The wild and rugged area stretching west along the coastline from Rosehearty is known as the 'Wastard'. This is combined with quiet country lanes and a visit to the impressive Mounthooly Doocot to make a great circuit.
Bog Factor
Rough and informal coastal path, can be very wet in places. Return via minor roads and tracks.
Small car park at Rosehearty harbour.
Bus to Rosehearty.
NJ932676
The walk begins from Rosehearty Harbour car park, which is by the boat club. Start the walk by passing round the back of the harbour, and then following North Street, passing the cottages that make up the old fisher town. The road continues to another car park at Long Craig, where it ends. The strange building is a house - converted from a former coastguard lookout building.
Continue the walk along the rough track that keeps by the coast. It soon forks but the two branches meet up again, before a picnic table is reached with a gate beyond. Pass through the gate; the track becomes grassy and faint, and can be very boggy in parts, but there are great views both looking up and back down the coast.
Pass through a kissing gate to keep to the seaward side of a stone dyke. The path is faint and rough and rises and falls slightly, passing above some low coastal crags. This area has a very wild feel for this part of Aberdeenshire, feeling more like a walk on some remote island; locally is is known as the Wastard.
Cross a stile and descend to an inlet, with boggy ground before a path climbs up again beyond. Another deep bay is marked on maps as the site of Lord Pitsligo's cave, after the eponymous Lord hid here following the battle of Culloden. The cave entrance was blown up by the home guard during World War 2, and is now blocked by debris. At the next bay after this the coast descends to pass a ruined house.
Climb the slope beyond and pass through a gate to reach a tarred lane. Turn left along this lane, passing through the farmyard at Quarryhead, and continue to the public road beyond. Now turn left along the undulating road. Traffic is light; after 1.8km a junction is reached. Go straight across here.
The prominent building up to the left is the Mounthooly Doocot; there's a small parking area and steps lead up to the doocot. Doocots (or dovecots) are characteristic of the area; they were built to house pigeons and harvest both their eggs and meat; Mounthooly is one of the most impressive examples, with an 1800 date stone and a battlemented top.
Continue along the road for a further 200m, then take a walled grassy track off to the left signed Dry Briggs. At one point this old right of way is prone to flooding and you may need to divert to the other side of the wall. Eventually it reaches a gate and track. If you want to extend the walk a little, you can visit the war memorial off to the right by taking the right turn (and you can continue through to a road opposite Pitsligo Castle and then follow the road down to Rosehearty). Otherwise, continue ahead to join the B9031 and follow it downhill to Rosehearty, taking a left on the front to return to the harbour.
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