I recently fell in love with several small fishing villages along the Moray Coast in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. My trip included 2 nights in Gardenstown. It is a small community of historic cottages nestled along the coast facing the North Sea. They are resting on a narrow strip of land at the base of high green hills and very steep access roads.
My daughter and I were totally enthralled by the quiet but dramatic beauty of Gardenstown and its nearby neighbour, Crovie. Both villages clung tightly to the steep cliffs of Gamrie Bay. In fact the local name for Gardenstown is Gamrie.
Like so many of Scotland’s ports and harbours there is a lot of history there. Founded by Alexander Garden in 1790 as a fishing village, it was once home to a busy salmon and herring fleet. A hundred years ago the harbour sheltered a fishing fleet of over 90 boats. But as boats increased in size to become financially viable, small Gardenstown lost most of its fleet to larger centers like Fraserburgh.
The picturesque village of Crovie lies on the far side of the bay. It is connected to Gamrie by a charming small coastal foot path easily walkable at high tide. If possible, Crovie is even more charming and photographic as it nestles between the sea and the green cliffs. Its like being in another world. Quiet and impressive hugging the sea and 500-foot-high cliffs with terraced ledges above. So many pictures to take.
This area is quiet and not at all overrun with tourists. Another nearby village also attached to a narrow strip along the sea is Pennan. This town was used as the backdrop in one of my favourite movies, “Local Hero”. These small villages definitely have an “off the beaten path” experience combined with a rich fishing culture and fascinating history. Not to mention their natural beauty and the wonderful sea air.
Other fishing villages along the Aberdeen coast have wonderful names like Lossiemouth, Cullen, Elie and Portknockie. All are different and worth exploring. There is so much to do in the area, and we capped one day with a fantastic tour of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh. There we learned what a “wickie” really is. If you are ever questioned, it is a lighthouse keeper’s assistant who was responsible for trimming the wicks for the light.
There are also great beaches, interesting distilleries to tour and some spectacular coastal hiking paths like the Fife Coastal Path.
We stayed in an AirBnB in town facing the harbour but there are also charming cottages and glamping pods- basically one-bedroom huts – also available for rent. These small historic towns are a hidden gem well off of the tourist routes that should be included in any tour of Scotland.
