Ending in Cullen (Moray Coastal Trail) and Bin of Cullen

[gld73]

I'd been doing the Moray Coast Trail sections west to east, and just had the final stretch into Cullen to do - not quite the whole "stage" of Buckie to Cullen, as I'd continued further east than Buckie on the previous leg, continuing on that time to near Findochty. That meant I just had from that point to Cullen to do today; a short enough stretch that I could easily do it as a round trip walk from Cullen and then add on the sub2k of Bin of Cullen while I was in the area.

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I didn't have an early start, so made it through to Cullen around lunchtime/early afternoon. A warm, sunny Saturday, so the beach car park was pretty full, but managed to get parked in it.

Headed west out of the car park, past the public toilets (run by volunteers, so I was happy to do the text donation after using them at the start and end of the day!) and on to the beach.

Didn't have to be far along the beach before the main crowd was left behind (this looking back to the car park and village)

At the west end of the beach I had a very slight scramble over rocks for a short distance to get round to this spot, as my outward walk was when the tide was right in (no such issues on the return walk with the tide out). Again, this photo taken looking back in the direction of Cullen.

All along this stretch of coast with its coves, beaches and harbours, the water looked beautifully clear today

"The Whale's Mouth" rock feature

The path climbs up on to the cliff tops, a good, clear path all the way

Plenty places to sit and admire the views on this walk, though not all the benches are quite as colourful as this one :)

Approaching Bow Fiddle Rock from the Cullen side you don't see the arch at first...

...but then it comes into sight better

Portknockie Harbour, a few paddle boarders and sea kayakers using it today, in addition to some swimmers in the harbour lido

It's a clear cyclepath and footpath all the way between Portknockie and Findochty

Coming down into Findochty. It was amazing to see such nice beaches so quiet on a hot weekend in the school holidays.

This small beach further along in Findochty was almost like a private beach for the couple of families there, and another easy-to-access launch point for paddle boards and kayaks ....

Findochty Harbour

...as was another beach, the one in Findochty Harbour busy with paddle boarders (...though when I say 'busy', I mean by the standards of small Moray Coast villages ...!)

Just past the harbour and nice looking pub, the trail passes through a small caravan park (tourers and a small number of statics, but a couple of tents too), a lovely location for a wee campsite even if the coastal trail does go right down the road in it. At the end of the caravan park, the path continues up, looking back to Findochty in this view, though the caravan park is tucked away out of sight.

The route is clear, but Moray Coast Trail waymakers are along the route at points where you might need to go up / down / left / right from the way you were heading

The path skirts the edge of a golf course and I knew I was close to the point I'd reached last time when I saw this hole right on the coast.

When I reached the point where the path headed down above this cove it was where I'd got to last time walking from Spey Bay. Time to sit on a bench and have a sandwich in the sun before the walk back to Cullen.

View across the golf course to Buckie

I then retraced my steps all the way back along the same route to the beach car park at Cullen, but still had a few hundred metres of the Moray Coast Trail to do from there as it officially ends in the town square.

Back at the eastern end of the beach car park, I took the footbridge over the Burn of Cullen and walked along the seafront

The road then takes a sharp right to go uphill towards the village centre, giving a view back along the seafront

End of the Moray Coast Trail at Cullen town square. It's been a really enjoyable route with some lovely coastal scenery, I'll happily do sections again!

Rather than just go straight back to the car the same way, I took a wander through Cullen and got different views of its viaducts

It looked from my OS map like there was a route through to Bin of Cullen via a bridge in the grounds of Cullen House. I walked down the driveway, but then signs were up at the entrance saying it was private and grounds could only be accessed on 2 specified afternoons a week. It would have added a few kilometres on to the walk if I'd done the hill from here, but I wasn't too bothered, I decided to spend a bit of extra time wandering around the village instead.

Old parliamentary border marking stone

Information board on the way up to Castle Hill, the viewpoint with the flag on top visible from most of the town.

Castle Hill

Looking down to the west end of Cullen with the beach car park and beach

Bin of Cullen. Still need to nip up there before I head home!

Cullen harbour - tide out now.

The route along the top of the viaducts is a cycle path now, view back to Castle Hill as I made my way back to the car

Bin of Cullen

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I'd originally thought I'd do Bin of Cullen from Cullen itself, but as I'd had a late start to the day, and my with initial failure to find a way through to the hill via Cullen House, I decided just to drive round and do the quick way up the forestry tracks from the south.

As it was evening by now, I just wanted to go up Bin of Cullen by the shortest route, so parked here (start point in the WalkHighlands route description for this hill). Room for 4 or 5 cars parked carefully without blocking the gate, though just one other when I was there.

Good clear track all the way - just as well, wouldn't have fancied thrashing my way through the head high bracken

Lovely viewpoint back down to Cullen, but such a shame to see the viewfinder smashed up

Trig point at the top as well

A really enjoyable day all round - after a big day in the Cairngorms the day before I hadn't fancied anything too strenuous, but I also didn't want to waste the great weather ... so this combination of a lovely coastal walk and a wee hill was just perfect