Cullen To Findlater Castle
Date Walked: 1st March 2011
Distance: 5.9 miles (9.6km)
Actual Ascent: 1837 ft (560m)
Time Taken: 3 hours
I was in Banff yesterday morning, so finding myself in a cafe on the coast at noon on a beautiful day with time to spare, I obviously thought of a wander. I had recently read a report on the walk from Cullen to Findlater Castle and thought what better day for a coastal walk, I drove across to Cullen and parked in the (free) town centre car park.
My first view of Cullen Bay was through stone arches spanning the road as I walked down toward the harbour.
My first view of Cullen Bay was through stone arches spanning the road as I walked down toward the harbour.
Its a beautiful day and I'm starting a coastal walk.....need I say more
From the harbour, turn east along the well trodden path, there is another free car park along here but the town centre one has a general store and cafe right beside it, so I'm with that one
As you pass the 'pet cemetery' you quickly get into a more secluded walk, which means coastal wildlife, seals a-plenty but no dolphins today, cormorants a-plenty too
The well trodden path meanders its way along the shoreline and (as its midweek) I have the place almost to myself
Saw several Oyster-catchers along the way
The path now undulates a little beside a rocky outcrop providing a pleasant change to the prolonged flat area
Another cormorant doing its impression of Kate Winslet in Titanic
A short but steep climb before dropping again to 'the giants staircase'
from the top of the staircase an incredibly well built set of steps drop you back down to sea level and a perfectly constructed cairn (a tribute to the man who built the steps)
Back at sea level the rocky outcrops provide a real beauty to the scene
Soon after this its on to Sunnyside Beach
From here there is a nice little area of scrambling available if you chose to go around the cliffs rather than along the path up the cliff
I opted for the round the cliff route in order to allow me a different route back, this little fella was surprised to see me round there
The scramble is not one to undertake in the wet due to the steep/grass combinations that occur along the way
My first view of Findlater castle
The last scrambling stages are very wet/slippery and could be a problem with the wrong tide
from down here it is apparent that there is little left of the castle
a wet pathway leads up from the beach to the castle
A few shots from the castle
After sitting and enjoying the view for some time I took the pathway back up to the cliff top
It is not far along there that the pathway leads down again to Sunnyside Beach
From the bottom of the path (looking back up) it is back onto the same path I came on
Don't follow the path all the way back on the same route though, take the well signed turn up to 'Nelsons Seat' for a last view from the overlook
Then take the signed route back to the harbour, that way you can have one more overlook view before rejoining the road and walking the last few hundred yards to the car park
A great little walk (on a weekday) I suspect it may be 'walking central' at weekends though!!