Rosehearty to Cruden Bay
Trail Date: August 15, 2023
Method of travel: Mountain bike
I know I’m spoiled by where I live, because in comparison I felt that Fraserburgh and Peterhead were rather industrial and mundane. To avoid spending unnecessary amount of time in this area, I planned to cover it all in one day. I fueled up with a hearty breakfast in Rosehearty at the Davron Hotel (yum!) and hit the road to cover nearly 40 miles.
Along the way I listened to podcasts and I tried to find interesting things to photograph to help pass the miles. Now and then something unique peeked my interested- like donkeys!
But straight away I felt this would be a tough journey. Not because it was mountainous but because there was no alternative except for a rather busy road.
Thankfully there was path alongside the coastal road to Fraserburgh which made avoiding traffic easier.
Weather wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. It was 93% humidity and on the verge of raining. I was just happy it wasn’t pouring. But wow humidity makes me sweat more than hot sun!
Much of the shoreline was completely flat. On a gray day, not so interesting.
The cloudy day cast a soft glow on everything, which made the colors of the harbours pop.
I bought some yummy items at the Tescos in Fraserburgh since it was the last main town until Peterhead. After Fraserburgh I made a stop at Loch of Strathbeg for lunch.
Thankfully the rain held off and I found a quiet farm road to the Loch. I love the pink fireweed blooming alongside the golden fields.
Unfortunately after the loch, it was impossible to avoid the A90 for short sections, and I was scared to death to get hit by one of the lorries raging down the road. So whenever possible, I found random small roads (more inland), twisting and winding their way south.
I thought I would never reach Peterhead. It was as though the sun knew I was desperate for a pick-me-up and it graced me with its presence. I don’t have much to say about Peterhead except it felt like a mini Aberdeen. The harbour was massive and full of huge ships. I watched some seals playing for a bit before moving on.
For some reason there were loads of cops driving around Peterhead. Almost every road I turned down I passed at least one. Even on many of the farm roads. For a while I started getting paranoid thinking I was doing something wrong!
By the time I reached my destination in Cruden Bay, it was 5pm and I was starving. I made instant noodles and coffee in my B&B room and then had a glorious hot shower.
After a bit of relaxing and charging my cameras, a surge of energy overcame me, and I decided I should take advantage of the golden hour. I was scared that the following morning would be rainy and I REALLY wanted to see Slains Castle in the sunlight. I grabbed my gear and headed out of town towards Slains Castle.
Slains Castle (also called “new Slains Castle”) was built around 1600 and is famous for inspiring Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel in the late 19th century. He spent a lot of time there during writing, when it looked like this:
Now Slains Castle is falling to ruin, with renovations reportedly being on hold since 2009. However except for a small section that’s fenced off, it’s completely open to explore. Another example of how trusting the owners of ruined castles are in Scotland. Explore at your own risk!
It’s fun to wander through the corridors, imagining what life was like back then. I’m guessing really cold.
Over the centuries it was owned by various families, none longer than the original Erroll family. But in the 20th century a demolition company bought it and gutted it for parts. It’s owned privately now, but the future is uncertain for this iconic castle.
After exploring the ruins, I followed the coast back towards Cruden Bay. The sun was nearly at the horizon, casting a pink-purple glow over the land.
This was the icing on the cake after a long hard day. It lifted my spirits and fueled my inspiration. After watching the waves for a while, I headed back to my B&B for some hot chocolate and a good sleep.
Watch the video episode:
