Scotland Aberdeen Banff rental accommodation Seatown Cottage

Seatown Cottage
Gardenstown
Gamrie Bay

Sleeps 4

Seatown Cottage is a solid stone house in the village of Gardenstown (shop/pub) on Gamrie Bay 10 miles from Banff and 52 miles from Aberdeen. It is reached via the A98, B9031, and a small country road that winds through rolling green hills before twisting and turning down the steep cliff incline that supports Gardenstown's narrow terraces of houses and arrives at the shore of Gamrie Bay on the southern side of The Moray Firth - whose waters are warmed by The Gulf Stream and are home to many dolphins frequently seen.

Dining area The house is much as it was when the present owner's great-grandfather built it and a prosperous fleet of over 80 herring-drifters operated from the nearby, now quiet harbour, but it has been modernised to include good electric heating, a renovated kitchen/dining-room, and a bathroom with shower. Externally there is a terrace extension, so that guests can relax and enjoy a sea view. It is tucked away in a sheltered cul-de-sac (parking usually possible), 20 yards back from the rocky shore, with access by a narrow road along the sea-wall which ends at the nearby sandy beach/large parking area.

Beach Gamrie Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its seabird colonies, myriad coastal flowers and ancient rocks, and this whole countryside is truly the 'undiscovered north' - with few tourists but a wealth of history and fascinating museums. Visit Macduff's Marine Aquarium with its living display of local sea-life, and magnificent Duff House; climb to St John's Chapel and see three 800-year-old grinning skulls of ancient Danish invaders; visit the Iron Age Fort above the sandy beach at Cullykhan Bay; see Quarryman's Cave where smugglers of old hid their liquour and silk; and visit Pennan where film buffs the world over visit the pub (meals) made famous by the film 'Local Hero'.