Beautiful Bow Fiddle Rock On Scotland’s Aberdeenshire Coast

January 30, 2020

I’m a big fan of capitalizing on business travel when I can make it work, and so when I was visiting some of our scotch whisky distilleries I was excited to have a couple hours to explore the Aberdeenshire area a bit on my own.

I had gotten an early start from the amazing Craigallechie Hotel, heading first to Elgin Cathedral and then along the coast to Bow Fiddle Rock before my 11am appointment at Glenglassaugh Distillery (the “work” part of my day). I drove through the pretty little town of Portknockie, with a glimpse of the ocean beckoning.

Other Scottish adventures from this trip:

What to Do with a Day in Aberdeen

A DIY Tour of Aberdeen’s Street Art

Where to Eat & Drink in Aberdeen

Scotland’s Elgin Cathedral & Driving The North East 250 Route

Visiting Scotch Whisky Distilleries: Glendronach, BenRiach, & Glenglassaugh

Review: The Craigellachie Hotel, Speyside

Discovering a Secret Scottish Castle Ruin on a Sea Cliff

…and how to plan an epic 10-day Scotland road trip itinerary!

It wasn’t hard to find some street parking and then the sea drew me like a siren. There are a couple very easy short paths through the grass, and even without the beautiful rock formation, the cliffs and waves would have been worth a stop.

I also think I brought the median age of visitors down by a good 30 years 🙂

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And then you crest a tiny little hill and get a full view of Bow Fiddle Rock!

On a side note, I always want to call this “bow truckle rock”… (shout out to my Potter fans).

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Apologies for the vertical video, but I wanted to show it LIVE AND IN COLOR. The waves, the sea birds, the blue skies, the cliffs. A perfect morning.

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There were a few folks milling around, but I basically had the place to myself. If I hadn’t had somewhere else to be, I would have just sat on one of the benches, watched the waves, and read my Kindle for a while.

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If you feel like it, there are some trails that will take you further along the coast, and I hear they’re amazing (though make sure you’re wearing shoes with good traction). I only had a few minutes so had to quickly head back to the car, but not before snapping a few more pics.

After trekking back to my car, I hit the road again and made a quick stop in Cullen just to see the seashore there. It’s a cute town near the Glenglassaugh Distillery (at Sandend) that has a beautiful beach area, and is the home of cullen skink…which sounds kind of horrifying but is actually a delicious smoked fish soup.

If I could have timed it right, I think Bow Fiddle Rock would be gorgeous at sunrise. The timing just didn’t work for me, but maybe another time. I’m also told that stopping at the Fly Cup Cafe for a coffee afterward is the way to go…unfortunately I had to boogie to make my appointment, but you should definitely give it a try!

Other coastal rock formations you’ll love:

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