THE AREA

The north-east coast of Scotland is one of Scotland’s hidden treasures. Away from the tourist hoards, this gem of an area has big, light filled skies, amazing long sandy beaches, and friendly folk who even have their own dialect!

You are near to the Grampian and Highland mountains and hills for the serious climbers and walkers, but there are hundreds of more leisurely strolls or smaller hills locally for the less adventurous.

Because you are on the coast, the sea and its natural bounty has played a huge part in the fortunes of the area, with deep sea fishing and the oil industry. There are plenty of sea leisure activities to do locally, from a simple boat ride to try and find dolphins or amaze at the birdlife clinging to the cliffs, to kite surfing and diving. Go for a trip to Fraserburgh and look out for the surfers on the beach. Nearby Rosehearty is renowned as a fantastic place to go diving and look at the abundant - and surprisingly colourful - wildlife in the sea.

Gardenstown, or Gamrie (pronounced Game-rie) has rows of prettily-painted traditional fishermen's cottages, and the coast enjoys some of the best weather in Scotland - dry and sunny and does not suffer from midges!

Originally known as Gamrie, Gardenstown was founded in 1720 by Alexander Garden specifically as a fishing village. On the hillside to the west, and visible from most parts of Gardenstown, are the remains of the Church of St John the Evangelist. This predates the village, being built in 1513, and celebrates an even earlier event, the defeat of the Danes here in 1004.

By the 1920s, Gardenstown and the neighbouring village of Crovie together housed around 250 fishermen and 50 fishing boats were based here. This number declined over the following years in the face of competition from the larger and more effective vessels that could operate from other ports.

Gardenstown grew at Crovie's expense after the great storm of 31 January 1953. This washed away the path between the villages together with stretches of Crovie's sea defences, and a number of houses and sheds. Crovie ceased to be viable almost immediately, and many residents moved to Gardenstown.

Gardenstown has tended to grow upwards. The oldest cottages and other buildings are next to the sea, while newer additions are layered up the cliffs, culminating with the new housing and development that has taken place on the level ground above the cliffs. This steady growth has helped ensure a continuity of services and as a result Gardenstown continues to be a living and thriving village.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

* Fantastically scenic and panoramic beaches nearby

* Aberdour Beach - explore the sandstone caves, walk on the singing shingle beach or walk along the cliffs to the sandy secluded beach or all the way to Pennan.

* Wildlife watching - dolphins and whales can often be seen in the area

* Freshwater and sea fishing

* Garden Arms Hotel - the local pub is 100 yards away from the front door and has a roaring fire, no tv, and no mobile phone reception so is the perfect place to get to know the locals. It also does great home cooked food. The Garden Arms now has free Wi-Fi access!

* Fraserburgh Lighthouse Museum is the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses and consists of the first lighthouse built on mainland Scotland and a purpose-built museum. The highlight of a visit is a guided tour to Kinnaird Head lighthouse.

* Macduff Aquarium Website Link spend a day and learn about some of the wonderful sea life exhibited in the award winning aquarium. Not to be missed if you have kids!

* Macduff Bowling Alley

* Stay inside - whisky by the fire, read books, watch dvds, have a bath and enjoy relaxing....... Or stay in Gamrie - a walk on the rocks and beach, go to the pub, stroll about and watch the world go by.........

WHERE TO EAT

* Restaurants - there are plenty of great restaurants with locally-caught seafood and Aberdeenshire produce like Aberdeen Angus steaks, Cullen Skink soup and Grampian lamb.

TOURIST TRAILS

* Castle Trail - Dramatic ruins, tower houses, magnificent mansions... This is castle country and there are over 70 in Grampian Highlands. Eleven of the region's finest great houses and castles are to be found along Scotland's only Castle Trail.

* Whisky Trail - On the whisky trail of Speyside, you’ll find more than half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries, each with its own warm welcome and an invitation to see, smell, taste and absorb the magic of whisky.

* Coastal Trail - The coastline of the north-east of Scotland is one of the most fascinating, unspoilt and varied stretches of any in Britain. Many of the communities which have grown up by the edge of the sea have at one time earned their living from it.

* Scotland’s Gallery Trail - Grampian, is aimed at art lovers who visit, or live in the area, who want to see what this part of the art world has to offer, and take in the spectacular scenery along the route.

