Cullen Bay - Bow Fiddle Rock - Portknockie - Cullen

Adrian & Alex Reeves

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Park in the public car park next to Cullen Golf Club. The walk starts by descending the steps to the left and alighting onto the sandy beach. Continue walking along Cullen Bay Beach. Further along you have to negotiate a stream which flows from the golf course down to the sea. Carry on along the beach until you can go no further and head for the base of the rock outcrop, bear right walking across stones and keep walking left over the rocks until you emerge onto a grass path. The sea is still on the right. You pass several caves; one, known as the Preacher's Cave was used by the Free Church following its break with the Church of Scotland in the 1840s; this needs exploring! Further on still you will come across Jenny's Well; the cool-flowing water is a good place for a dog to quench its thirst. You keep on this path, eventually arriving at the base of a flight of steps which take you to the top of the cliff. On the right there is an amazing rock formation where the sea crashes through, called the Whale's Moo. At the top of the cliff there is a bench to sit on, regain your breath and take in the wonderful views across Cullen Bay; fishing-boats from Buckie can often be seen. There is usually a variety of seabirds gliding and swooping around.

Continue the walk along the top of the cliff, following the path, towards the village of Portnockie. Children (and dogs) will need to be kept under tight control because the cliff edge is open and dangerous. You will pass the spectacular, famous Bow Fiddle Rock. Along this section of the Moray Firth the sea has carved caves, arches and sea stacks in the steeply folded Cullen quartzite rocks. This is the same rock which forms the hill of the Bin of Cullen to the south of Portnockie. These rocks are very old, some 650 million years. The rock is usually covered in a variety of seabirds: fulmars, herring-gulls, gannets, cormorants and shags are but a few. Not far from here the path veers off to the left to take you back in the direction you have come, past a field on your right and arriving back at the bench at the top of the cliff. Follow the path round to the right along the edge of the cliffs (butterflies, skylarks, swifts and swallows can all be seen here during the summer months) until you come to a viewing area with two seats overlooking Cullen Golf Course. The path leads you down into the golf course and so long as you keep to the edge (except when you have to detour to go over a small bridge), you will find, further on, a well-defined path which takes you back to the car park and the end of your walk.

Scotland - Northeast Scotland - Moray - Coast