Howford and the Peterhead to Banff Coach Road

Last week Grey Granite visited Howford Farm and learned of the old coach road from Peterhead to Banff which crosses the Ugie below the farm. Today she and Rufus decided to walk as much of the coach road as they could find, following directions given to them by the farmer at Howford. An account of Howford, the French Farm, is given on Grey Granite's other blog, Walking the Line at http://greygranitewalkingtheline.blogspot.com/ Strichen viaduct to the B9093: The French Farm.

The section of  road from Howford to Hillhead Farm has a concrete surface, the Ugie is below the road on the right

Milestone reading 14 (to Peterhead) situated on the side of the road furthest from the river just beyond the end of the first field.

Maple blossom. The road is lined with trees, predominately sycamore and beech but with some  maple, and horse chestnut.all are just starting to come into delicate new leaf.

Beyond Hillhead the road descends towards a wood and becomes more of a track

The road follows the contour of the Ugie valley, remaining well above the river. There were swans on the pools in the valley bottom and we could hear a buzzard calling. Unfortunately the mist refused to clear.

The road disappears at Middlethird Plantation where a burn flows through a den down to the Ugie.This is a stand of mixed planting bounded by beech trees.

We walked up both sides of the wooded den, crossing the burn by a footbridge and  coming upon what Grey Granite certain is a badger sett. Rufus was keen to confirm this...

We returned along the coach road to Howford and followed the road over the bridge, built in 1777 to replace a ford and footbridge, past two small disused limestone quarries and up to the Skillymarno Road.

There is an excellent view over Strichen to the White Horse and Hunter's Lodge on Mormond Hill from the highest point of the coach road. As we climbed up to the road a pair of buzzards was circling over head, mewling as they flew. 

Warm weather

The warm (20c) spring sunshine has produced...

A carpet of lesser celandines in Philorth Woods

The first dog violets (Viola canina)

We also saw Pink Purslane (Montia sibirica) and Hedgerow Cranesbill (Geranium pyrenacium) in flower this morning along with the first Large White butterfly of the year.

The lost Burgh of Rattray

'A mysterious spot.The shattered remains of St Mary's Chapel, amidst fields and barren bents overlooking the treeless Loch of Strathbeg, echoing to the foghorn of Rattray Head lighthouse, is all that remains of the Burgh of Rattray'.(Charles McKean 'Banff and Buchan an Illustrated Architectural Guide')

The chapel has been in existence since 1220 when it was founded by William Comyn. Rattray was a thriving community on the S.E shore of the Loch of Strathbeg until 1720 when a great storm threw a sandbar across the entrance to the loch, stranding a ship laden with slates and precipitating the decline and eventual abandoning  of the burgh.



The eerie remains of the coastguard station,  on the hill beyond the farm of Old Rattray 



The coastguard lookout tower

Ruined cottages in  the isolated Seatown of Rattray, just south of the lighthouse station, nicknamed Botany Bay after the penal colony. The sea town, consisted of about 10 houses and  was built around 1792 as an attempt to reintroduce fishing to the parish of Crimond by the proprietor of Rattray House.Very few settlers moved to the new community until around 1803 when a group of fishermen, ousted from Boatlea, moved in. The coast at this point is notoriously treacherous, many boats must have been lost during winter storms and the settlement, for a time known as the Smugglers' Village,  failed to develop and was abandoned before World War 2.

Rattray Head Shore Station with the offshore lighthouse visible behind the keepers' accommodation block. The lighthouse is now fully automated and the shore station is an hotel.



The lighthouse, built on Rhone Rock to warn shipping of the danger of  Rattray Briggs, came in to operation on 14th October 1895.



The day we visited there was a stiff breeze blowing the sand along the beach and turning pebbles into miniature sand sculptures. At low tide several wrecks can be seen from the shore.

Warmest Day

A stunning blackthorn in full blossom in Philorth Woods

This morning, although the sky was overcast and rain threatened, the temperature reached 19c, the warmest day of the year so far.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) on the roadside bank near Craigiewan

Dog Orienteering at Aden Country Park

Rufus, Grey Granite and their friend, Yvonne, took part in a Dog Orienteering Event in Aden Country park this afternoon. The 5km route followed  a permanent course following winding pathways throughout the park, laid out by Grampian Orienteers, but enhanced for this occasion by having pictures of differing breeds of dogs to identify at each station. Rufus was disappointed that a Border Terrier was not featured and that his human companions have such inadequate breed identification skills, loosing points for failing to identify a couple of breeds. Despite being attacked by a (non participatory) Jack Russell and being soaked by a shower of hailstones, this event was highly enjoyable.  Rufus acquitted himself well, remaining focused even when a pair of roe deer were quite close by, he was pleased to make the acquaintance of other dogs including Maisie,  a rescued cairn terrier cross. The park is greening up beautifully, there are swathes of daffodils in full bloom, wood sorrel just starting to open, soft new needles on the larches and many other tree buds ready to burst open. This is the first dog orienteering event in which we have participated but we hope to take part in further, possibly more challenging, events. Leaflets outlining the orienteering course are available from the shop at Aden.