Gayle heads to Cullen Sea School for a kayaking session (and some ice cream!).
The sun is blazing and there’s not a cloud in the sky when I arrive in the gorgeous fishing village of Cullen on the Moray Firth coast.
I’ve signed up for a kayaking session with Cullen Sea School, but with a bit of time to spare I grab a sandwich from a food van and stroll along the vast expanse of golden sand.
The beach is well known for The Three Kings, three distinctive quartzite sea stacks.
Legend has it that the stacks are the gravestones of three Norse kings who died at the Battle of Bauds in 962.
After I’ve explored the stunning bay and peered into a few rock pools, I head to the sea school’s HQ.
I’m greeted by a group of smiling instructors busying themselves with the job of carrying kayaks and paddleboards down to the harbour.
When I ask Jess Charlesworth whether I should wear my wetsuit, she shakes her head.
Not too chilly
“You might get your bottom wet but the sea’s quite warm!” she says, beaming.
It doesn’t take much to persuade me to ditch the neoprene, and I head towards the beach dressed in shorts and a T-shirt.
A wee breeze has whipped up, so we’re not venturing beyond the harbour, which is fine by me.
My vessel for the fun session is a single sit-on kayak, which Jess assures me is “really quite stable”.
Once I’ve sported a life-jacket (these are mandatory), I get some hints and tips from instructor Brooke Wood.
“Hold the paddle with the logo facing you and sweep it deep down into the water,” he says, giving me a demo.
I’ve kayaked before but I’m always happy to get a bit of a refresher, and as this one is a sit-on version, it’s a bit different.
It feels a lot less claustrophobic than sit-in kayaks because I’m sitting on top of it, as opposed to being hemmed in by a spray-deck.
If I capsize, freeing myself of the craft will be a piece of cake because it doesn’t have a closed cockpit.
Today isn’t about the technical stuff – about honing paddling skills, navigating white water, or tackling currents, eddies and whirlpools. Nope. It’s purely about having fun.
I splash around in the water for a good hour alongside a group of ladies enjoying a paddleboarding session, and there’s chat and friendly banter galore.
I consider “going out to sea” as I bob around in the sheltered harbour but Brooke assures me it would be a bad idea today.
“Normally we explore right round the coast but the water’s too rough today,” he laments. Maybe another time.
He and Jess invite me to join them for some pier-jumping, but I’m too much of a wuss. Instead, I take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear waters in my swimsuit – absolutely glorious!
The sea school, which opened in 2015, also offers sailing, coastal rowing, and boat building courses.
The aim is to run activities year round, weather-permitting, David McCubbin, development and marketing officer of Cullen Sea School, tells me.
“If people want to come here in winter and it’s OK to do so, then we can make it happen,” he enthuses.
“Some days in winter there’s not a breath of wind and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Tradition kept alive
“The sea school is about everything to do with the sea, as well as keeping history and tradition alive through boat building.
“It’s amazing when one day you see a pile of wood on the floor and the next it’s a boat and you can go out on the water in it.
“We want to make watersports accessible for everyone, whether children, adults, or those with special needs.
“And the harbour is a fantastic place to spot dolphins – probably the best spot in Cullen.”
David, who is also chairman of Cullen Tourism Group and the Discover Cullen tourism project, is hugely enthusiastic about everything that’s going on in the village right now.
“It’s a good time for Cullen. It really feels like the village has turned a corner. A few years ago, there were some places closed up but now we’ve only got one vacant shop.
“Now it’s booming. People flock here for seaside holidays and day trips because there’s something here for everyone.
Plenty on offer
“You can enjoy watersports, golf, fishing, walking, swimming, explore the spectacular cliffs and rocks, or simply stroll along the coastal path and enjoy an ice cream or fish and chips.
“Hopefully people have realised they don’t have to go abroad to experience great places and right here in Cullen, we’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
Another thing the town is proud of? Cullen Skink! Alas, the weather is too hot for soup but I enjoy not one but TWO ice creams from the famous shop under the railway viaduct before I leave this coastal heaven!
- For more details see cullenseaschool.co.uk
