Eastside Coastal Towns (Arbroath, Montrose) and Itinerary help

Hi, Christina,

I'm sorry that you couldn't get any closer than Pitlochry or Ballater for the Braemar Gathering. As of last week, there were still some rooms available in Banchory, but they're probably gone by now! Ballater is a charming town, and if you enjoy hiking, there are lots of good hikes in the area.

As you're going to have a couple of nights in Aberdeen, why not do that first, then stay somewhere along the coast? Given a choice between Arbroath and Montrose, I'd probably opt for Arbroath. It has a great little harbour, a really good walk along the cliffs, the Abbey where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320 (supposedly the inspiration for the US Declaration of Independence), and several places where you can purchase Arbroath Smokies! Cel's on Ladybridge Street is a personal favourite - smokie pies to die for!

Other coastal choices would be Cruden Bay (north of Aberdeen) or Stonehaven (south of Aberdeen). Both have places to visit within (and without) their environs. Cruden Bay has Slains Castle and the Bullers of Buchan; Stonehaven has nearby Dunnottar Castle, which you definitely do not want to miss on your way south. All of these can be visited on half day trips from Aberdeen.

A lot will depend on your interests. Certainly Pitlochry and Ballater would be worth two nights each, but you need to find out what other places are nearby which pique your interest. If castles are your interest, there are more concentrated in the Aberdeen area than anywhere else in Scotland. You could base yourselves in Aberdeen and spend several days visiting castles and gardens. If nature is something that you enjoy, there are the seals at Newburgh and the amazing bird covered cliffs at Fowlsheugh, just south of Stonehaven. Perhaps you could do three nights in Aberdeen and one in Arbroath on the way south to Edinburgh.

Please keep asking questions. We're happy to provide answers!

Best wishes, and safe travels!

Mike (Auchterless)

Mike,

I'm so glad you wrote. I've been reading old threads from years ago about Aberdeen that you have written. I've made notes about the fly cemeteries at Upperkrust and the tablet ice cream at Inversnecky Cafe, Old Blackfriars and more!

Yes, this trip certainly seems out of order. We have 2 constraints. The first is the Braemar games are dictating our location a bit on the first weekend. My husband doesn't want to drive more than 45 minutes to get there. We found something close enough outside of Pitlochry. I did see some availability in Banchory which I could revisit. The second constraint is that we must do Aberdeen on the second weekend due to another constraint. This leaves a lot of driving back and forth in between. Thankfully everything seems about an hour to two hours away.

I'm also leaning towards Arbroath. It seems quaint and charming but with things to do. Montrose feels larger and nondescript, but this is all my interpretation from what I've been reading. Is there enough to do in Arbroath? We could take a day trip to Montrose since it's so close, but I wouldn't want to shortchange Arbroath.

We don't like to hike, but we do enjoy walking for hours around town, stopping to eat and drink along the way.

My question on Ballater and Pitlochry- I guess I was thinking the two areas would be similar in terms of scenery, but Pitlochry looks bigger perhaps with more to do. In Ballater, it would be a home base to visit Aboyne, Crathie, Banchory etc.

I feel a little all over the board with my thoughts!

From Arbroath Dundee is only 30 minutes or so away, with it's various museums. Those include the V and A Scotland- the outpost of the V and A in London.
In Arbroath there is also the Signal Tower Museum- the former shore station for the off shore Bell Rock Lighthouse.
A very interesting place, with very informative docents.
Bell Rock is the world's oldest rock lighthouse.

Hi again, Christina,

I can't believe someone remembers my old posts! Let alone refers back to them! As you and your husband don't enjoy hiking, that leaves out a few places which I would have recommended for hikes. However, the cliff walk at Arbroath is an exception. It's a beautiful walk on a paved path, high above the cliffs which tumble down to the North Sea. Although it's possible to walk all the way to the end, and catch the bus back to Arbroath from Auchmithie, the most sensible thing to do would be to turn back when you feel that you have walked enough.

As far as walking through towns, Aboyne is a bit too spread out, and doesn't really have a "downtown" area. Both Ballater and Banchory do, however. And both have plenty of places to stop for a meal or drink (or both!). While you're in Banchory, don't miss the Falls of Feugh, which I've probably mentioned in several posts.

As far as your lodging goes for the Braemar Gathering, how far outside of Pitlochry are you staying? Did you consider Blairgowrie, or possibly the Kirkmichael Hotel in Kirkmichael? I was hoping that the Boat Inn in Aboyne would be available, but it appears to be fully booked for that weekend. It looks as though the Burnett Arms in Banchory still has rooms available at a reasonable cost, but if you're interested, check out the reviews before making your decision.

If you do decide to try the fly cemeteries (and the stovies!) at the Upperkrust, you can park at the Morrison's supermarket on West North Street, walk up Littlejohn Street, cross over Broad Street, and walk down Upperkirkgate to the restaurant. Be sure to get back to Morrison's within the two hour time limit! You'll get to see the outside of Marischal College on Broad Street, which is the second largest granite building in the world.

I hope that all of this information helps you with your decision making!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

We spent a night in Montrose and feel it was enough. We were heading from Stirling and going to Dunotter castle before heading west to Nairn. There is little to do or see in the town, but it was nice to walk around. For us, it was simply a place to overnight. Ballater is pretty small too, so unless you were going to go site seeing or hiking someplace else, two nights might be too many.

Thank you all for the responses.

Mike, I've added the notes about parking at Upperkrust. I love Google maps. I add the points of interest that I learn on the forum and then add to the notes section before I save. Hiking isn't out of the question. We just don't want multiple days full of hikes. One hike that my husband is interested in is the Blue Door in Edzell. That could be a possible morning trip from Arbroath. I'll keep checking the hotel situation. I'm hoping that some will cancel.

Jamieelsabio, thank you for the input on Montrose.

Isn31c, I've added Bell Rock to the map of interests.

We are going to watch Local Hero this evening.

Hi, Christina,

Local Hero is my favorite movie of all time. I was overjoyed when Criterion came out with a Blu-ray edition. Parking in Aberdeen is expensive, which is why we park at Morrison's. But you have to be really careful about that two hour parking limit! They used to have a man patrolling the car park, whom Aberdonians referred to as the "Parking Nazi"! Then they changed to CCTV coverage. Be careful to avoid the bus lanes in Aberdeen. They have been catching unwary tourists, and have been keeping locals from shopping in town.

To avoid all of this hassle, Mrs A and I park down at the beach, either near Broad Hill or along the Esplanade. It's about a 15 - 20 minute walk from there to the Castlegate, but it's worth it to be able to spend the day in town without having to spend a fortune on parking!

That Blue Door hike looks interesting. I'm going to earmark it for our next holiday. If you're going to be in Edzell anyway, you may want to visit Cairn o' Mount. It's a viewpoint just north of Fettercairn, on the B974 road to Banchory. The overlook covers one of the bleakest views in Kincardineshire, but the beauty is in its bleakness. The view stretches from the Angus glens to the Howe of the Mearns and on a clear day, the North Sea. We were there a few years ago, in July, and were met by horizontal snow!

If you're looking for some other interesting short and medium length hikes along Deeside, there are Scolty Hill and Clachnaben near Banchory, as well as a really easy mile and a half walk crossing the Dee twice from the Crathie Kirk car park. Also Glen Tanar, near Aboyne. That one's about five miles, along the south side of the glen, then crossing over to the north side for the return.

Best wishes once again!

Mike (Auchterless)