Gamrie excursion

This excursion was great fun and the august representatives of the heritage group were blessed with fine weather as we travelled about the countryside merrily in a convoy of three cars.

• We wound our way towards Banff on the backways, going past such oddities as a Japanese garden and “Aladdin’s Cave” – a vehicle graveyard!
• First stop was Gardenstown, known locally as Gamrie – the drive down to the sea was steep and like many places along the northeast coast, there was a cute little harbour at the end of the road.
• We moved along the coast to Pennan, where the village scenes of Bill Forsyth’s film Local Hero were shot. This time the road down was ridiculously steep! I got my obligatory shot with the phone box and we had a nice drift along the seafront. Troup Head is a RSPB reserve and Cullykhan used to be an Iron age fort, so I’ll be heading back to both of them.
• We then went to Aberdour beach, which was gorgeous. Unlike Pennan, it was in the sunshine and it was warm – 15c!? Not bad for November in Scotland. The sea was as flat as a pancake.
• Spirits high, we stopped at St Drostans Kirk which we had passed on the way down to the beach. Said to have been founded in 590AD, I wouldn’t be surprised if there things going before wee Drostan rocked up.
• We lunched at the Davron Hotel in Rosehearty, which was doing good business. That’s nice to see since there aren’t many places open for food round those parts in the week.
• Tummies full, we went up the hill to the astounding ruins of Pitsligo Castle. Wow this is a heck of a ruin! It’s crumbling away, despite investment in renovations in the 1990s by …. Malcolm Forbes … yes of Forbes Magazine!? Wikipedia says: “He was known as an avid promoter of capitalism and free market economics and for an extravagant lifestyle, spending on parties, travel, and his collection of homes, yachts, aircraft, art, motorcycles, and Fabergé eggs.” He died in 1990 and perhaps that put paid to the plans. In any case, the castle is not in good nick nowadays.
• Having said that, it’s doing better than another castle of the knuckle, Pitullie, which crumbles away nearby as a ruin in the middle of a field.
• Next we went to the old kirk. Since the visit to Fordyce kirk, I have a new respect for graveyards round here and once again the skull and crossbones symbols were in evidence. I didn’t realise at the time but Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord Forbes of Pitsligo is buried in the crypt.
• Next to the auld kirk is the new kirk, with fancy stones. Also there’s the old manse and the new manse, both derelict.
• The end of the adventure came when we headed towards a tower which dominated the local landscape, until we got closer and it didn’t get any bigger …. turns out it’s a doocot! At Mounthooly!!
• Annd then there was cake.