9 Days Touring the East Coast of Scotland: In our Grenadier 4x4 as we look to find those hidden gems!

'Lang May Yer Lum Reek!'

(Translation: Long may your chimney smoke meaning have a long and happy life!)

Michael and I were early retired at the age of 62 and have since spent our time creating delicious vegan bakes for our market stall and travelling in our Grenadier 4x4. In our excitement to see as much of the world as we can we soon realised that it is better to slow down and absorb as much as a place has to offer rather than sticking lots of pins in our map just to say we have been there.

We have explored only a tiny part of Scotland before namely the Outer Hebrides, the highlands and the Cairngorms which we will share in a later post. In this trip we decided to explore the East Coast from Edinburgh to Inverness and down through the Southern Cairngorms.

Our trip actually started with a visit to Michael's sister in Saltburn-by-the-Sea taking in the sea air and amazing views. We walked to Marske along the beach, had lunch in the town then yomped back alongside the railway track. Once we set off for Scotland we had a couple of hours stop at Seaham to hunt for the sea glass treasure on the beach. This was fascinating and speaking to other seaglass collectors we learned a little bit more about these desirable pebbles on the beach 😂. Our car was packed to the rafters with our bed, camping gear, food and excitement!

The east coast of Scotland has many hidden gems which sometimes we feel get overlooked in favour of the more north and western tourist routes. We visited a couple of the main cities but then wanted to explore some of the places people just pass through in a hurry to get somewhere else. Join us and discover these amazing places

Our 9 Days Touring the East Coast of Scotland: In our Grenadier 4x4 as we look to find those hidden gems begins

Day 1

Our first day we visited Edinburgh. We had checked into an AirBnB just outside the city and used the park and ride. It was really efficient parking for free at Wallyford Journey Hub then taking the train into Waverley Station. It cost us under £5 per person return. We would normally recommend where we stay but on this occason we didnt feel it met the threshold for us to add it as a suggestion.

There are lots to see in Edinburgh but for a first visit the castle is a must. It's within walking distance from the station albeit up hill as it was built on an extinct volcano and you can easily spend a few hours in there. The admission tickets can be bought online and in Summer this is advisable as they sell out fast. The ticket prices are £17 concession for seniors (that's us 😂) and £21.50 for adults. Children under 7 years go free but otherwise pay £13.

The Scottish Crown Jewels are housed in the castle and you can make your visit even more special with a pre-booked champagne afternoon tea. There is so much history attached to this castle dating back to the Iron Age with military, prison and royal connections.

We could have spent longer in the castle but in need of a rest we had a late lunch at the fully vegan Holy Cow Cafe and completely over faced ourselves as there was so much to choose from. It was no problem to take with us the main event in a sustainable box for our tea.

After lunch we walked around the old town before we headed back to the AirBnB. One day is not enough to see this city and how much you get to do in one day depends upon your stamina. For us the castle and walking around the old town was enough.

Tips for other things to do or see: There are so many more things to do in this capital city that one day is not enough. National Museum of Scotland, Palace of Holyrood House, Arthurs Seat, Scott Monument, night tours are all other things to do.

Day 2

Driving north our next stop was to visit Falkirk. Who knew there was so much here to see?

The only rotating canal boat lift in the world was built in Falkirk and is called the Falkirk Wheel. It's a huge master of engineering built in 2002 transforming the contaminated former tar works, replacing 11 locks and rising up 100 feet. The entrance price is £17.70 which we thought was pretty expensive and for this you can ride in a barge being lifted by the wheel both up and down. However, if you want you can watch the wheel and walk around outside for free. There is also a cafe in the visitors centre.

There is an option for motorhomes and campervans to stay overnight in the upper car park and included in the £18 overnight charge is a light show on the wheel.

From the visitors centre you can walk to the Roman Antonine Wall and see the site of the old Fortress or Rough Castle. This is approximately a mile walk and to see where the old fortress was is fascinating. This is the longest surviving stretch of the Antonine Wall surrounded by defense pits and a military signal station. The Roman Emperor Antonius Pius ordered the wall to be constructed in AD142. We learnt he was the adopted son of Emperor Hadrian who the 'other' older wall was named after.

