Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist o
ce
Collie Lodge in the town centre, close to
where Carmelite St, Low St and Strait Path meet (April-
Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Oct Mon-Sat 10am-4pm;
T
01261 812419).
Boat trips
From the harbour, Pu
n Cruises (
T
01261
832425,
W
pu
ncruises.com) offers wildlife-spotting and
sightseeing trips along the coast. A three-hour birdwatching
trip to the large colony of gannets at Troup Head costs £25.
ACCOMMODATION
Banff Links Caravan Park
One and a half miles west
of Banff
T
01261 812228,
W
ban
inkscaravanpark
.co.uk.
Well-equipped campsite close to the beach,
halfway between Banff and Whit
ehills
. Has an on-site shop
and laundry facilities.
April-Oct.
£12
/pitch
Seafield Arms
5 Chapel Street, Whitehills
T
01261
861209,
W
seafieldarms.co.uk.
This 200-year-old inn,
three miles west of Banff in the friendly village of
Whitehills, has surprisingly twenty-first-century rooms,
with Sky TV, wi-fi and gleaming bathrooms. The r
estau
rant
downstairs (see below) serves excellent shellfish.
£60
Trinity Manse Guest House
21 Castle Street, Banff
T
01261 812244,
W
www.trinitymanseguesthouse.co.uk.
Clean and welcoming guesthouse with friendly owners and
good value, up-to-date rooms, including one suita
ble f
or
families. The location in the centre of town is handy too.
£60
10
EATING AND DRINKING
County Hotel
32 High Street, Banff
T
01261 815353,
W
thecountyhotel.com.
The French bistro in the grand
County Hotel
does high-end but moderately priced food,
with pasta dishes for £8.95.
Daily noon-2.30pm &
5.30-8pm.
Seafield Arms
5 Chapel Street, Whitehills
T
01261
861209,
W
seafieldarms.co.uk.
High-quality pub food
is served in the bar, where photos of old fishing boats
adorn the walls, and the popular restaurant that adjoins
it. The menu includes plenty of local shellfish, like
langoustines with chilli and coriander butter (£12.95).
Mon-Thurs 11am-2pm & 5-11.30pm, Fri & Sat
11am-12.30pm, Sun 12.30pm-11pm.
Cullen and around
Twelve miles west of Banff is
CULLEN
. Strikingly situated beneath a superb series of
arched viaducts, which were built because the earl and countess of Seafield refused
to allow the railway to pass through the grounds of Cullen House, the town is made
up of two sections:
Seatown
, by the harbour, and the
new town
on the hillside.
here's a lovely stretch of sheltered sand by Seatown, where the colourful houses -
confusingly numbered according to the order in which they were built - huddle
end-on to the sea. he town is perhaps best known as the home of
Cullen skink
- a
thick soup made from milk (or cream), potato and smoked haddock.
Six miles east of Cullen is the quiet village of
PORTSOY
, renowned for its green
marble (once shipped to Versailles), and its annual traditional boat festival in
early July.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
CULLEN
By bus
Hourly bus #35A connects Cullen with Aberdeen (2hr 35min), arriving and departing from The Square.
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
You can pick up leaflets about local walks at
the town's independent tourist o
ce on the main square of
the new town (generally June-Aug daily 11am-5pm;
T
01542 841863) but as it's run by volunteers the opening
hours can be sporadic.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Cullen Harbour Hostel
Port Long Road
T
01542 841997,
W
cullenharbourholidays.com
.
Cheap hostel beds are available under exposed wooden
rafters in this pretty stone building by the harbour.
There's a piano,
a w
ell-stocked bookcase and a sociable
kitchen. Dorms
£16
Trace's Café
22 Seafield Street
T
07546 300156.
Gingham tablecloths and window drapes make this
small café a cosy place to try Cullen skink, the local
delicacy. A pot of soup to take away is £3.50.
Mon-
Thurs 9am-6pm, Fri-Sun 9am-8pm.
