Hooked on beauty of traditional fishing villages
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Everywhere you look in Cullen there is something fighting for your attention, from the impressive viaducts that once carried the railway through the village to its sweeping bay of golden sand.
Cullen Bay is bisected by a series of dominant quartzite strata known as the Three Kings, and further along the coast another geological wonder is seen at the Bow Fiddle Rock.
As if that wasn’t enough, the village is also famous for its smoked haddock soup, Cullen skink, and has a superb ice cream shop – perfect for encouraging tired legs for those final couple of miles!
I began my walk at the square in Cullen – reached by following the A98 from the west until it bears right to climb under the railway. A car park and public toilets are signed off to the left, and there is an information board here with another couple of local walks suggested.
This one isn’t among them but maybe it should be! It begins by following the road back down and under the arch, keeping straight ahead where the main road bends left. Go down towards the harbour – originally built by Thomas Telford – then turn sharp left to pass the shoreside houses of the Seatown area of Cullen.
I could see across the calm sea as far as Caithness, with Morven and Scaraben visible on the hazy horizon.
A footbridge passes over a burn and leads into a car park. Stay to the right of the golf clubhouse to descend a few steps to reach the sandy bay beside the Three Kings.
The long stretch of sand is a stunning sight and makes easy going for around a kilometre before you reach some rocks at the far end of the bay. The first little headland is clambered over without difficulty at most times but may be impassable at high tide, when the only alternative would be to go inland on the golf course and climb to the top of the hill above.
Thankfully the tide was far enough out and I passed over the wonderful little rock pools at the edge of the headland, enjoying the view back to Cullen over the beach I had just walked.
A path above the high tide mark can now be followed through the grass and around a rocky outcrop before crossing a grassy section to the bottom of a climb. This is all part of the Moray Coast Trail, a long-distance route that connects Forres and Cullen along 45 miles of the Moray Firth.
As you ascend the steps and path towards Portknockie, to the right is a natural arch called the Whale’s Mou, where the sea has eroded the weaker parts of the rock to form a bizarre “leaning” hollow in the slabs of quartzite.
The incredible feature is a precursor to what is around the next corner, once you’ve reached the top and turned right to follow the Moray Coast Trail along the edge of the cliffs. Approaching from this angle, you might not at first see the significance of this geological wonder, but as you travel further west it becomes apparent.
The Bow Fiddle Rock is said to resemble the tip of a bow and is a dramatic arch that stands alone just off the coast. This well-photographed rock was created in the same way as the Whale’s Mou but its prominent position makes it a more significant landmark for the area.
After snapping a few more pictures of this feature myself, I continued towards Portknockie, emerging from the coastal path at some industrial sheds. Follow the road past them and go straight on at the junction to pass Three Creeks Shore and continue above Portknockie’s pretty harbour.
At a dead end sign with a cycle route pointing straight on, turn left to go back on yourself along the main street, which has a shop and post office at its far end. Bear right at the war memorial and head behind the
bus shelter to locate the cycle trail, marked with some prominent blue signs and an information panel.
Here I joined the old railway line which leads back into Cullen with dramatic land and seascapes on its way. It even passes over the main viaduct in the village before you are forced to say goodbye to the airy views and drop down to the right to reach a street.
Go uphill to the junction then turn left to return to the square.
As I wandered back through the village I caught a whiff of the town’s most famous dish, Cullen skink, and felt my appetite grow after this wonderful walk that mixes the area’s natural history with the human influence on the land. It’s fair to say I’m hooked on this beautiful part of Scotland.
