Upper Eathie cliffs - more fossils to discover
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 1:01 pmIt may not be an epic walk but this quiet little corner of Black Isle gives you a fantastic opportunity to explore the past. Another great place to find fossils 
Cars can be parked at a small car park with the information board. From here a wide path through gorse bushes leads to the edge of the cliffs. The descent through the woods is steep but safe - with some good viewpoints along the way:
The path reaches the rocky shore next to the remains of an old salmon netting station. From here, the seaside can be explored in both directions (just beware of tides!). At low tide, bits of sandy beach are exposed:
We've visited Eathie cliffs many times as it is only a short drive from Beauly. Hypothetically this walk should be completed in about 2 hours, but we always spent 4-5 hrs there, looking for fossils and shells, wandering along, observing wildlife. On a good, sunny day it's a lovely spot for picnic
In early spring, when the day's quiet and mist covers the shore, it looks and feels so magical, like a scene from a fantasy movie:
The cliffs and the sea can change their moods, here are some pics taken in March 2010, with the sunset coming:
And these, from December 2006, in more cloudy weather:
For patient explorers, it's a good spot to watch birds: gulls, oyster catchers, herons...
...but of course, the main attraction is a collection of fossils. They can be tricky to find, as most of the Jurassic rock is rather soft - and it is only exposed at the low tide, so timing is the key during this walk Ammonites, fossilized mussel shells and fish scales are the most common fossils found here:
One more photo from "me on the rock" album:
Once our hunting is finished, what's left to do is a steep climb up the 200m cliff I remember one time when I walked up that path with a few big pieces of rock in my rucksack - they must've weighed at least 4 kg 
A good exercise to burn off excess calories
Cars can be parked at a small car park with the information board. From here a wide path through gorse bushes leads to the edge of the cliffs. The descent through the woods is steep but safe - with some good viewpoints along the way:
The path reaches the rocky shore next to the remains of an old salmon netting station. From here, the seaside can be explored in both directions (just beware of tides!). At low tide, bits of sandy beach are exposed:
We've visited Eathie cliffs many times as it is only a short drive from Beauly. Hypothetically this walk should be completed in about 2 hours, but we always spent 4-5 hrs there, looking for fossils and shells, wandering along, observing wildlife. On a good, sunny day it's a lovely spot for picnic
In early spring, when the day's quiet and mist covers the shore, it looks and feels so magical, like a scene from a fantasy movie:
The cliffs and the sea can change their moods, here are some pics taken in March 2010, with the sunset coming:
And these, from December 2006, in more cloudy weather:
For patient explorers, it's a good spot to watch birds: gulls, oyster catchers, herons...
...but of course, the main attraction is a collection of fossils. They can be tricky to find, as most of the Jurassic rock is rather soft - and it is only exposed at the low tide, so timing is the key during this walk
Ammonites, fossilized mussel shells and fish scales are the most common fossils found here:One more photo from "me on the rock" album:
Once our hunting is finished, what's left to do is a steep climb up the 200m cliff
I remember one time when I walked up that path with a few big pieces of rock in my rucksack - they must've weighed at least 4 kg A good exercise to burn off excess calories