📌 Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
★★★★
The coastline northeast of Aberdeen is perhaps less visited by tourists than almost any other part of Scotland, yet this is a region with many unspoiled gems. Next to the mouth of the River Ythan at Newburgh is our favourite spot in the country for watching seals, which often haul out in their dozens as the tide falls at the mouth of the estuary. Only once out of our several visits have the pinnipeds been absent here, so the odds should be in your favour too. The colony is sited on the river’s east bank below the sand dunes of Forvie National Nature Reserve, and the best viewpoint is on the opposite bank – enforcing a suitable distance which doesn’t usually disturb the seals. Nevertheless, visitors with dogs should leave extra space, or perhaps avoid the site altogether.
🌍 Location
📌 Mouth of the River Ythan 0.5 mi southeast of Newburgh. South bank viewpoint is at:
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NK 006244
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.309960,-1.992073
🚌 Bus to Newburgh – nearest stop is on A975 at Beach Road (1 mi)
🚗 Car park at end of Beach Road
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 10-min walk (each way) to the seal viewpoint (⬤ Easy). Follow a choice of sandy paths southeast to the beach, then turn right following the shore to the best viewpoints.
