'The Land Awakens' - Springtime in Stonehaven

Episode 83: ‘The Land Awakens’ – Springtime in Stonehaven

Join me for a journey to Stonehaven on the Aberdeenshire Coast and let’s explore Scotland in March, a season of change and awakening.

‘The Land Awakens’ is part of the series A Year in Scotland. This is the March episode.

In this story, you’ll join me on a couple of hikes in Stonehaven, a small coastal town in Aberdeenshire. We’ll wander along the coast to discover a historic harbour, moving stories and haunting ruins. We follow paths deep into a magical woodland, learn about the local history and pay close attention to nature awakening all around us.

Our highlight is of course, the storming of Dunnottar Castle, the most stunning a castle ruin steeped in history.

After the story, I share my top tips for a trip to Stonehaven and Aberdeenshire.

TRANSCRIPT

Disclaimer: All information provided in this podcast is based on personal travel experiences. Companies mentioned in the story or tips were active at the time of release. If you listen to episodes at a later point, note that this information may have changed in the meantime.

Resources

Check out my Stonehaven Travel Guide

I’ve even written a detailed guide about Dunnottar Castle for you!

Here is my Aberdeenshire Travel Guide for the wider region around Stonehaven

5 Travel Tips for Stonehaven and Aberdeenshire

1) Spend a few nights here

I’ll admit that Stonehaven is an easy day trip from Aberdeen but many visitors don’t even take that much time – they simply stop at Dunnottar Castle on their way north along the coast or round the Scottish Castle Trail.

However, I think it’s really worth slowing down a little and spending a few days in Stonehaven. That way, you can see more than the castle, or visit it multiple times, like I did in my story.

I arrived by train and spent 3 nights at one of my friend’s holiday apartments on the waterfront. It’s called Bayview Apartments and I can’t recommend it enough for a few days by the coast.

2) Leave your car at home

Stonehaven is very easy to reach by train and the area is pretty straightforward to navigate on foot or by bus.

The only journeys I booked a local taxi for, was one night to get home from a restaurant out of town, and then also for my journey back to the train station, as it’s uphill from the town centre by the harbour.

Other than that, I just walked loads and enjoyed not worrying about driving.

3) Indulge

Stonehaven is a quiet town, but there are lots of lovely cafes to eat at during the day. There is a little brewery called Six Degrees North and you can try their beers at the Marine Hotel down by the old harbour.

Three of my favourite places are all nestled side by side on the northern end of the beach promenade. Aunt Betty’s is where I got my ice cream, it’s an old-fashioned ice cream and sweeties shops. Right next to it, lies The Bay Fish & Chips, which has won many awards and usually has a queue out the door and round the corner. And the third place is Molly’s, a cafe with sea views that also serves evening meals on the weekend.

4) Explore beyond the castle

As I’ve already mentioned, there is a lot more to do and see in Stonehaven than Dunnottar Castle. You can visit the Tolbooth Museum to learn about local history, book a sauna session at Driftwood Sauna by the harbour or explore the coast, either on a boat trip or with a paddleboard excursion.

I’ve linked to my Stonehaven travel guide in the show notes to help you plan a jam-packed trip to this part of Scotland.

5) Use Stonehaven as your homebase

Just like Stonehaven, the wider region of Aberdeenshire has a lot to offer too, especially if you didn’t listen to my tip number 2 and brought your car.

A few miles south of Dunnottar Castle lies an RSPB nature reserve called Fowlsheugh, where you can see lots of nesting seabirds during the summer months. On my most recent visit to the area, I even spotted some puffins among guillemots and razorbills.

Dunnottar is one of several castles on the Scottish Castle Trail, so you could spend a few days just touring different types of castles. One of my favourites is the pink castle at Craigievar, but there are many more to choose from.

When you stay in Stonehaven, places like the city of Aberdeen, the bird reserve in Montrose, lots of sandy beaches and the Royal Deeside are all at your doorstep. I’ve linked to my Aberdeenshire travel guide above, just in case you do want to plan a longer trip to the region.