Muchalls Shore

Beach in Kincardineshire

Scotland

Muchalls Shore

Fields and houses at Muchalls Credit: Mike Pennington

Muchalls Shore is a picturesque beach located in Kincardineshire, Scotland. Situated on the northeast coast, it is renowned for its natural beauty and tranquil atmosphere. The beach is nestled between towering cliffs and offers breathtaking views of the North Sea.

The shoreline consists of a mixture of sand and pebbles, making it an ideal spot for leisurely walks, picnics, and sunbathing. The beach is relatively secluded, providing a peaceful retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Muchalls Shore is also known for its dramatic rock formations, which have been shaped by centuries of erosion. These formations create unique caves and arches that add to the charm of the beach. One of the highlights is the famous "Smugglers Cove," a cave that was once used by smugglers to hide their illicit goods.

The area surrounding the beach is rich in wildlife, making it popular among nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers. Visitors may catch a glimpse of various seabirds, seals, and even dolphins swimming in the distance.

Facilities at Muchalls Shore are limited, with no permanent amenities available. However, there is ample parking nearby, and a short walk from the beach will lead visitors to the charming village of Muchalls, where they can find refreshments and basic supplies.

Overall, Muchalls Shore offers a serene and unspoiled coastal experience, perfect for those seeking a peaceful getaway amidst stunning natural surroundings.

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Muchalls Shore Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 57.008399/-2.1667201 or Grid Reference NO8990. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Fields and houses at Muchalls

Mike Pennington

Rocks at Grim Haven

Tim Glover

Cliff girt coast at Muchalls

Alan Reid

A92, Nether Mains of Muchalls

The A92 is a major highway that runs for 89 miles through Fife, Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeen City in Scotland. From south to north, it runs from Dunfermline to Blackdog, just north of Aberdeen.

David Dixon

View from Doonies Point

In the foreground are some of the flat-lying rocks north of a zone of intense deformation known as the Steep Belt. Compare this with NO9090 : Folded Rock.

Anne Burgess

Cliffs at Muchalls

A rather misty view north from Doonies Point, where another step, to get into the square, would have sent me hurtling down the cliff!

Anne Burgess

Doonie Point

A geo, possibly a collapsed cave, at Doonies Point. Notice that the rock strata are still lying more or less horizontal here.

Anne Burgess

Folded Rock

Compare this with NO9090 : Doonie Point, just a few tens of metres away, and note that these strata have been dramatically folded so that some of them are now vertical.

Anne Burgess

Tank Traps?

These really puzzled us. On several narrow cols between the main cliffs and outlying blocks there are clusters of three concrete blocks exactly like tank traps. We couldn't image how a tank could possibly manage to get up the steep narrow paths to one of these cols, so why the need for the concrete block?

Anne Burgess

Doonies Point

A 'panoramic' view of the cliffs at Doonies Point.

Anne Burgess

Douniefell with west entrance to Ship Hole

This is a nearly stack/island which is part of the intertidal area below Seacliff, Muchalls. The entry to Ship Hole - shown as a subterranean passage on the 1902 version of the 25 in/mile OS - about central, but in shadow. The top of Douniefell is a Canmore site 37225 'enclosure', undated so far. NO9091 : Coastline from Doonies Point north to Grim Brigs and NO9091 : Headland erosion at Muchalls show it from the south. It is a bit easier to spot in the latter, in which its shadow on the cliff to the east (this camera location) makes it easier to pick out. See also the oblique aerial view from the north on Canmore.

Nigel Feilden

Looking through Ship Hole

This tunnel runs under Douniefell - see NO9091 : Douniefell with west entrance to Ship Hole - and is 33m long. According to the OS namebook, a ship was wrecked at the sea end of this, some time before it was published ca 1870.

Nigel Feilden

North entrance to cave on Grum Briggs

This looks like two caves, but is technically one because the dividing wall is under the overhanging cliff by 4m - they are joined under that overhang. The chamber on the right goes in 23m. The passage on the left reaches open air after only 16m. The passage is shown on old maps, but not the chamber beside it.

Nigel Feilden

South entrance to a cave on Grum Briggs

See NO9091 : North entrance to cave on Grum Briggs for the north end. As far as I know, this cannot be seen from the beach south of here because of rocky stacks - themselves not scaleable except with climbing equipment. It would be easily visible from the sea inlet behind the camera. The passage is 16m long.

Nigel Feilden

A rock-scape from Grum Briggs

This was taken from just inside the south end of a passage running through Grum Briggs, fairly near its eastern end. The rock face just off centre and in shadow is the north side of an un-named stack which is just north of Douniefell. There are more than 20m of sea separating Grum Briggs from this stack and you may just be able to make out a bit of sea to the left of a black boulder, and the barnacle belt above it.

Nigel Feilden

Arch at the end of an inlet at Grum Briggs

The Ordnance Survey Namebook entry for Grum Briggs is: "A rocky peninsula situated on the south side of Grum Haven. The sea has formed a large passage through the cliff at the narrow rock joining the peninsula with the main land." Kincardineshire, Fetteresso, p85 The image shows that "large passage" or arch at the end of the inlet. It may help to zoom the image because beyond the pebble beach is a pile of grassed over debris which makes it bit tricky to make out the outline. Just to the left is sunlight coming through another arch just on this side of the first arch.

Nigel Feilden

Ophelia's waterfall

The burn of Muchalls flows from the Mill of Muchalls into a short gorge, then into Ophelia's pool. This is named so because it was used as a film location for a production of Hamlet. This is the overflow from Ophelia's pool. It is hard to see from anywhere else. The channel into which it flows is tidal.

Nigel Feilden