Red Head and Lunan Bay

Ever since glimpsing the perfect curve of Lunan Bay from the Aberdeen to Dundee train, I've wanted to visit. Recently, the opportunity came.

There is a car park at Lunan Bay itself, but we wanted a walk along the coast as well, so started further back - near the beautiful red sandstone pile of Ethie Castle, now a high-class B&B. This claims to be the second-oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.

Ethie Castle:


From Ethie Castle, it is a short walk to the spectacular cliffs of Red Head - a well-named feature - where the rich sandstone underlying the fertile fields of Angus is exposed.

Red Head:


The walk was exhilarating due to the surroundings and weather, with a strong offshore wind, and a ceaseless army of waves rolling all the way across the North Sea to crash against the cliffs of Red Head. The boiling waves generated a huge amount of foam, and the wind blew this over our heads in big flecks to land in the freshly ploughed fields inland. It was a day to be buffeted and enjoy the power of the sea.

Rollers at Lunan Bay:


Lunan Bay itself was windy and fairly dull, but the sands were studded with a wide variety of smooth stones. We picnicked at the fragmentary ruin of Redcastle - an old castle, a hunting tower of King William I's and home to several gruesome stories - before making our way back, watching eider, gulls, cormorants, oystercatchers, and my favourite, knot, at the shoreline.

Ethie Haven, at the edge of Lunan Bay:


A great place to visit, and further exploration of the dramatic coast between Montrose and Arbroath is definitely in the pipeline!