Stonehaven

Stonehaven is a small fishing port in Aberdeenshire in North East Scotland, 15 miles south of Aberdeen. Its main attraction is Dunnottar Castle, scenically perched on a headland south of town.

Understand
Stonehaven could be called the most northerly town of the lowlands. Central lowland Scotland is a rift valley, walled by the Highland Boundary Fault which trends diagonally from Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven on the east. Southeast of this line is Old Red Sandstone, bright red from its iron oxides, built into roseate castles such as Edzell, and with red soil in the lowland cattle fields. Northwest are the granite Grampian highlands. As the fault line approaches the coast, it funnels all the transport routes — for cattle-drivers, armies, traders and mail coaches — to the rocky headland where Dunnottar Castle stands guard.

The coastal plain then opens up again further north towards Aberdeen. The "Highland Line" is as much cultural as geological, and this area was an early adopter of lowland agricultural methods, land tenure and industries, and of English in place of Gaelic. Stonehaven's last military upheavals were in the Jacobite campaigns of 1715 and 1745, which it supported by acting as a supply port. Thereafter it was simply a provincial market town, though busy in the 19th century with herring fishing. Its many dank medieval turrets were converted into mansions: these are mostly private residences, but may be occasionally open in summer as part of the Scotland's Gardens Scheme. Stonehaven was the county town of Kincardineshire, but this was abolished in 1975 so it's now part of Aberdeenshire, with a population in 2011 of 11,602.

Visitor information
The "VisitScotland Centre" has closed down.
 * Stunning Stonehaven

By train
There are trains hourly from Edinburgh and from Glasgow Queen Street, taking just over two hours via Dundee, Arbroath and Montrose to Stonehaven, and continuing north to Aberdeen. Some trains come direct from London Kings Cross or Leeds via York and Newcastle, but from England it's usually quicker to change in Edinburgh.

The Caledonian Highland Sleeper to Aberdeen runs Su-F from London Euston, departing after 9PM to reach Stonehaven around 7:15AM. The southbound train picks up around 10PM to reach Euston towards 8AM. You could also take the Lowland Sleeper from Euston towards midnight and change to a day train in Edinburgh. Going back, you need to leave Stonehaven before 8:30PM to join the southbound Lowland Sleeper at 11:30PM from Edinburgh.

is almost a mile from town centre, exit south onto Arduthie Rd. The Station Hotel has a bar and serves meals but head downhill east for more food and pubs in the centre.

By bus
Stagecoach Bus X7 runs hourly from Aberdeen Union Square along the coast through Portlethen and Newtonhill to Stonehaven, 40 min. It continues south to Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee and Perth.

Stagecoach Bus 747 runs hourly from Aberdeen Airport via Kingswell P&R to Stonehaven (30 min) and continues to Montrose. Some journeys start in Peterhead.

The is on Barclay Street, at the corner with Cameron Street a block south of Market Square.

Coaches from Edinburgh, Glasgow and the south towards Aberdeen scoot past on the A90 bypass and don't stop in Stonehaven.

By car
From north or south the quickest road is A90, which cuts inland. For a slower scenic route (eg cycling) take A92, which follows the coast from Dundee via Arbroath and Montrose.

To reach the Cairngorms, A957 northeast (the lyrically-named "Slug Road") joins A93 at Crathes: this is the route between Glenshee, Braemar, Balmoral and Aberdeen.

Get around

 * Stonehaven is a small town, so walking is your best bet. For Dunnottar Castle either take the path ascending from the harbour, or the cycleway from further south along main road. These meet below the War Memorial, then the clifftop path winds onward to the castle entrance. Or drive south to join A92, and another half mile brings you to the castle car park.
 * Stagecoach Bus 4A and 4C make a figure-of-eight loop around the town M-Sa every 30 min.
 * Local taxi operators are Dash Cabs +44 7400 442880 (who in Dec 2020 quote £33 fixed price to Aberdeen city or airport) and A&I Taxis +44 1569 764333.

Around town

 * is centrepiece of the town, which remains a fishing port. On the north quay, the Tolbooth is a 16th-century red sandstone building that has variously been a courthouse and a prison. In 1648/49, three Episcopal clergy were imprisoned here for holding a religious service for more than nine people: it was a sort of social-distancing rule, as the "Piskies" spread the contagion of Jacobitism. The Tolbooth is now a small museum, open Sa Su noon-3:30PM, free.
 * The beach is shingle, with a ribbon of shingly sand below the highwater mark. Dogs are welcome.
 * St James the Great Episcopal Church is an attractive 19th-century church just south of the Carron Water. Town centre is a Victorian grid pattern stretching north to the other river, the Cowie Water.
 * is along the clifftop path to the castle. In sort-of Doric style, its "unfinished" look is deliberate, to acknowledge the incomplete lives of these lost in two World Wars.
 * , a mile inland along the Glaslaw Burn, were the estate of Dunnottar House, now demolished. The main feature is the parish church (Church of Scotland), built from 1852. The Covenanters' Stone in the graveyard is a memorial to the 170 anti-royalists imprisoned in Dunnottar Castle in 1685. (Some died or escaped, but most were transported to found a colony in New Jersey.) In the woods are "Lady Kennedy's Bath" (more suitable for cleaning a large muddy dog than milady's what-nots) and the Shell Hoosy, a folly.
 * or the Chapel of St Mary and St Nathalan is a picturesque ruin next to the golf course. Some 200 yards south overlooking the coast, a grassy knoll is all that remains of Cowie Castle. Half a mile inland, Causey Mounth was the ancient cattle-drovers trail between Aberdeen and Stonehaven. It became a stone causeway from the 12th century to span the worst of the bogs.
 * a mile north of town is the shell of an Elizabethan mansion; it's an imposing facade but unsafe to enter. Since 2019 it's been under development as a hotel, house estate and golf resort, so much of the area is fenced off as a hard-hat zone.
 * or the Chapel of St Mary and St Nathalan is a picturesque ruin next to the golf course. Some 200 yards south overlooking the coast, a grassy knoll is all that remains of Cowie Castle. Half a mile inland, Causey Mounth was the ancient cattle-drovers trail between Aberdeen and Stonehaven. It became a stone causeway from the 12th century to span the worst of the bogs.
 * a mile north of town is the shell of an Elizabethan mansion; it's an imposing facade but unsafe to enter. Since 2019 it's been under development as a hotel, house estate and golf resort, so much of the area is fenced off as a hard-hat zone.

