A short visitor's guide to Gardenstown, Aberdeenshire: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Gardenstown is a small coastal village on the Moray Firth, tucked into a steep wooded brae about nine miles east of Banff in northeast Aberdeenshire. The village clings to a narrow shelf of land between cliff and harbour, with a single seafront row of cottages running along the water's edge and the rest of the houses stacked up the slope behind them. It sits in the historic civil parish of Gamrie, on what was once the Banffshire coast.
This is a place visitors come to for quiet rather than crowds: the working harbour, the cliff walks east and west, and the famously photogenic neighbouring village of Crovie just over the headland. The seventeenth-century kirkyard above the village, the small sand-and-shingle beach below it, and the wider Moray Firth coastline (good for spotting bottlenose dolphins on a calm day) are the main draws.
Gardenstown's attractions are all clustered within a short walk or short drive of the harbour, and they lean into the village's clifftop and coastal character.
The headline historic site is St. John's Church & Kirkyard, set high on the brae above the village with sweeping views over the Moray Firth: a working seventeenth-century kirkyard with the ruined remains of an older church alongside it. Gardenstown Beach sits directly below the village, a small sand-and-shingle bay reached down the steep village road, sheltered by the cliffs to either side and a popular spot for a quiet hour with a flask. A short coastal walk east brings you to Crovie, the famously single-row fishing village that runs end-on against the cliff face: cars are left at the top and the village itself is reached on foot, which keeps it as picturesque as it was a hundred years ago.
The outdoors is the main reason most people come to Gardenstown, and the best of it is the clifftop walking that runs in both directions from the village.
The Crovie Village Viewpoint & Car Park sits on the headland between Gardenstown and Crovie and gives you the classic photographer's view of the row of cottages strung along the foot of the cliff: it's the natural turnaround point on the short walk over from Gardenstown harbour. From there the coast path continues east along the cliff edge towards Pennan, with seabirds on the stacks below and (with luck and a calm sea) bottlenose dolphins offshore. Heading west from the harbour, the cliffs and small coves are well worth a wander on a dry day. With ankle-firm shoes and a lead, this is a strong stretch for a walking holiday with a dog: see our dog-friendly holiday cottages in Gardenstown.
Gardenstown is small but it has two proper independent cafes, both highly rated and both within a couple of minutes of the harbour.
Eli's Crafts, Cakes & Coffee on New Ground is the village's well-loved tiny cafe, run single-handedly by Eli (short for Elinor) out of a 1956 former fisherman's hut: pies, sausage rolls, deep-filled quiches and sandwiches all made fresh on the premises each morning, with vegan and gluten-free cakes alongside the regular bakes. Down on the seafront, Harbucks Cafe at 7 Harbour Street is the harbourside option for a coffee with a view of the boats. After a blowy walk along the cliff path, a quiet evening in one of our hot tub holiday cottages in Gardenstown is a useful way to thaw out.