A Stroll Around the Town of Stonehaven

This wasn't my first rodeo in Stonehaven. I wouldn't say we're friends yet (more like acquaintances), but my Aunt and I came through for lunch last year after exploring Dunnottar Castle, so I already knew what the town was about.

You know, thinking back to that first trip to Stonehaven, my Aunt pulling into the harbor—which, please do very carefully because you could meet an untimely death by driving off a ledge into water—I remember being immediately taken aback by it's authenticity. I mean, for real y'all, I don't think I've ever encountered a real fishing village before. So cute, so quaint, so quiet, I knew this was a place I wanted to visit again.

It's funny how things work out. Who knew we would end up so close?

Alright, let us get down to bidness! Stonehaven is located about 15 miles south of Aberdeen, so basically a stone's throw away. You can drive there in about 20 minutes, but for those of us NOT currently risking our lives on the other side of the road, it's an easy 16-minute train ride.

It's a straight shot into the center of town (and to the coast) from the train station; you'll walk a mile through a residential area and then POOF, you're there. Being the Pisces that I am, I naturally made a beeline for the coast. I love water. I love oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, lazy-rivers, pools, baths, hot tubs—anything that I can be submerged in. Water makes me happy.

The coast is peaceful. There were only few people out on the pebbly beach, but of the ones that were, they all had dogs. I like these people. You can tell this is a very calm and family-friendly place.

Next stop: The Harbor. Mmmmmm!  I still think about those mussels I had with my Aunt a year ago...

The harbor is just as I remembered: quaint, charming, quiet, serene. Just like the coast, there were only a few people out and about, so I had the entire place to myself!

At this point, I knew I was chasing sunlight; if I was going to do a little off-roading, I would need to get a move on.

One of the major allures to Stonehaven is its proximity to Dunnottar Castle. I think there are multiple walking trails from Stonehaven, but the one to Dunnottar is located off of Victoria Street. (eeee, I think. Don't quote me on that!)  I knew I didn't have enough time to make it all the way to the Castle, but I at least wanted to get an elevated view. BTW—I think the castle itself is closed this time of year!

As I made my way up and down the path—nervously checking my clock every few minutes— it became abundantly clear that I had made the right choice coming up here. 

I might eventually eat these words, but one positive thing about Aberdeen winters is that you don't have to stay out ALLLLL DAYYYY to get that good, "sun's-going-down" light. It happens at like two - three o'clock! And yes, I know that during the summer I will have to wait until like evelen o'clock or something for the same light, but whatever— we will deal with that when summer comes!

I was curious about a monument I passed on the way down the path to Dunnottar, so on the way back I wanted to check it out. It turns out this monument is a memorial for the Scottish soldiers that died in WW1 and WW2. What a beautiful place to remember and honor them!

I took in the scenery one last time and then made my back towards Stonehaven. I even made it back with sunlight to spare! And the cherry on top was that I arrived at the train station justttt as the train was pulling up! How awesome is that? The perfect end to a perfect little adventure.

I enjoyed Stonehaven; we will meet again. I will be back with J to show him around. We will be back for dates. I will be back to photograph Dunnottar Castle with NOT MY iPhone. J and I will be back to visit Dunnottar together. I just know that we will be spending a good amount of time here in this peaceful little town.