Seaton Cliffs to Auchmithie, the long walk

 

 

From Seaton Cliffs to Auchmithie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/forget-me-not5275/sets/72157606192254577/

 

We had a few very nice days at the start of this week and I took the opportunity to do something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I made up my mind a while ago that one day I would walk the whole five miles across the top of the cliffs the old fishing village of Auchmithie. I spend so much time worrying about being eco-friendly and not doing anything that will damage the environment any more than is absolutely necessary that some times; I forget to actually enjoy the environment.  I have to remind my self that if no one bothers to get out there and enjoy it the whole point of protecting the environment is partly lost. So, off I went, camera in hand, water and a snack in bag over shoulders and shoes I could walk in.

Seaton Cliffs, on the North edge of Arbroath, offer the most spectacular and easily accessible walk probably in the whole of Angus (the County). There are enormous red sandstone arches carved out by the raging North Sea, there are blow holes and stacks galore. At this time of the year the cliff top is awash with wild flowers and butterflies and part of this area is managed by the Scottish Wildlife trust as a nature reserve. It is also a designated SSSI (special site of scientific interest). At the start of the cliff top walk you can look down and see ancient cart tracks cut into the rock by the people who collected the raw building material, huge lumps of red sandstone. There is also the remains of a wooden walkway out to a natural deep gully that never empties out, even at the lowest tide. No one has actually told me what this walkway was for; I think its purpose is lost in time.

 

 

As you travel along the path you come to Dickmont’s Den, a deep ravine cut into the cliffs and continuing inland for a few hundred meters. As you walk around this you can gaze out at the colony of breeding sea birds nesting on the rocky outcrop in the middle of this ravine.  Past Dickmont’s Den, (which in its hay day was a paradise for smugglers), and onto three little coves where you can climb down and walk on the beach. This is known locally as ‘The Flairs’ but its official name is Carlingheugh Bay and above carlingheugh there is a large earth mound perched on the highest part of the cliff. This is called Maiden Castle, it is the earthen remains of a prehistoric defensive fort. This is where I chose to sit and eat my lunch and I could see why they chose this piece of the Cliff Face to build a defensive fort, it was like sitting on top of the world, a fantastic experience. Once past The Flairs the pathway begins to narrow and twist and turn. There are steps up and down, hear and there and the pathway becomes very overgrown. Then you arrive at Seaton Den, a thickly wooded gully carved into the rock face to the extent that the sea no longer comes into it. It is a narrow valley with trees rooted in the steep sides and just a trickle of water in the bottom. This pathway continues inland, over a little wooden bridge and then heads out again toward the cliff edge. Once back at the cliff edge and with the sea crashing away below you need to follow the narrow pathway with the cliffs and sea on one side and farmers fields on the other. There are more wild flowers and butterfly’s here. This part of the walk is much more isolated and free from fellow walkers than the pervious part had been. Eventually, after what seemed an age I spotted the first houses from Auchmithie. They were the old coast guard cottages situated on the cliff edge just out side the village itself. Once past these old cottages it was just a matter of walking along the lane to the village itself.

 

Well, I had done the five mile out there and didn’t feel much like attempting the walk back, maybe next time I’ll attempt to do there and back. Fortunately there is a local bus service nad I didn’t have to wait that long before the bus arrived and I could go home.

 

I am so glad I did that walk, even if this is the first and last time I am able to do it I’m glad I did. I have a total of 130 photographs from this epic walk, every photo has a title and a description and it can be watched in its entirety as a slide show, (titles and descriptions included) over at flickr. I would love you to take the time to go over there and sit through the slide show, some of the views are spectacular. But be warned, this is a slide show that lasts maybe 15 minutes or more. Not something to do in a hurry, of course if you prefer you could just take a quick look at the pictures without bothering with the slide show. Either way, I totally enjoyed this walk and I hope you do too. We really DO need to protect out environment, all of this is far too precious to risk losing.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/forget-me-not5275/sets/72157606192254577/