Further out

 * was a Roman marching camp - a temporary structure set up between the permanent forts. It's one of a line of camps between the fort at Stracathro and those in Moray. Raedykes is one of the possible sites of the Battle of Mons Graupius, when Rome defeated the Caledonians in AD 83/84, but no-one's sure. The camp, perched on Garrison Hill, has yielded important finds but to look at is just grazing land. That seems fitting as the Roman commander who had it built was Agricola, which means "farmer".
 * on the coast 5 miles north of town is a Romanesque 13th-century tower-house, rebuilt as a mansion in the 17th century. It's a private residence and you can't visit.
 * is a 16th-century tower house, 4 miles southwest of town. It was modernised in 1930 and remains a private dwelling, no visits.
 * is a 13th century towerhouse, made over into a mansion in the 17th century. It fell into disrepair in the 20th century but was restored in the 21st; it's a private dwelling and you can't visit.
 * is a ghost village, a fishing harbour deserted from 1927. The scenic cliffs just north are the RSPB bird reserve of Fowlsheugh.
 * is a small fishing village, a row of whitewashed cottages that somehow looks more like Ireland. Until 2012 it was the scene of the midsummer "Cartie Challenge" — home-made soapbox carts would hurtle down the street — but the route was damaged by a storm and they haven't raced since.
 * is where the Scottish crown regalia were hidden after they were smuggled out of Dunnottar Castle. That church dated to 1242, but the version you see now was built in 1738 and is disused.
 * See Montrose for sights south of Inverbervie.

Do

 * The Leisure Centre is next to the Open Air Pool. It's open M-F 6:30AM-10PM, Sa 9AM-7PM, Su 9AM-9PM.
 * Stonehaven Folk Festival is next held 11-14 July 2024.
 * Stonehaven Highland Games are in July, with the next on Su 21 July 2024.
 * Drumtochty Highland Games are held at Drumtochty Castle 5 miles north of Laurencekirk in June, see Montrose (Scotland).
 * Stonehaven Highland Games are in July, with the next on Su 21 July 2024.
 * Drumtochty Highland Games are held at Drumtochty Castle 5 miles north of Laurencekirk in June, see Montrose (Scotland).


 * Evolve to live on land and breathe air: the rocks of this region have few fossils, as they were laid down on land in a time before life slithered out of the sea. But one important example is Pneumodesmus newmani, named for Mike Newman the bus driver who found it on Cowie beach in 2004. It's a millipede, sort of, containing spiracles which show it breathed air. It's about 415 million years old, early Devonian, one of the first air-breathing creatures. The beastie lived then in tropical Laurentia and now resides in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Buy

 * Gift shops: try My Beautiful Caravan (formerly Purdies) in Market Square.
 * Pharmacies are Charles Michie in Market Square (M-Sa 9-6PM) and Boots on Barclay St (M-Sa 8:30AM-5:30PM).
 * Food outlets in Market Square include Co-op Food (daily 7AM-10PM), Charles McHardy Butchers, and Lembas Organic Eggs.
 * Farmers Market is held in the square first Saturday of the month 9AM-1PM.

Eat

 * Seafood Bothy is a kiosk out on the quay serving seafood straight off the boat. Hours and quality erratic, small portions, you're paying for the setting and the fun of fighting off the predatory seagulls.

Drink

 * Ship Inn on the harbour is a 1771 pub with rooms.
 * Six° North is within the Marine Hotel by the harbour. Six Degrees North craft brewery is in Laurencekirk 14 miles south, see Montrose.
 * Market Bar in Market Square is open daily 12:30PM-midnight.
 * Market Bar in Market Square is open daily 12:30PM-midnight.

Connect
As of Aug 2021, Stonehaven and the A90 has 4G with all UK carriers, but coverage is poor on A92 south towards Montrose. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * North to Aberdeen, the grey granite city with lots to see and do.
 * West to Banchory and the Dee valley past Balmoral Castle to Braemar.
 * South to the small fishing ports of Montrose, and Arbroath where Scotland's independence was first proclaimed in 1320.