Not Long Enough in Angus and Aberdeenshire Part Two

Kenzie and her new friend

Waking up at the Deeside Caravan Park was nice and peaceful, even though it is a very busy holiday park.  Alan walked Kenzie at the official dog walking area and she got to meet some of the darling Highland "Coos"  Wish I had gone with them.

We had an agenda today and planned to see 3 coastal villages:  Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan.  Even leaving Deeside early, it took quite a while to get to the northern edge of Aberdeenshire and arrive at Gardenstown.  The road into the village was ok but did have quite a steep angle to get down to sea level. We parked at the very edge of the village, on the opposite side from the harbour. The sign there indicated that it was only a 1 mile walk along the shore to Crovie. So we thought, why put our camper van through going up that steep angle, only to go down again, more trouble that just enjoying a pleasant stroll.

And pleasant it was!  Part of the way, there was no path though, which concerned us a bit about when the tide comes in! But that didn't "dampen" our spirits and we continued on our way.

Crovie

Crovie is known for being a village with the narrowest space between shore and cliff. In fact, there is only space for their houses and no more. So there appears to be a communal clothesline that runs along the shore and each house has a wheelbarrow to transport things from their cars since there is also no road!  Where do the cars park?  I have no idea!  The linked article says the villagers park at the top of the hill and transport everything down on the barrows.  Since the road was closed anyway, I just assumed they would drive their cars down to the edge of town, but looking back, there would be no room for that.  The linked article also says there is no phone signal and no shops. I can certainly vouch for the lack of shops.

6 clothes pegs on this one towel!  Gives an idea
how windy it must be here.

There was absolutely nothing except quiet houses and one lonely towel hanging on the clothesline!

Lucky timing with getting back to Gardenstown

I called time in this darling village though because I was worried at how long we had spent there and wondered what the tide was doing!  So we only explored just over half of Crovie before turning around and heading back to Gardenstown.  Good thing too - the part of the walk that was not actually a path was just about to become part of the sea again.  I don't think we would have gotten away with even 15 minutes later.

One thing that I will always remember about the walk between these villages was the rumble of the rocks as the waves rolled in and out.  When I first heard this noise, it sounded like firecrackers but not quite that loud.  I have never heard a beach sound like that and will treasure that memory forever.

Gardenstown

Returning to Gardenstown, which is much bigger but still so quiet.  All the fishing boats were in but there was no one about.  Very odd. There were also still no shops or tea shops or anything.  Ok, there was an art gallery - but they only opened on Thursdays to Sundays and we were there on a Wednesday. And there is a very well reviewed museum right at the harbour, but it only opened after 2 and we left just about 1pm.  Very frustrating for some visitors who were hungry, but we were ok since we had our kitchen along with us! (there was a sign about a shop further up the hill, but we didn't have the time to explore more than we had already so maybe there was something up there.)

Pennan

Our main goal today was to see the village of Pennan, the location of one of our favourite movies "Local Hero".  It was released in 1983 so was still relatively new when Alan rented the video for us to watch in about 1986.  The theme is still current though - a large American corporation trying to buy out a small village and not exactly telling them the truth!  One of the executives goes to this tiny, provincial village to more or less take advantage of the villagers and you can probably figure out the rest.  The phone booth is central to the story and makes me think how much that, at least, has changed:  he would have just used his mobile instead to call the office if it were filmed today!

Apparently, "everyone" who visits Pennan has to use the phone and I wanted to, but forgot that pay phones actually require coins and we didn't have enough.  The cost of a pay phone is now .60 pence.  Wow! But I could pretend anyway!  In reading the article I attached, I learned that this phone was only a prop for the movie and taken away after filming.  But there was such a fuss about it not being there, that a permanent phone booth was installed and is even listed as a protected building now!  It is not in the exact place as the one used in the movie and I was happy to read that since both Alan and I thought it didn't look "right" when we got there. But it is close enough and nice that life imitated art and installed that phone right where it belongs.

Even though it has been such a long time since we saw Local Hero, it was so much fun to be there and relive some of the feelings that movie knew how to present.  Down to one of the last scenes, where the business executive is back home in LA and appears to be so lonely.  He gets on his phone and dials that phone booth, just to hear the pips.  Yes, once Scotland gets in your system, it is impossible to feel the same ever again!

Leaving Pennan, squeezing between the hotel and
another building and hoping no one is
coming down the hill!

Pennan is accessed by a steep and scary hill. There is a warning at the top that clearly states it is not suitable for caravans, and we were not driving a caravan......  But oh boy!  It was the most stressful and tense few minutes going down to Pennan and then not knowing if we would have anywhere to turn (yes we did).  After exploring this darling village, we had to get back up that hill and that made going down seem like a picnic.

Almost there

I have never been so worried and scared about a road. Thank goodness Alan was driving.  Never to be repeated!  I would love to return to Pennan but will bring my little Skoda if I do!

Honesty Box!

Again, no tea shop or any other kind of shop.  However, there was an honesty box with bookmarks and cards and I did indulge myself.  £1.50 each and I loved them.

These are strictly classic fishing villages, even if most of them are now holiday cottages.  There is nothing to attract a tourist here, except the sheer beauty of these villages and the feeling that time has stood still.

Fabulous day just visiting these 3 simple and wonderful coastal villages.  How privileged are we to be able to do this?

“You may not find a path, but you will find a way.” – Tom Wolfe