A north-east village has scooped a major tourism accolade by being named as one of the best seaside locations for a holiday.
Gardenstown, near Banff, has been adjudged the “prettiest of the lot” when it comes to Aberdeenshire’s seaside towns and villages by the Penguin-owned travel books, Rough Guides.
The popular tourist resource ranked the quiet village as the 11th best in the UK, coming in behind Tynemouth, which came first, but ahead of such beauty spots as Lochinver, Bournemouth and Brighton.
The guidebook stated: “Scotland’s north-east coast has a bleak, rugged quality, with a series of small fishing villages dotted along the miles of lonely beaches.
“The prettiest of the lot is Gardenstown, with stone cottages huddled around a wave-gnawed bay, and newer buildings clinging to the nearby cliffs.
“There’s little to do here, beyond soaking up the solitude, taking a windswept stroll along the waterfront, and dropping into the small gallery and tea shop down by the harbour.”
Last night, the recognition from Rough Guides was welcomed by local councillor Hamish Partridge.
He said: “I think it’s a fantastic thing that Gardenstown has been recognised as number 11 in the top 30 of Britain’s coastal towns.
“It’s a testament to the hard work of its community groups and people in the community who rally around. It’s fantastic and will do the area a power of good.”
The recognition has arrived for Gardenstown at a time when question marks still surround the future of its GP surgery which has been without a doctor since last year.
Cllr Partridge said: “We have had a little knock this past while with that. But obviously this is a piece of welcome, good news.”
