Gardenstown

Gardenstown, or Gamrie as it's known, is a fishing village on the northeast coast of Aberdeenshire, with a population of 560 in 2020. It's the largest of the string of attractive villages clinging to this rugged coastline: the other main settlements are Crovie and Pennan.

Get in
From Inverness by car follow A96 east past Elgin to Fochabers, then A98 through Banff and Macduff, then B9031 along the coast.

From Aberdeen the simplest route is A96 northwest, then just before Huntly take A97 to Banff then B9031 as above.

Watermill Coach 273 runs along the coast from Banff and Macduff to Gardenstown, taking 30 min. There are five M-F, and the last stop is on Main St just above the harbour. The bus from Fraserburgh has been axed.

From Aberdeen take Stagecoach Bus 35 towards Elgin and change at Macduff. This runs every 30 min and takes two hours.

Get around
You need wheels to get between Gardenstown, Troup Head and Pennan. A bike would do.

See

 * is a scenic ruin on the headland west of town. It was rebuilt in 1513 but fell derelict from 1830.
 * is a tiny coastal village, just a single row of cottages, no longer fishing since its pier was wrecked in a storm of 1953. Walk along the clifftop path from Gardenstown. If you drive, use the south end car park and don't try to scrape along the village lane.
 * is the site of a castle, on a pinchpoint on the headland cliffs. A series of fortifications have perched here since maybe the 7th century BC, with the last an 18th century gunnery point, but only earthworks remain visible and you come for the view.
 * is another tiny coastal village that has lost its fishing trade. It was "Fenness" in the 1983 film Local Hero, when a Texan tycoon tries to buy up the land for an oil refinery. The red phone box on the quay became iconic, a red exclamation mark as the hero's links to his city-slicker world stretched thin. The beach scenes were filmed the other side of the country near Mallaig.
 * is the site of a castle, on a pinchpoint on the headland cliffs. A series of fortifications have perched here since maybe the 7th century BC, with the last an 18th century gunnery point, but only earthworks remain visible and you come for the view.
 * is another tiny coastal village that has lost its fishing trade. It was "Fenness" in the 1983 film Local Hero, when a Texan tycoon tries to buy up the land for an oil refinery. The red phone box on the quay became iconic, a red exclamation mark as the hero's links to his city-slicker world stretched thin. The beach scenes were filmed the other side of the country near Mallaig.

Do

 * Hike along the clifftops and watch the birdlife.
 * Golf: no course in town, there's a couple in Macduff / Banff.

Buy

 * Spar on Macduff Rd is open M-F 6:30AM-7PM, Sa 6:30AM-5PM.

Eat

 * Garden Arms on Main St (see Sleep) serves food daily till 8PM.

Drink
Garden Arms is the main pub.

Sleep

 * Harbour Cottage is self-catering right on Gardenstown harbour. Dog-friendly.
 * Two Bears Cottage is self-catering at 162 High St AB45 3YW.
 * Harbour Cottage is self-catering right on Gardenstown harbour. Dog-friendly.
 * Two Bears Cottage is self-catering at 162 High St AB45 3YW.

Connect
The reason that the Local Hero of 1983 tried to conduct international business from a red coin-operated phone box was that he couldn't get a mobile signal. Perhaps to preserve the area from corporate sharks, you still can't: as of March 2023 Gardenstown, Pennan and their approach roads have no signal.

Go next

 * West is Banff and Macduff, attractive linked coastal towns with the impressive Duff House.
 * East is Fraserburgh, the large fishing port near the tip where the coast turns south.
 * South is Huntly with its ruined castle.