Roman legionaries first marched into what is today Scotland in about AD71. They tried for 140 years to subdue the northern british people winning battles, massacring populations and building fortresses. However, the people remained strong and the Roman rule was never consolidated and so by AD 212 they gave up. The wall reached 37 miles across Scotland from the Clyde to the Forth and was designed to defend and contol the movement of people across the northern most border of the Roman Empire.

The highlight of the day was to then visit The Kelpies. These 30 metre high stunning sculptures represent the working horses of the past. These are magnificent and well worth visiting with the only charge being for the car park. There is a cafe where you can buy hot meals or sit outside having coffee or ice cream. The Kelpies are lit up at night time and we believe look spectacular.

Having overloaded our senses it was time to find our camping spot for the night. If you are a freedom, campervan or motorhome camper there are a few Apps you can use. We opted for Park4night and pay an annual subscription of £10. This shows you all the different options for paid and unpaid places to stop in the UK and Europe. We chose to freedom camp at Heatherhall Woods which was very quiet and the sunrise in the morning was stunning shining through the trees. The woods are mainly used by dog walkers with the parking spots being flat and just about enough space for us to pitch our tent (the ground was pretty solid). There is a restricted height barrier at the entrance 2.1m high.

Day 3

Moving further east we drove to St Andrews well known for its University, Golf Courses and ruined Cathedral. This city steeped in history is well worth a visit. The original church built in 1158 was the centre of the medieval catholic church the largest built in Scotland. Against the blue skies the remains are majestic and although parts of the graveyard are cordoned off for safety you got a real sense of the past. There is a visitors centre and information plaques around the site.

The University is also dominant in the city with many colleges and historical buildings to keep you interested. There is St Leonards School alongside the harbour which dates back to 1877 and was originally for girls only. This is now a fee paying Co-Ed school and you cant . help to feel these students are very lucky and privileged to be there.

Parking is available down at the harbour for free but spaces can be limited.

Eating in St Andrews is not a problem as there are lots of cafes and restaurants . For us to find a vegan lunch we went to a familiar dining spot called Forgan's on the high street. The entrance is small and easily missed at this time of the year as there are no seats outside but if you pass through the door way and continue past the flower shop it opens out at the back into the restaurant. This was originally the St Andrews Old Golf Factory and the decor inside is industrial in it's layout with private booths or rooms for reserving if you have a larger party. The food (ours was vegan) was delicious and reasonably priced as we had one starter, two mains and two drinks for £45

Day 4

Leaving St Andrews we travelled up to Stonehaven simply to camp alongside the beach. The campsite was meant to be open all year costing £10 for the night with the use of toilets and showers. However, when we arrived at 5pm it was closed which meant trying to find somewhere else nearby and to pitch our tent before it went dark was nigh on impossible. We had tried several campsites along the way but they didnt open until the begining of April. We found a local hotel called Number 44 and immediately grateful we had somewhere warm and dry to sleep. Booking through Booking.com you get an instant response and paid £95 for the night including a full (Vegan) Scottish breakfast. We had no complaints! (It was £90 without breakfast so no contest 😂 )

First stop in the morning was a stroll on the beach in Stonehaven and then we travelled onwards to Aberdeen. We have been to Aberdeen several times a few years ago as our daughter went to University there .This is another historical city with a great atmosphere and fantastic University and so having walked the city before we didn't want to do it this time. We can highly recommend visiting the city if you haven't been before and just soak up the tradition and history of such a prestigious University. We wanted to keep the coast as our destination for most of this trip and so we went to see the sculptures 'Windows to the Sea' and again walked the length of the beach looking for 'treasure'.

We continued our drive north toward Fraserburgh. At this time we hadn't sorted out our next camping spot but having checked out our Park4Night App we spotted a place just up the road from the town Rosehearty called Down On The Farm. We read that they had an Aire for motorhome/campervans (£10 per night) and different types of accommodation such as Hobbit Houses and Carriages. Arriving late afternoon we met Carole the owner and although they don't normally cater for tents she kindly let us pitch ours with our Grenadier in their field for 2 nights. This was another hidden gem! and offers a real warm welcome with the option to book into activities on the farm especially in April when its lambing season. Check out their website Down On The Farm as Carole and Matthew would love to see you and opt to stay more than a night as there are lots of beautiful places to visit here.

