Back in August The Bloke and I took a last-minute, much-needed holiday in Scotland. We were lucky to find a lovely little cottage (that is rarely available) had a vacancy at the time where The Bloke was on annual leave, and booked it immediately – as if the universe had stepped in at a point where we really needed it.

We decided to add an extra day, staying in Falkirk overnight before we were due to check in so that we could see The Kelpies and Blackness Castle, and then stopped in at Doune Castle on the drive up the next day.

It was definitely the right decision, as it meant that we could split the 10 hour drive over two days, and saw things that had been on my travel bucket list for a while.

We found the tiny, winding road down to Johnshaven easily. There have been some changes – since the last time we visited, a bunch of houses have been built on the edge of the village which was a bit disorienting at first, and there has been the addition of a cafe and a lobster shop.

But as soon as we pulled up to the cottage, it felt like home.

Johnshaven is a stunning place. With the sea breeze and the slow rhythm of village life, even the rainy days felt like a completely different world. It was calm and peaceful. The locals were lovely, the pace was slower. People said hello as they walked past. I regularly walked around the village early in the morning and late at night and sat on my favourite bench overlooking the sea without being overly concerned for my safety.  

We indulged in the new additions to the village since out last visit.

The Lobster Shop is a family-run business serving lobster and crab sandwiches and dishes. I’m not a lobster fan, but I can see why it is extremely popular, and The Bloke and I treated ourselves to sandwiches a few times during the week. We also had breakfast in the local cafe – another addition to the village since our last visit – and on our final night we treated ourselves to a meal at the local pub.

Top of the list of places to visit was Dunnottar Castle, which we visited twice. We sat on the clifftop and took in the incredible view, and were lucky enough to watch a stunning sunrise – possibly one of my favourite moments of the year.

We also went back to the RSPB Scotland Fowlsheugh (where we saw puffins last time), and walked in the opposite direction to visit the beautiful Crawton Waterfall (which we missed last time).

We set aside a few days for new experiences too:

Dunnottar Woods and The Shell House

One morning, we drove a few minutes down the road from the castle to Dunnottar Woods as I wanted to find the Shell House that I had seen on social media. The Shell House is said to have been built by Lady Kennedy in the 19th century, who was the wife of a local laird living at the Kennedy House. The true purpose of what it was used for is unknown, although there are speculations that it was a children’s summer hideout, or simply a ‘romantic’ feature as a landscape design.

At home, I live near a big, beautiful woodland. I walk my friend’s dog through there regularly, and I never feel uneasy.

Dunnottar Woods looks no different, but there was a vibe to it, and as The Bloke and I started following the path to find the Shell House I made a comment to him that something didn’t feel right. 

We found The Shell House, and it was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. The videos on social media show a cute little structure, adorned with shells on the inside, but all I could think of was that it would make a good setting for a horror movie. 

We decided to get out of there. On the way back to the cottage, I researched the history of the woods, and discovered that Gallow Hill, situated within the woods, served as an execution site for criminals in the 1600s. The gallows was erected on a burial mound that held sacred significance for prehistoric people. When trees were planted in the 1800s, the remains of those executed were unearthed. 

Maybe we’ll skip the woods the next time we visit.

New Slains Castle

Later in the week we drove further up the east coast to find New Slains Castle, a ruined castle with origins dating back to the 16th Century and is a Historic Environment Scotland Category B listed building.

New Slains Castle has a fascinating and turbulent history – read the full history here – and has long been associated with Bram Stoker, who was a regular visitor to nearby Cruden Bay. While it is wrongly thought to be the inspiration for Dracula (Bram’s written notes for Dracula date back to 1890, two years before his first visit to Cruden Bay), the octagonal hall of the castle may have provided the backdrop for the castle setting. 

In 2004, planning permission was granted to turn the castle into apartments (which was put on hold in 2009 due to the recession). Subsequently, as it is not technically a tourist site, finding the castle isn’t easy. There are no signs, there is a very tiny car park situated a LONG walk away from the building, there are no toilet facilities, no staff, no safety barriers etc. It’s a shell, situated on the edge of a clifftop that could be extremely dangerous if you’re not careful.

But it’s worth the visit. It looks odd – like a movie set that has just been abandoned once filing has finished – but walking in and around the ruins was fascinating. It’s a rare opportunity to experience something like that, and at one point we had the castle all to ourselves.

Quayside Restaurant & Fish Bar

We saw a YouTube video about this fish restaurant and discovered that it was situated just a few minutes drive away in Gourdon, another village very similar to Johnshaven, and decided to check it out one evening.

With a stunning view overlooking the harbour, Quayside Restaurant & Fish Bar has won awards and I can understand why. I had the Breaded Local Haddock, with a side of scampi, and a chocolate brownie for dessert. 

It was the nicest fish I’ve ever eaten, to the point where I loudly exclaimed “oh my god!” after I had taken my first bite. The Bloke laughed – “So you’re enjoying your fish then?” It was one of those meals where you could restart and eat it all over again.

The week went by far too quickly, and we had such a great time just being around each other. It was a much-needed escape from what has been quite a turbulent 18 months.

And above all, it was QUIET. 

I didn’t realise just how loud everything was until I took myself out of it. No texts, calls or emails, no screaming kids, no blasting music, cars zooming by or neighbours having parties until the early hours of the morning. I was able to relax for the first time in what felt like forever.

I’m already planning our next visit…