Johnshaven

Johnshaven and the surrounding area boasts many hidden treasures, too many to mention. Here are some of my favourites.

• Johnshaven has a scenic small harbour, where the tide ebbs and flows twice a day, and its own maritime museum. The Anchor Hotel serves local seafood along with many other favourite foods. The Hidden Treasure Tearoom, overlooking the harbour, serves freshly roasted coffee and homemade cakes.
• Seagreens, a scenic coastal walk past an old limekiln, to the south of Johnshaven.
• Gourdon, a short walk along a flat, coastal path to the north of Johnshaven, also has a maritime museum, the Harbour Bar and the Quayside fish ‘n’ chip shop, which serves local fish and has a restaurant with sea views.
• Mill of Benholm, beside Johnshaven: a historic mill being restored by a local charity, with the Café at the Mill.
• Catterline, where Joan Eardley painted, and the RSPB Fowlsheugh reserve nearby, with sea cliffs and seabird colonies in spring and summer.
• Dunnottar Castle, a castle formation sitting high above the imposing cliffs, played a dramatic role in Scottish history and is well worth a visit.
• Stonehaven, to the north, is a quaint seaside town, with walks above the cliffs, stretching to Dunnottar.
• House of Dun and Montrose Basin Nature Reserve: a National Trust for Scotland house beside a tidal basin famous for its birdlife, with thousands of geese in autumn and winter.
• Crathes Castle and Drum Castle: two architecturally stunning Deeside castles with beautiful gardens.

This stretch of the North East coast is amongst Scotland’s best kept secrets: long sandy beaches that most visitors to Scotland never find.

• St Cyrus, ten minutes south: a long, quiet sweep of sand beneath grassy cliffs, within a National Nature Reserve.
• Montrose: a wide sandy beach running north from the town.
• Lunan Bay, south of Montrose: four kilometres of golden sand beneath the ruins of Red Castle, with a café at the car park.

Johnshaven is a lobster village. Two small boats work the water just off the shore, lifting lobster creels most days. The Lobster Shop supplies locally caught lobster as well as crab rolls and lobster toasties.

The Anchor Hotel serves a varied and delicious lunch and dinner menu, and is known for its fresh local seafood and warm hospitality.

Stonehaven, twenty five minutes north, has a harbour sitting beneath dramatic cliffs. You can eat in several places whilst overlooking the harbour and boats:

• The Tolbooth Seafood Restaurant: one of Stonehaven’s oldest buildings, on the harbour, serving fish landed nearby, with lobster in season.
• The Ship Inn: a harbourfront inn built in 1771, one of the oldest on this coast, with its Captain’s Table seafood restaurant.
• The Marine Hotel, with a restaurant and bar overlooking the harbour and boats.
• The Bay Fish & Chips: on the beachfront, famous for North Sea fish and its catch of the day.
• The Old Pier Coffee House: a harbourside café for coffee and cake.

The coast is only half of it. Within a short drive inland, the landscape rises into hills and glens:

• Fettercairn, about 20 minutes away: a pretty village at the foot of the hills, with a distillery and a royal arch.
• The Cairn o’ Mount, just beyond Fettercairn: a high moorland road with sweeping views back over the coast and out to sea.
• Edzell and Glen Esk, about 25 to 40 minutes away: the gateway to the Angus Glens, with riverside walks and open hills.
• Royal Deeside and Banchory, about 45 minutes away over the Cairn o’ Mount: the castles, forests and river of the Dee valley.

Sea one day, hills the next.

This stretch of coast has drawn painters for generations.

Many artists live in Johnshaven, among them Rebecca Westguard RSA, who runs painting workshops and summer schools. There is also The Blue Garage, the studio of artist Morag Smith.

Waters Edge art shop will surprise you with its large variety of Scottish artwork.

Every September, North East Open Studios opens the doors of many artists’ studios across the North East to visitors, including here in Johnshaven.

Along the clifftops at Catterline, Joan Eardley painted the wild North Sea seascapes that made her amongst Scotland’s best loved artists.

In Montrose, the studio of the sculptor and painter William Lamb is now a small museum of his work, open in summer. Known as the people’s sculptor, he modelled the royal family as well as the town’s fisherfolk, and you will find his sculptures throughout Montrose.

It is easy to see why artists come here. The skies are huge, and the light on the sea changes by the hour.

As I am also an artist, my original artwork is seen throughout the retreat and includes paintings, printmaking and batik. In 2027 the retreat offerings will include time to be creative in the attached art studio.

• By train: Montrose station, 10 to 15 minutes by taxi.
• By air: Aberdeen Airport, about 45 minutes by road.

Examples of accommodation nearby:

• The Anchor Hotel, Johnshaven: rooms in the village, highly rated by guests.
• Seashore Retreat, Johnshaven: self catering by the sea, rated 10 out of 10 by guests on booking.com.
• Other accommodation in Johnshaven is available on booking sites such as booking.com, cottages.com and Airbnb.co.uk.
• Chapel of Barras B&B, near Dunnottar: countryside B&B, full Scottish breakfast with local produce.
• Dalriada Luxury Lodges, Stonehaven: five star self catering lodges overlooking the bay and Dunnottar Castle.
• The Ship Inn, Stonehaven: historic harbourfront inn.
• The Marine Hotel, Stonehaven: on the harbour, with a restaurant and bar overlooking the boats.
• Arduthie House, Stonehaven: guest house in the town.
• Woodston Fishing Station, St Cyrus: self catering near the beach and nature reserve.
• The Links Hotel, Montrose: hotel with a restaurant and bar, a short walk from the William Lamb studio.