Two days to explore the Grampian coast from Aberdeen, and see if my resentment of their buses last time was purely my own fault for overdoing it in Krakatoa.
“Peterhead has been on my bucket list for years” said no-one ever. Except me.
You can wave to the Punx as the bus passes Ellon.
The Peterlee of the North, they said. A run down fishing town, they said. Take four layers, they said.
Yes, it was chilly, but it wasn’t as wet as Bournemouth or Stockport that morning.
The sun certainly shines on the righteous. And retiredmartin.
The blue skies help, but it’s as good a town for a wander as any on the Grampian coast.
It’s a wee bit quiet, but then it is 9.30am.
BrewDog have shown great faith in opening a bar, but they’re not Stonegate (yet).
There’s a second dollop of craft in town, down by the docks.
Come after lunchtime for their Vanilla Milk Stout.
I had to make do with an austere looking Spoons.
Nice range of English beers from the festival being dutifully ignored at 9.45am.
It was worth travelling the 10 hours to enjoy the Eggs Balmoral and 3B (NBSS 3) and do my bit for the local economy (of Watford and Swindon).
Someone shouted ” Come on England! ” as the egg chasers somehow were ahead against the Kiwis. Disgraceful.
The national sport is, of course, waiting for the Spoons coffee machine to be fixed in a Victoria Wood jumper.
“Come on Rosie there’s a queue!” said the impatient caffeine fiend.
I only had two flat whites this time, with a bumpy bus ride to Fraserburgh to come.
That still meant three trips to the Gents. The other national pastime is complaining about the stairs in Spoons.
Just time to pop in the library and get treated like royalty (perhaps I am) by three lovely ladies who plied me with walking maps and info. A credit to their town.
I didn’t see a soul on the walk, but that bothered me not a jot.
The fishermans houses were gorgeous.
And you could have been in Bamburgh if it banned Pashminas and artisan ice-cream.
More churches than pubs, oddly.
Anyway, cancel your plans for Portofino or Prestatyn, and come here and drink craft beer.
Best leave it till Spring though.
I’d love to know how anyone could say Peterheed’s run doon – it’s Europe’s biggest fishing port and known for being quite wealthy! Bit like North Shields in character but waaaaay bigger.
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Everyone had told me it was rundown. Unless they meant Petersfield.
No great signs of wealth though someone did have TWO sausage rolls in Greggs.
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The signs of wealth are well concealed – it’s Scotland, after all.
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Well of course there are loads of churches, heading directly into God Squad territory – look at how many different denominations of churches there are in Fraserburgh and you’ll get the idea.
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Is Peterhead to Aberdeen what Portishead is to Bristol ?
Yes, I’d have had the Arkells 3B as it’s from the same family as the Donnington beers we hear so much about.
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Yes. Yes it is.
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That last picture is a corker! Spoons looks like a bona fide estate effort 👍
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Pretty sure that is the same woman who spotted your rifling through her personal effects on the Isle of Man. I would be worried…
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I was going to say that 😕
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I can’t help thinking you’ll be a bit pleased to hear that even in this age of Google a search for “Eggs Balmoral” doesn’t immediately clarify things. It looks like haggis and a poached egg on top of a muffin. (In my experience, Google’s got nothing on Retired Martin!)
I love the photo of the fishing traps by the water. What do you reckon those are used to catch?
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It is indeed haggis, freshly netted on the Balmoral estate by HRH, and poached egg on a bun. Surely you have that in Denny’s?
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They catch shellfish up the coast, not sure about Peterhead. Bottles of BrewDog Mr President?
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I don’t wish to disappoint you Martin, but Peterhead is never going to make my bucket list – Europe’s biggest fishing port or not!
I do however, like the photo of the lobster pots, all lined up on the quayside.
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You say that now, Paul…
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A proper working town, what’s not to like? I would have thought there’d be some proper pubs around the dockside, but maybe the locals are too busy fishing. Twinned with Ålesund in Norway, it should have a lot in common with some coastal settlements over here.
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