Kellock Stone

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Aberdeenshire

Scotland

Kellock Stone

Pillbox at Cruden Beach Credit: Ralph Greig

Kellock Stone is a prominent coastal feature located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a rugged headland that juts out into the North Sea, offering stunning views and a unique geological landscape. Situated near the village of Collieston, Kellock Stone is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

The headland is characterized by its towering cliffs, which reach heights of approximately 20 meters. These cliffs are composed of sedimentary rocks, including sandstone and shale, which provide a glimpse into the area's geological history. Fossilized remains of ancient marine life can often be found embedded within the rocks, further adding to the area's appeal for geology enthusiasts.

Kellock Stone is also known for its diverse wildlife. The surrounding coastal waters provide a rich feeding ground for various seabirds, including fulmars, kittiwakes, and guillemots. Visitors can often spot these birds nesting on the cliffs, particularly during the breeding season.

The headland offers several walking trails, allowing visitors to explore the area's natural beauty. These trails provide access to secluded beaches, hidden coves, and breathtaking viewpoints. The rugged terrain and crashing waves create a dramatic and picturesque atmosphere, making Kellock Stone a popular spot for photography enthusiasts.

Overall, Kellock Stone in Aberdeenshire is a captivating coastal feature that offers a unique blend of geological wonders, diverse wildlife, and stunning scenery. Whether you're interested in exploring the area's geological history, observing seabirds in their natural habitat, or simply enjoying a peaceful walk along the cliffs, Kellock Stone has something to offer for everyone.

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Kellock Stone Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 57.397597/-1.8572399 or Grid Reference NK0834. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Pillbox at Cruden Beach

Ralph Greig

The beach at Cruden Bay

Looking north-east towards the village.

Oliver Dixon

The beach at Cruden Bay

Looking south-west.

Oliver Dixon

Mouth of the Water of Cruden

A line of anti-tank blocks on the far bank.

Oliver Dixon

Old bridge piers in the mouth of the Water of Cruden

Piers of an old bridge - although it is not clear what bridge this was. The houses of Port Erroll beyond.

Oliver Dixon

Whinnyfold: Scotland's third oil boom

Just under my feet there is a major pipeline bringing ashore Scotland's oil. The complex Forties pipeline system carries about 700 thousand barrels per day, 30% of the UK's oil. It is owned and operated by UK-based global energy company BP. The system, which consists of a 36-inch pipeline originating at the Forties Charlie platform, carries crude oil 169 kilometres to the Cruden Bay pumping station, mile or so from here. From there, the crude flows a further 209 km south to the processing facility at Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth. North Sea oil is in fact Scotland's third oil industry. The first was based not on petroleum oil but on whale oil. In the 18th and 19th centuries whalers sailed to Greenland from Scottish ports, particularly Dundee, Aberdeen and Peterhead. There they harpooned Bowhead whales and brought back their blubber in barrels. The blubber was boiled back in Scotland and the oil used for a range of purposes including street lighting and textile and jute manufacture. The second oil industry came about thanks to one James 'Paraffin' Young. In 1851 he began to distil oil, at first from coal and later from rock shales, near to Bathgate, in West Lothian. This was the foundation of the modern oil industry, providing the raw material for a new range of chemicals. His legacy can still be seen in the landscape of West Lothian in the form of huge red mounds or bings, of spent shale from which oil has been extracted NT0873 : Red bing and dark sky.

Martyn Gorman

Whinnyfold: the deadly Godman

Whinnyfold is a tiny village sitting atop the cliffs at the southern end of the Bay of Cruden in Aberdeenshire. The village consists of a handful of old fisher cottages built in the 1860s. Whinnyfold has no harbour, just this natural haven and the fisherfolk had to scramble up and down a steep grass slope to reach their boats hauled up on the shingle beach and to land their catches. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth century the village housed a thriving fishing community, with some 200 fishermen operating around 20 boats. Today, however, there is no commercial fishing and no local amenities, and the houses are occupied by commuters and holiday makers. The seas around Whinnyfold are treacherous with numerous rocky headlands and offshore a semi-submerged reef known as the Skares, the site of many shipwrecks. Little wonder that every rock and headland has its own name; the large rock in the foreground, for example is the Godman while the headland beyond is the Cruner.

Martyn Gorman

Port Erroll Harbour

The harbour was built by the Earl of Erroll, owner of nearby Slains Castle, in the late 1870s, at a cost of £14,000.

Anne Burgess

Nets and Boats

These are bag-type nets used to catch salmon migrating along the shore. There is a good description of how these nets were used at Link

Anne Burgess

Drying the Salmon Nets

The bag nets for catching migrating salmon need to be dried periodically to keep them in good condition. There is a good description of how these nets were used at Link

Anne Burgess

At Port Erroll Harbour

From the sea wall behind the head of the harbour, looking along the drying salmon nets towards the mouth of the Cruden Water.

Anne Burgess

North end of Cruden Bay

That's Cruden Bay as in the curving sandy beach. The village of Cruden Bay is a little inland, hidden from here by the line of sand dunes. The Water of Cruden enters the bay between the cottage and the dunes.

Anne Burgess

Boats and Nets

Several boats lie high and dry on their trailers between the harbour head and the drying salmon nets at Port Erroll Harbour.

Anne Burgess

Port Erroll

The Ladies' Bridge over the Cruden Water is in the next square, but the foreground is in this square. I wonder how much was spent on the thousands upon thousands of concrete anti-tank blocks erected along the coast during the Second World War?

Anne Burgess

Port Erroll

Port Erroll was established as a fishing station in the mid-1800s on the east bank of the Cruden Water. It takes its name from the Earl of Erroll, the local landowner. I wonder how long it will take the concrete tank traps to disappear completely through natural decay?

Anne Burgess