Slains Castle and The Bullers of Buchan Walk

Yesterday, Pam and I had planned to go on a walk with some ladies, but that walk was cancelled so we planned our own! We drove out to Slains Castle, the supposed inspiration behind Bram Stoker's Dracula. Apparently Bram Stoker stayed at a hotel in Cruden Bay while writing and was pretty obsessed with the castle. I have to say, it was sort of creepy in some places.

The unfortunate thing about Slains Castle is that it is not maintained by any organization, so the trash left by tacky people just stays there. A word of caution: The castle is fine, but the walk is not suitable for small children. The cliffs are dangerous. It's VERY windy there, and sometimes you are only about a foot or so from a cliff edge. Also, don't walk too close to the edge to look over or take pictures even if it looks solid. The grass is slippery, and the edges can give way due to erosion.

How to get there: 
We found that the best way was to drive through Cruden Bay (small village) down the A975 and when the road splits turn right toward Peterhead. You'll cross a small bridge and come around a turn where you'll see a very small car park on the right that is FREE. Park there and walk down the road toward the castle. After viewing the castle, walk back toward the road, but stay on the other side of the fence, following the path around the sea inlet and to the right to continue toward the Bullers of Buchan. Alternate paths and additional information can be found here.

This sea inlet acts as a natural moat around the castle! Beautiful.

What do you think these are? Storage?

I had to carry Angel up the stairs. She didn't like them.

View from the top of the tower.

A few ships have met their end on those rocks...

There were some creepy dark rooms... bring a flashlight... if you dare.

 

Angel kept peering over the cliff edges. It made me soooo nervous.

Pam in front of the detached rock island known as Dunbuy.

So what is the meaning of "The Bullers of Buchan?"

"The name "Bullers" has been thought to be derived from the French "Bouillir", meaning "to boil", as the water in the pot appears to boil during stormy weather, but another explanation says that the word is an old Scots word meaning "rushing of water", which sounds more likely - the sound made by the waves crashing in through the archway opening into the pot, perhaps."
From: http://bullersofbuchan.me.uk/names.htm

Pam and I at 'The Pot,' which was a sea cave that collapsed long ago (part of The Bullers of Buchan).

 This is supposed to be a great place to spot puffins, but we didn't see any.

Bullers of Buchan - The Camel's Back

These are razorbills. They look like penguins, don't they?

We stopped at a cove for lunch just past the Bullers of Buchan. Pam wanted to touch the water. She said it was really cold.

Pam brought along some coffee for us. Hit the spot!

There I am!

There is Pam!

Angel is a very well traveled dog.

Slains Castle and the Bullers of Buchan walk was amazing.