Summer in Buchan
Summer is sometimes the least perceptible of seasons.
There’s no great shift like the falling of amber leaves in autumn, or waking up in the cold and dark in deepest winter.
Spring simply folds away, leaving behind some soft, pink blossom, and makes way for brighter, warmer weather.
Right now, in our gardens, summer ingredients are in abundance: there are just right strawberries, crisp lettuce heads and new potatoes, and soon there will be sweet pea pods and raspberries.
It’s been a funny year so far, most of it watched from indoors, and this summer is a little strange too, without the usual parties and whole family barbecues a hot summer normally brings.
But, despite everything, nature will carry on, and although we may not be able to enjoy this season as much as we would like, there will still beauty to be found in this landscape – in Buchan, the place we feel ever lucky to call home.
Our favourite summer spots:
Pitfour Lake
Our hidden gem.
Pitfour Lake is directly behind the hotel, within a canopy of gnarled, green trees. A walk round the lake will fill an hour, and, in warm sunshine, can fill an afternoon. When you next go, you should pack a cold drink in your pocket and pause at the fishing deck. Take time to look out over the lake and appreciate the way bright sunshine hits the still water, and casts colour for all to see. But, be careful, it’s a suntrap, and you don’t want your neck to burn!
The Formartine and Buchan Way
If, once this is over, you want something a little bit more exerting than an afternoon stroll, then walk the Formartine and Buchan. It’s one of our area’s best kept secrets – it’s the old railway line connecting Buchan to Aberdeen and a rather forgotten long distance trail. From here, you can walk in either direction – back to the city or wild country – and we suggest the latter. The walk will take you through acres of quiet countryside and fields of crops, quietly waiting for the perfect dry, bright harvest day.
Fraserburgh Beach
There’s something about dipping your feet into sea water, feeling the sand rise between your toes and paddling your way along the water’s edge. For this, we suggest you go to Fraserburgh. There’s no pavilion or promenade; no cramped and boiling seaside fare, just miles of soft, gold sand and bubbling water. If you go to the far end, and climb the bank, you can walk yourself home through the dunes and marram grasses. Look out at the North Sea as you go. It will be blue, shining and utterly breathtaking.
Aden Country Park
Aden is the area’s favourite walking spot. In summer, it is a place of ice-creams, grandmas, pushchairs and puppies. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some peace and quiet within its leafy paths. Walk by the duck pond and round the park’s perimeter. Skirt the arboretum of ancient yew and douglas fir trees, and you will see bumblebees soaking up nectar from bright flowers. Keep on the path and you will come to Hareshowe – an old 1950s farmhouse. It might not be open at the moment, but peep through the windows and you will see your granny’s kitchen, complete with an open fire and a Formica table. It’s wonderful appreciating the way time shifts, and taking a moment to gaze upon something small and beautiful on a long, summer day.
Our café in Aden Park is open Wednesday to Sunday for ice-creams, fancy pieces, cold drinks and takeaway coffees – why not make a picnic of it?
White Cow Wood
A favourite childhood walk. You should take cold juice and some winegums as we used to do when we were young. The trail is long and looping, and sits in the shadow of Mormond Hill. In the warmer weather, the path is flanked with green trees and yellow gorse; you can smell crops, and see the luscious and bountiful farmland beyond. It takes an hour, if not more, to walk the whole path, so savour it and count your blessings – something we didn’t do when we were children, but often find ourselves doing now as we look out over green fields, and remember how lucky we were to grow up here.