Member of Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board since 1994                    Member of the Association of Scottish Self-Caterers                Member of the Scottish Tourist Board Inspection Scheme

Crovie - Banffshire – Scotland - Scottish Tourist Board 3 Stars

Click to book your quality time at Number 13 Crovie - with The Blue Chair of Relaxation at the front door ! All you need now is a cup of tea and a bun !Cast your eyes over the Scottish village of Crovie (pron. "Crivvy"), a Conservation Area, where houses cling to the base of the cliffs, their front doors dangling in the sea. Just 40 miles north of Aberdeen you can relax in a tranquil fishing village, little changed in over 100 years.

Number 13 Crovie is an ideal holiday location for exploring theFrom late April to August you can see colourful little puffins nesting on the nearby cliffs. You can watch thousands of birds soaring and diving, gannets, guilliemots, razorbills, auks and fulmars to name but a few.... many surrounding attractions. Whether your interest is castles, bird colonies on Troup Head, golfing, fishing, the nearby historic towns of Banff and Fraserburgh, or just pottering on the beach and drinking tea on the bankhead.  If you are lucky, you may catch sight of the Moray Firth dolphins, and on clear starry winter nights the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are occasionally visible. Crovie faces west along the Moray Firth, so you can relax in front of the cottages, stare out to sea and enjoy the beautiful summerLooking west from the kitchen door, toward Banff and Inverness on a glorious summers evening. sunsets. Or maybe you would prefer to curl up beside the real fire, with a large whisky and some freshly cooked seafood, gazing out at the waves splashing off the pier ? Everyone who has stayed at Crovie has fond memories.Looking out the window at 13 Crovie you are in for a treat.

 Whatever your pace, slow or dead slow, Crovie will occupy a special place in your heart.

The first record of a settlement here was in about 1297, and the nearby St John's Church dates as far back as 1004. It was not until the 1700s that the village started to grow, with about 20 cottages and 100 residents recorded in 1791. By 1900 this had expanded to 66 cottages and 300 people, largely as a result of population shifts from the Highland Clearances. Most people earned their living from the sea, a harsh life that ended in January 1953, when massive storms devastated the Scottish coastline, destroying several Crovie cottages and forcing the residents to flee. Few wished to return, and the local council plotted to bulldoze the entire village into the sea. Fortunately some of the owners rebelled and formed the Crovie Preservation Society, dedicated to restoring Crovie as a living village. Nearly all cottages have since been renovated and it is these owners who continue to keep Crovie in the unique condition you can enjoy today.

Getting to Crovie

You can walk along the beach to the pub in Gardenstown (15mins), while the more adventurous can walk along the clifftops of Troup Head and pass "Hell's Lum" to the Pennan Inn (2 hours). Or you could just take the car, and get someone else to drive back!Crovie is 40 miles north of Aberdeen, halfway between Banff (10 miles to the west) and Fraserburgh (off the B9031).

Aberdeen has the nearest airport and railway station, where car hire or taxi is readily available. Send for travel details.

If you would be interested in learning how a holiday at Crovie could change your outlook on life and the universe, then read  about the cottage at Number 13, and what others have said about their holidays.

Feel free to email for more advice.