Day 5

Down On The Farm is located in Rosehearty a coastal town in the north east Scotland. The towns here are nestled along this coast many with towering cliffs above them and spectacular views. A lot of people quickly pass through this stretch of the coast believing there are better things to see but trust us this is beautiful and deserves a few days at least.

In the morning we drove to a real hidden gem nestled alongside the sea but closely cushioned by the hills behind. This little village called Pennan was once a fishing harbour but as with many of these villages is now a quiet, mainly holiday home, destination. The storms here throw the pebbles onto the grass verge and in severe storms these rocks can hit the houses with no problem. It is for this reason many of the houses are built with the gable end facing outwards to sea and the majority of their windows facing into the narrow passageways. This is likened to the bow of a boat offering the least resistance to the sea. We saw evidence of the pebbles being cleared by the family of a local resident (there are now only 4 ladies permanently resident here). There is a pub which serves great locally sourced food (it was closed when we visited but we had on good authority the food is excellent) and a tiny coffee/cafe hut with a great name called 'Coastal Cuppie' serving fresh coffee and scones.

Speaking to people in Pennan you got a real sense of what life was like and how quiet this little village is in the winter months. This little place became famous in the 1980s as it was used as one of the main locations for the film 'Local Hero' with the red telephone box still being present and attracting visitors from all over the world.

Further along the coast is Troup Head home to thousands of birds including Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes and is the biggest Gannet colony on mainland Scotland. You can park in the RSPB car park and take a circular walk to the cliff top and round. Dolphins can be seen from this vantage point if you are lucky but probably you are more likely to see them in the summer months than in the cold of winter or spring.

We stayed a second night Down On The Farm and planned our daily walk the following day.

Day 6

Crovie (pronounced Crivie) is another small village along the Moray Firth coastline. This is a completely pedestrianised residential area that evolved during the Jackobite uprising in 1715 and 1745 when the families had to clear the land to makeway for the animals grazing. This coastal town is so tightly squeezed between the sea and the hills that there is no room for any transport. There is one road down a steep incline where residents can leave their cars in a small car park at one end and then wheelbarrow any purchases to their dwellings. Visitors are not to drive into the village and have to leave their cars at the top of the hill and then walk down. We took a look at the hill (17%) and whilst going down is one thing the climb up was more than we wanted to do. Where we parked there is a walk across the cliff top and then down in to Gardenstown which then leads to the sea front and the harbour. We decided Michael would bring the car and park in Gardenstown and meet me there and from here we could walk into Crovie along the beach. This beach path is slightly worse for wear and has been really battered in major storms in the past. One major storm in 1953 reached hurricane proportions and all the sheds and garages were washed away together with several houses. The effect was so dramatic that many of the houses ceased to be permanenetly occupied. The village was no longer a fishing village occupied by local people it has become a holiday village. It is a designated conservation area with all but one property being listed. Crovie is lovely to see but we feel Gardenstown is simply a place to park and start your walk. It is a tired village and looked a bit deserted to be honest.

After our walk our journey turned to find new overnight accommodation. We chose a room in a house in a town called Mulben near Keith. The house was called Twin Pines with the host Pippa being very welcoming. Our room was absolutely beautiful with an ensuite and kitchenette and really very very comfortable. Our room was large and we know Pippa has even bigger rooms and beds. We can highly recommend a stay here and Pippa is happy to be contacted directly to make a reservation on (+44) 07789224593 or use her website here

We stayed here for 2 nights it was perfect 👌.

Day 7

From our stay at the Twin Pines we headed north again for the day continuing our journey westerly along the coast road to Portknockie. Starting in the car park for the Bow Fiddle Rock we ventured down the hill to see this amazing rock formation against the bright blue sea and skies.

We make no apologies for the number of photographs here as the colours were stunning and the views spectacular. We continued our walk along the cliff top then made our way down to the golf course and beach to Cullen.

The views were stunning and arriving at Cullen we had lunch at the award winning Royal Oak Hotel.

