The exposed road snakes along the coast to Rosehearty, directly into the driving wind and rain.
Leaving the town, a rugged coastal path passes a former RAF bombing control tower, built in 1994 and designed to withstand the blast from a 2,000lb bomb, now converted into a family home and marketed as “the UK’s toughest home”. It’s probably in demand.
There are fine views of the crashing waves before the path vanishes and I’m forced to cut along the edge of a farmer’s field, quietly past the farmhouse and onto a minor road.
A footpath sign for Pennan at Mill Farm begins a three-mile walk along quiet country lanes.
I struggle to find the footpath at Pennan Farm, meeting barbed wire and fields of cows before finding a stile hidden at the side of a farm building.
A muddy, cattle-churned track leads down the valley to the highlight of my day — Pennan Village.
The Coastal Cuppie sits on the harbour wall. I’m in luck, as Shona, the lovely owner, keeps it open later than normal for a group of French tourists, although supplies are depleted.
“We have scones or scones or scones.”
Scones, fresh cream and jam it is then. They are delicious. I’d not expected this.
One of my favourite movies is Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero, about an American tycoon who wants to buy a Scottish village to build an oil terminal before falling for its charms. It was filmed partly at Pennan.
The iconic red phonebox from the movie remains to draw fans, although Shona tells me the movie used a replica positioned next to the lamp pictured above.
A steep climb from the village takes me back to the road and a pretty river crossing at the Mill of Nethermill.
A network of quiet lanes is followed by a descent through the grassy valley of Mink Howe to Crovie village.
Fearing another tough climb to the next bay, I’m relieved to find a path hugging the cliff to Gardenstown.
That’s the end of the fun part of the day, leaving only the long road into Macduff and Banff.
An attractive bridge, built in 1780, connects the two towns.
I’m booked into an Airbnb. The host, Tracey, is wonderful. When I explain how far I’ve walked and looking forward to a long bath, she brings me a bottle of Radox. Now I’m a happy man. I may never get out of this bath.
Date of walk: Friday 28 June 2024.
Walk distance: 27 miles.
Total distance: 4,452 miles.
I just love the random links thrown up by reading blogs. Touring the Scottish Isles once led us to a B+B near Brodick on Arran named Crovie where the landlady came from.
Crovie looked like a tiny village too. I loved Arran, even if it did rain most of the week. 🙂