* Stone Circle Trail - A great range of both Standing and Recumbent Stone Circles can be found across the North East of Scotland.

* Victorian Heritage Trail - The Valley of the River Dee has earned its title of Royal Deeside through more than a century and a half's connection with the British Family.

WILDLIFE WATCHING

* Troup Head Nature Reserve covers about 2.5 miles of coast and is the only mainland gannet colony in Scotland. During the summer months it plays host to over 150,000 breeding seabirds. You'll see large numbers of gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes and guillemots, and you may even see puffins too. And keep your eyes peeled for seals and dolphins!

* RSPB Loch of Strathbeg - Britain's largest dune loch is a joy to visit any time of year. In winter, thousands of wild geese, swans and ducks fly in, including 20 per cent of the world's population of pink-footed geese – it's a sight you'll never forget.

WALKS

* Walks Around Gardenstown - 5 scenic walks around Gardenstown and Crovie.

* Aberdour Beach to Pennan Coastal Walking Path - The walk begins at Aberdour beach car park which is approximately 7.5 miles from Gardenstown. The walk treks up the old right of way inland and climbing to 150 metres before descending to the outstanding conservation village of Pennan. The walk is strenuous along mainly an unsurfaced track with no access points other than at Aberdour and Pennan.

* Portsoy to Findlater Castle Walking Trail - A moderate 10km walk exploring Portsoy and Findlater Castle.

* North East Scotland walks - Visitors are often surprised to discover that north-east Scotland has a gentle landscape with plenty of easy walking. In Moray and Aberdeenshire the Cairngorm mountains drop to low, rolling hills, which soon give way to undulating farmland. Scenic river valleys dissect the arable and pasture fields, and a good road network links the many towns and villages. Numerous fishing harbours dot the long coastline, which has vast stretches of dune-backed beaches and cliffs punctuated by coves.

CASTLES & MANOR HOUSES

* Findlater Castle - located on a spectacular prometary outcrop, ramble over the ruins of this castle or go for a walk on the beach, rated as one of the best (and not widely known) beaches in Scotland. We've seen minke whales here and bottlenose dolphins can often be spotted here too.

* Historic Duff House is a treasure house and cultural arts centre operated by a unique partnership of Historic Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council. Story-tellers, musicians and artists are at home here and Duff House organises a regular artistic programme of exhibitions, music and lectures.

* Fyvie Castle - In the lowlands of Aberdeenshire in the midst of spacious undulating countryside stands a building which is historically one of the most interesting in Scotland. The Castle of Fyvie in the centre of a parish of the same name occupies a commanding position on the left bank of the river Ythan.

* Haddo House - Haddo House is a Scottish stately home located approximately 29 miles south of Mitchell's Cottage and Gardenstown. It has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1979.

BOAT & FISHING TRIPS

* Puffin Cruises - offer daily sightseeing and fishing trips from Macduff Harbour along the scenic Moray Firth coastline which has an abundance of sea and bird life that includes puffins, whales and dolphins.

* North 58 Boat Tours - Join North 58° Sea Adventures, and the powerboat Buchaneer, for an exhilarating tour of the Moray Firth coastline and a fantastic wildlife watching experience.

GOLF

* Golf Courses - Cruden Bay, Royal Aberdeen plus a host of other wonderful Aberdeenshire courses.

LOCAL VILLAGES AND TOWNS

* Pennan - Just 4 miles from Mitchell's Cottage and built between large sandstone cliffs and the North Sea is the quaint and beautiful seaside village of Pennan. Pennan became renowned due to being featured in the film "Local Hero"

* Crovie - Built on a narrow strip of land on the North coast of the Buchan Peninsula and just 1 mile east of Mitchell's Cottage and Gardenstown, Crovie (local pronunciation 'Crivvy') is a tranquil fishing village where little has changed in over 100 years.

* Banff & Macduff - are neighbouring towns situated on Banff Bay approximately 7 miles west of Mitchell's Cottage and Gardenstown. Banff is the largest town near Mitchell's Cottage with a Tourist Information Centre and three supermarkets.

* Cullen - is an extremely attractive town originally built around the mouth of the Burn of Deskford approximately 22 miles west of Mitchell's Cottage and Gardenstown. When seen from the sea it is framed from behind by higher ground carrying a disused railway line over a series of spectacular viaducts.