The sun was glorious as we set out in the morning and as ever after lunch the weather changed and we got battered by the wind and rain and sand blasted as we walked long the beach.

Just as quickly the rain stopped and the sun started to shine again and we even had a rainbow...

This is the fun of Scotland!

Day 8

Driving further south we headed to Loch Kinord and Burn O'Vat. You can take a 5 mile circular walk to take in both of these natural wonders and you won't be disappointed. Parking in the visitor car park of the Burn O'Vat you pay £4 for the day and follow the signs. We used the Alltrails App to both guide us and to map our walk as there is more than one route you can take. The Burn O'Vat is a huge pothole which developed during the melting of the glacial ice from the ice age. It formed a huge basin which can be accessed by climbing through a narrow gap left by the falling rocks. The basin is wet but provided the rainfall has not been too much you can step across the stones until you get inside this cavernous space. It was quiet when we visited so plenty of photo opportunities!

Continuing the walk around the loch which is a nature reserve there is ample opportunity to see various wildlife including red squirrels, hares, various birds such as geese, birds of prey and reptiles e.g. adders. Sadly we didn't see any squirrels or adders but did see a hare, a bird of prey but not sure which one and hundreds of geese and small birds. An organised walk around the Loch would help in identifyng what creatures were present in the reserve.

Day 9

Today was going to be our last day in Scotland and we chose to stay in Moffat. This town may or may not be so well known but it does in fact have several claims to fame!

Firstly in the old cemetery John McAdam is buried there and he was the inventor of the new road surfacing called 'macadamisation' This was a smooth hard wearing suface and is the influence for the road coverings we use today. John McAdam a Scottish engineer and road builder was born in 1756 and died in 1836

Two mail coach drivers, James McGeorge and John Goodfellow, in the year 1831 were delivering the post to Edinburgh when they met with a blinding snow storm. They abandoned their coach and decided to carry 7 stone of mail on foot. Needless to say they were perished and discovered 12 days later when they hadn't returned to Moffat. They have burial headstones in the cemetery which were errected in memory of their dedication to the postal service

In the town centre there is a sculpture by William Brodie of a ram in recognition of the sheep and wooltrade in the area. When it was presented in 1875 by a local business man it was embarrassing as it was soon pointed out the sculptor had forgotten to give the ram any ears

The high street had the oldest pharmacy in Scotland once owned by Thomas Hetherington in 1844 until 2007 when it combined with the Co-operative Pharmacy and more laterly the Wells Pharmacy

Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain was born at St Ninian's School Moffat in 1882. This school is now sheltered housing for RAF veterans and there is a memorial to Dowding in the nearby Station Park

The Star Hotel is in the Guiness Book of records for being the narrowest (6m wide) detached hotel in the world. This is still operating a thriving business today and is where we stayed for our last night in Scotland

This small town has a lot to offer with many decent restaurants and cafes some of which are award winning.

Travel Tips: Additional things to see include:

The waterfall called Grey Mare's Tail which is 60m tall

Moffat is a designated Dark Sky Town and has an observatory that can be booked by the public

The Devils Beef Tub is a deep hollow in the hills which you can see as you drive into the town from the north. This hollow is formed by 4 hills and is 150m or 490 feet deep. This was used by members of Clan Moffat to hoard cattle stolen in raids across the land.

And Finally...

We hope you like our 9 Days Touring the East Coast of Scotland: In our Grenadier 4x4 see these hidden gems! The east coast of Scotland has plenty to offer for anyone touring in their car or campervan and wishing to camp or stay in a variety of accommodation. We kept our tour flexible so we could respond to the weather or when the season for camping was not yet ready for campers. We soaked up the warm scottish hospitality, the history and the sunshine then sheltered from the howling winds and driving rain occasionally getting caught out!

As a mature but young at heart couple we walked where we could and explored what nature had to offer and had a fabulous time. We would recommend visiting this area and having a real look around as sometimes we feel this part of Scotland does not get the recogniion that say the NC 500 does or the outer Hebrides (our personal opinion). If you have 1-2 weeks to spare make this your destination and you wont be disappointed.

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