FROM the Royal Burgh of Cullen in the west to Pennan’s world-famous red telephone box in the east, we had a lot of ground to cover on our whistlestop tour of this fantastic tourist destination.
Our adventure began at one of the region’s most popular hotels, the Seafield Arms, Cullen, where proprietor Sheila Cornwallis ensured we got off on the right foot with a welcome cup of coffee. The 22-bedroom hotel, which lies in the centre of this historical village, is known for good food, a well-stocked wine cellar and a vast selection of malt whiskies, more than 150 at the last count.
More important for my three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter it is just up the road from one of Cullen’s most famous trading posts – the Ice Cream Shop.
This delightfully Willy Wonka-esque sweetie shop, packed ceiling to floor with gums, drops and lollipops, also produces homemade vanilla ice cream, hailed by many as Scotland’s best.
Unable to believe their luck at being handed ice cream cones at 10 o’clock on a Sunday morning, my two were soon covered head to foot and enjoying every minute, as was I. The ice cream was extremely good.
Cullen is also home to one of the area’s best sandy beaches, a harbour and Seatown and a mishmash of fishermen’s cottages dating back to the 17th century, where we did a bit of exploring.
Also on clear view from there are the town’s most striking feature, a series of railway viaducts which make the perfect walkway for visitors in search of fantastic seascapes and a possible glimpse of the many bottlenose dolphins which inhabit the Moray Firth.
Another popular coastal walk goes from Cullen to the ruins of Findlater Castle, a 15th-century fort which clings precariously to the cliff top, which can also be reached by car from the A98 Cullen-Banff road.
Instead, we made tracks for the mediaeval village of Fordyce, where higgledy-piggledy streets wind their way round a 13th-century church and a beautiful 16th-century fairytale castle.
Tourist attractions there include the Fordyce Joiner’s Workshop and Visitor Centre, where the role of the rural carpenter is brought back to life, and the enchanting Annie’s Gift Shop, set up in Anne Geddes’s dining room which provides tea and cakes to weary visitors as well as a choice selection of soaps, candles, crafts and gifts.
Just a short drive back towards the coast is Portsoy, home to the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival which attracts around 15,000 visitors to the historic village each summer.
After a short stroll around Loch Soy, we couldn’t resist a visit to Portsoy Ice Cream Shop – we were at the seaside, after all – where owner Alex Murray was only too happy to let me taste my way around his mouthwatering display of homemade ice cream, accompanied by an equally dazzling selection of cones and ice cream toppings.
Armed with the cinnamon-laden apple crumble for me, sticky toffee and malt whisky for my husband and white chocolate with popping candy for the kids, we headed very happily for the beautiful 17th-century harbour which was once a thriving herring port and a serious centre for smugglers.
The ice cream was out of this world and the kids were over the moon with their new diet and the chocolate-dipped, hundreds-and-thousands-covered cones.
Portsoy harbour was waiting to be explored, but, when the rain started to fall, we took shelter in Beggars Belief, a quaint harbour-side coffee shop in the former house of famous smuggler Alexander Laird Brebner.
Also worth visits are The Salmon Bothy Museum, which provides a wonderful history of the harbour as a trading, smuggling and fishing port, and Portsoy Marble and Pottery, but we made our way to Boyndie Visitor Centre, where we received a warm welcome and an extremely hearty lunch of Cullen Skink – the thick Scottish soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and cream – sandwiches and lunchboxes for the kids.
While we tucked in, our host, Duncan Leece, gave us a fascinating insight into the history of Boyndie airfield, which became home to the RAF Banff Strike Wing in September 1944.
From there, courageous airmen – 80 of whom lost their lives in the final nine months of the war – flew Beaufighters and Mosquitos on highly risky missions to attack enemy shipping and U-boats in the North Sea and along the Norwegian coastline.
Boyndie Visitor Centre, which is close to the former airfield, takes in six acres of woodland paths, ponds and natural wildlife as well as a cafe, and shops selling plants, crafts and gifts. The busy car park and steady stream of people into the restaurant were a reflection of the quality of food and service.
After lunch, a much-anticipated trip to Macduff Marine Aquarium was on the cards, where my three-year-old was thrilled to be greeted by two divers waving at him from the huge circular kelp tank, where they feed the fish at 2pm every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
No matter how often we visit, my children are always fascinated by the aquarium, with its wonderful display of tanks housing octopus, dogfish, jellyfish and rays.
They also love the rock pools where staff invite visitors to touch starfish, sea anemones, urchins and hermit crabs, although my son’s favourite remains a giant picture of a mermaid on the wall of the main auditorium.
Having spent a happy few hours at the aquarium, we were once more on the move, this time to Duff House, an art gallery and historic country house in the ancient town of Banff, where we enjoyed some outdoor fun at the wonderful playpark. By the time we dragged the children away from the death slide, it was a bit late to visit the house or the tearoom, but I can assure you from past experience that both are worth a visit.
Instead, we used up what was left of the kids’ energy at Harley’s Soft Play, which opened on Macduff’s Old Gamrie Road earlier this year and has ball pits, climbing frames, slides and a tenpin bowling alley.
This is the perfect stop for families, and owner Lynn Rae said business was booming. It is not hard to see why.
It is also a great place to enjoy an evening meal before heading home, with a good menu and friendly service.
I had a delicious Hawaiian burger, complete with fresh pineapple; my husband had the haddock and chips, and the kids enjoyed homemade soup and macaroni.
It was a wonderful way to end a wonderful day, although we never did quite make it to Pennan. For that, and all the rest, we’ll just have to go back another day.
Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership organised our day out and can be contacted on 01261 815641 or by visiting www.banffshirecoast.com