Banff Area

Pennan

Buckie Harbour

Banff from Macduff

Area Main Page

The north-east and north facing coasts of Aberdeenshire and Moray form a distinctive area offering visitors a series of attractive towns and villages, complete with some wonderful little (and not so little) harbours, a wide choice of rocky and sandy coastlines, and an everyday uncommercialised sense of an area getting on with its normal life: a life that more often than not revolves around fish. You can browse books about Aberdeenshire in our Bookshop (this may take a moment to load).

The natural starting point for the area is the town of Peterhead with its large fishing fleet and extensive harbour area. Just to its south is the traditional fishing village of Boddam.

Inland from Peterhead, central Buchan offers a series of villages standing on or near the South Ugie Water, including New Deer, Maud and Old Deer. Old Deer where you find Old Deer Old Kirk, while a little to the west are the remains of Deer Abbey. The summit of a small hill between Old Deer and Maud is home to the Aikey Brae Stone Circle. A little to the north, on the North Ugie Water, is the village of Strichen. Close by is the Strichen Stone Circle.

From Peterhead the coast curves past sandy Rattray Head and the old fishing village of Inverallochy to Fraserburgh, whose fishing fleet competes for size with Peterhead's. Fraserburgh is home to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.

As you move west from Fraserburgh beyond the old fishing village of Rosehearty a number of attractive bays and settlements dot the coast. The village of Pennan was made famous as the location of parts of the film "Local Hero" and is firmly established on the tourist trail as a result. Crovie and Gardenstown are as attractive as Pennan, but benefit from being less famous. Both are tucked into the cliffside, and while Gardenstown is confined, Crovie is so snugly fitted into its cliffside environment that it is effectively car-free.

Heading west again brings you to the major fishing port of Macduff, complete with the Macduff Marine Aquarium. Facing Macduff across Banff Bay, Banff itself. Inland, the main centres serving a large agricultural area are Aberchirder, to the west of the River Deveron, and Turriff, to its east.

West of Banff you need to take a detour from the coast road to visit the fishing village of Whitehills, built around its traditional seatown like so many settlements on this coast.

A few miles further brings you to Portsoy. This, too, was once a busy fishing port, but is now best known as a base for leisure craft exploring the coastline. Inland from Portsoy is the wonderful little village of Fordyce, still retaining its narrow winding lanes around its village-centre castle. Near the centre of Fordyce is Old Fordyce Church, one of the most fascinating ruined churches you will find anywhere.

Onwards again, past the tiny harbour and beautiful beach of Sandend, and you come to Cullen. This is a lovely little town whose fishing cottages are built between the beach and the enclosing curve of a disused railway, complete with three very imposing viaducts. Cullen is also home to one of the best ice cream shops in Scotland...

Cullen is followed by Portknockie, and then by the very attractive fishing village of Findochty. This really is a gem, giving visitors a true feel of the variety of the fishing settlements in the area.

West again, and just over the rise from Findochty you see the large fishing port of Buckie emerging in the middle distance. Buckie (or, more accurately, Buckpool, at the western end of it) has since 1999 been the start (or end) of the Speyside Way long distance path. Beyond Buckpool lies Portgordon. The western end of this area is marked by the mouth of the River Spey and by Spey Bay with its golf course and wildlife centre.