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Banffshire Coast

Banffshire Coast

The Banffshire Coast is a treasure trove of charming harbour towns, golden beaches, and rich maritime heritage.

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The Banffshire coast stretches along some of the most dramatic and unspoilt shoreline in Scotland, where rugged cliffs give way to wide sandy bays, picturesque harbour villages cling to the water's edge, and bottlenose dolphins are a regular sight.

From the Georgian elegance of Banff to the ancient harbour at Portsoy, the working port of Macduff to the surf beaches at Sandend, this is a coast that rewards slow exploration.

Banff

Sitting at the mouth of the River Deveron, Banff is one of the finest Georgian towns in Scotland, its conservation area of elegant townhouses and civic buildings giving the place a quiet, unhurried grandeur.

A highlight of the town is Duff House, a magnificent William Adam mansion housing an outstanding art collection on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland. For golf lovers, play a round at Duff House Royal Golf Club.

Banff Links Beach stretches away to the west, a long arc of sand popular with walkers, surfers, and wildlife watchers.

The Banff and Macduff Heritage Trail connects the town's most significant historic sites on a self-guided walk, and Banff Museum offers a deeper dive into the area's past, including Banff silver.

The Banff Springs Hotel is the town's main hotel, with sea views and a menu built around local produce, while the Spotty Bag Shop is a beloved local institution for gifts, crafts, and a casual bite to eat.

Explore Banff

Portsoy

Portsoy is one of the most charming villages on the Aberdeenshire coast, its 17th-century harbour, traditional stone cottages, and strong sense of community making it a place that lingers in the memory long after a visit.

The harbour is the heart of everything here, and the annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, typically held in late June, draws visitors from across Scotland to celebrate the area's wooden boatbuilding heritage.

The Portsoy Salmon Bothy museum explores the local fishing industry year-round, and Portsoy Marble sells beautiful jewellery and gifts crafted from the distinctive local serpentinite stone the village has been famous for since the 17th century.

The harbourside ice cream at Portsoy Ice Cream is something of a local institution and not to be missed on a fine day.

Portsoy also welcomed the cast and crew of Peaky Blinders in 2021, to shoot for the show's upcoming sixth season. Big names such as actor Cillian Murphy were spotted on set, as many buildings were given a suitable new look to match the show's early 1900s setting.

Explore Portsoy

Macduff

Separated from Banff only by a bridge over the River Deveron, Macduff has a very different character to its neighbour, a busy working fishing port with a proud maritime identity. Its standout attraction is the Macduff Marine Aquarium, a four-star venue showcasing the species found in the local waters, including six species of shark, and one of the most distinctive small aquariums in Scotland.

Please note the aquarium is currently closed for an exciting refurbishment.

Royal Tarlair Golf Club sits on the clifftops above the town, offering 18 holes with spectacular views over the Moray Firth. Whilst Macduff Harbour, dating back to the 1770’s offers a glimpse into the Macduff Maritime heritage with beautiful views of over 40 boats.

The Knowes Hotel is a well-regarded option for food and accommodation in the town, and the clifftop walk west from Macduff towards Troup Head, home to Scotland's only mainland gannet colony, is one of the finest on the coast.

Explore Macduff

Sandend

Sandend is a small and beautifully situated village tucked into a sheltered bay between dramatic headlands, and its beach is widely regarded as one of the finest on the Banffshire Coast. The wide, clean sands are popular with families, surfers, and dolphin watchers, with bottlenose dolphins regularly spotted in the bay.

Just along the clifftop path to the east, the ruins of Findlater Castle cling dramatically to a sheer coastal promontory above the North Sea, a 14th-century fortress that was once one of the most powerful strongholds in the region and remains a striking and atmospheric sight, recently featured in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' starring the likes of Tom Holland, Zendaya and Matt Damon.

The village itself is quiet and unspoilt, with a strong community feel, and the coastal path east and west of Sandend offers some wonderfully rewarding clifftop walking.

For those willing to go further on foot, the walk to the remote and spectacular Sunnyside Beach is one of the highlights of the entire coast.

Image: Findlater CatlLe by @visitscotlandtours

Explore Sandend