Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/03/2013All Day
Walk Details
Pub Stop?: No O/S Map Sheet No.: 30 Grid Ref. Start: 088578 Grid Ref. Finish 000664 Walk (Miles): 10 Walk Hours: 5 Bus Time to Walk:1.5 Bus Time from Walk: 1.5 Departure time from walk: 1600Walk Notes
Our walk today follows a stretch of the Buchan coastline from the Loch of Strathbeg to Fraserburgh passing through the villages of St Combs and Inverallochy.
The walk commences at the ruined chapel near Old Rattray (NGR.085.576), on an unclassified road leading from the A.90 near Crimond village towards the lighthouse at Rattray Head. Continue along this unclassified road past the site of castle earthworks to a fork, where we take the left hand track and at a convenient point, head westwards across the fields towards the eastern end of the Loch of Strathbeg. Pick up a path which skirts the north eastern side of the loch between it and the sand dunes of the Back Bar and follow it NW’wards towards a clump of trees beyond which the outlet stream from the loch to the sea crosses our route. This stream is crossed at NGR.066.604 by a footbridge (NB the only footbridge over this stream) and we now follow a path heading N’wards for about a mile to reach a junction of tracks near Boatlee Cottage (NGR 061 626). The track to the right then leads round the shore to reach the outskirts of St Combs near the ruin of St Columba’s church. A zigzag route through the lanes and narrow streets of the village is then followed to the northern fringe at Charlestown where the trackbed of the disused railway line is picked up and followed towards Inverallochy. From there, we continue on the disused railway track past Cairnbulg to reach the Water of Philorth bridge. Cross the bridge and from there, the B9033 road takes over from the old railway track and a path soon heads towards Fraserburgh alongside the Golf Links. When the outskirts of Fraserburgh is reached, head for the car park at the end of the esplanade where the bus will be parked (NGR.000.662).