventures, I hope you have a great time, breathe in the sea air, be safe and enjoy the beauty of this wee corner of Scotland. I have my fingers crossed that the elusive Scottish sun shines for you.

Words by Katie Daniel. Katie keeps herself busy with as many creative projects as possible. Her main role is working in marketing for theatre and dance but she also writes, runs her own blog, practises photography, works on a podcast and loves to cook new things! You can check out more of her writing on her blog by clicking here.

SLAYCATION

One of my favorite things to do when travelling is watch the sunset. I feel like wherever you are in the world the sunset is the one constant that you can always look forward to yet they are always so different and beautiful everytime. But, as the theme for this look is staycations I had to add something to represent the UK- hence the rain!

Piece by Naomi Howell, Naomi occupies most of her spare time creating content for her social media platforms, which you can follow here. She manages the makeup department at a popular alternative clothing store in London as well as doing freelance work in the education sector. On top of this Naomi loves to dance, sing, cook and co-hosts not 1 but 2 podcasts which you can listen to here or here!

This look was inspired by my own staycation experience. Sunny spring days spent in grassy meadows with patches of flowers having picnics and making flower chains. Walking through the sand dunes as tall as my house towards the large sparkling lake that my island sits on. Laying in the sand watching the sunset play across the puffy clouds while the stars slowly poke holes in the sky. My staycation is always at my family’s camp where the beauty of the Canadian wilderness remains an untouched wonder of my world.

SUNny DisposItion

DisposItion

Piece by Alexa Gordon, Lex Gordon is an aries and also a Canadian university student. She grew up near the city but on a farm. This means that her personality is a wonderful mix of pretentious city slicker and down to earth farm girl. The best description she has ever heard for who she is was from Dolly Parton, a Backwoods Barbie. She is obsessed with the art of makeup as it provides a new and fun medium to create and tell stories with. You can find more of her work on her Instagram (@commish_gordo)