📌 Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire
★★★
Slains Castle is the bare shell of a 16th century residence once belonging to the Earl of Errol. With plain-looking stonework, large windows and seemingly little by way of defence, it doesn’t look like a stereotypical castle. Despite this, the windswept ruin oozes character, surrounded by spectacular coastal scenery (watch out for the cliffs). The spot seems to be rich in wildlife too – seabirds, seals and a fox have all been present on our visits. Enter with care (as the building isn’t maintained) and you can explore a fair proportion of the ground floor, though exactly how much might depend on how much you like nettles. If you find the atmosphere somehow chilling, perhaps it’s because Dracula‘s castle may have been dreamt up here: author Bram Stoker once stayed at Slains. Public transport users should use the start of our Dunbuy & Bullers of Buchan walk to reach the castle.
🌍 Location
📌 By the coast, off the A975 0.5 mi east of Cruden Bay
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NK 102361
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.415132,-1.832503
🚌 Bus to Cruden Bay (1 mi via footpath)
🚗 Car park at 🧭 NK 102370 / 🛰️ 57.423048,-1.831552
📝 Key info
⌚ Always viewable – access to interior may be blocked by a fence
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 15-min walk (each way) to the castle, following a rough track south (⬤ Easy).
