Gardenstown

Gardenstown, or Gamrie as it's known, is a fishing village on the northeast coast of Aberdeenshire, with a population of 650 in 2022. It's the largest of the string of attractive villages clinging to this rugged coastline: the other main settlements are Crovie and Pennan.

From Inverness by road follow A96 east past Elgin to Fochabers, then A98 through Banff and Macduff, then B9031 along the coast.

From Aberdeen the simplest route is A96 northwest, then just before Huntly take A97 to Banff then B9031 as above.

Watermill Coach 273 runs along the coast from Banff and Macduff to Gardenstown, taking 30 min, with five M-F and four Sa. The last stop is on Main St just above the harbour.

From Aberdeen take Stagecoach Bus 35 towards Elgin and change at Macduff.

You need wheels to get between Gardenstown, Troup Head and Pennan. A bike would do.

• 57.6727-2.33721 Gamrie Heritage Centre, Harbour St AB45 3YS. Apr-Oct M-F 2-4PM. Small local history museum by the harbour. Free.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 57.6695-2.35192 St John's Kirk is a scenic ruin on the headland west of town. It was rebuilt in 1513 but fell derelict from 1830.
• 57.679-2.32413 Crovie is a tiny coastal village, just a single row of cottages, no longer fishing since its pier was wrecked in a storm of 1953. Walk along the clifftop path from Gardenstown. Motorists should use the south end car park and not try to scrape along the village lane.
• 57.688-2.34 Troup Head, Gardenstown AB45 3JL (off B9031). 24 hours. RSPB bird reserve: the headland has gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and razorbills. Donation.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 57.686-2.2725 Cullykhan is the site of a castle, on a pinchpoint on the headland cliffs. A series of fortifications have perched here since maybe the 7th century BC, with the last an 18th century gunnery point, but only earthworks remain visible and you come for the view.
• 57.679-2.2616 Pennan is another tiny coastal village that lost its fishing trade. It was "Fenness" in the 1983 film Local Hero, when a Texan tycoon tries to buy up the land for an oil refinery. The red phone box on the quay became iconic, a red exclamation mark as the hero's links to his city-slicker world stretched thin. The beach scenes were filmed the other side of the country near Mallaig.

• Hike along the clifftops and watch the birdlife.
• Golf: no course in town, there's a couple in Macduff / Banff.

The Wee Shoppie at 96 Main St is open M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 9AM-5PM.

Spar supermarket and filling station has closed down.

Garden Arms on Main St (see below) serves food W-Su until 8PM.

Garden Arms is the only pub.

• Garden Arms, 69 Main Street, Gardenstown AB45 3YP, ☏ +44 1261 851260. This is the local pub, restaurant and hotel, in an 18th-century building. Decent food, dog-friendly, its two rooms "The Wonky Room" and "The Squinty Room" share the bathroom. B&B double £120. (updated Sep 2026)
• 57.6515-2.33481 Gamrie Bay Caravan Site, Easter Cushnie, Gamrie AB45 3HT, ☏ +44 7896 335037. Clean well-equipped site open all year. Caravan Club members only, no camping.  (updated Sep 2026)
• Pennan Inn, Harbour, Pennan AB43 6JB, ☏ +44 1346 561201. Smart friendly village inn with good dining. B&B double £120. (updated Sep 2026)

The reason the Local Hero of 1983 tried to conduct international business from a red coin-operated phone box was that he couldn't get a mobile signal. Perhaps to preserve the area from corporate sharks, you'll still struggle. As of Sep 2026 Gardenstown, Pennan and their approach roads have 4G with EE and Vodafone but with many dead patches, and no signal from O2 or Three. 5G has not reached this area.

• West is Banff and Macduff, attractive linked coastal towns with the impressive Duff House.
• East is Fraserburgh, the large fishing port near the tip where the coast turns south.
• South is Huntly with its ruined castle.