It's nice when my wife has a golf tournament out of town . . . I get to drive here there and then explore the area around Fraserburgh.
The Waters of Philorth.
Fraserburgh Golf Club is the 7th oldest golf course in the world, having been founded in 1777. It sits among the dunes on the Scottish Aberdeenshire Coast.
The sea breeze was strong along the tops of the dunes, but calm down in the deep sandy hollows.
Walking the dune trails had a mystical quality to me . . .
I crested a dune to find the North Sea . . . and miles of beach.
I looked left to the town of Fraserburgh, trying to decide which way to go . . .
Although walking east toward Fraserburgh looked inviting . . .
I decided to walk west toward the next village, Inverallochy, and what looked like a ship wreck. I wandered around in the web of sandy trails looking for a way down the embankments to the broad beach.
There were beachcombers on the broad Fraserburgh beach.
Fascinating patterns in the sand to look at.
As sea level rises, the beach dunes are eroded.
Beach, sea, sky . . . looking like a tropical paradise, but at 5c, not exactly tropical.
I wasn't the o nly person out on such a fine and windy day . . . these brave wind surfers were preparing for their brand of fun. I must add; the wind was very cold.
Jellyfish and feather.
A beach combing find from somewhere far off in the North Sea.
Such a broad beach creates wonderful patterns as the tide recedes.
Where the beach met a fast moving burn, a set of contrasting shapes, textures, and colors met in a happy collision.
I walked all the way to the end of the beach . . .
I arrived at the estuary of the Waters of Philorth, but could not find a way across the swift and deep waters without getting my feet wet.
The last big wave drained into the burn this way.
I didn't want to go back the way I came, so I walked inland along the stream knowing I would eventually run into the road.
I could not find a way across the burn, The Waters of Philorth, so I followed it inland, stopping here and there to study scenes of beauty.
The Waters of Philorth eventually came to the highway and this old disassembled rail bridge.
This inviting road stood in front of me, so I walked in until . . .
I walked up the road, which turned out to be the driveway of Castle Cairnbulg . . . and a 'Private Property' sign. Yes, this is not only a real castle, but it has been continuously occupied by the original Fraser family since 1308. Currently. Katharine Fraser, Mistress of Salton, resides within the 700 year old walls.
I considered jumping the estate gates and exploring the park-like grounds of the castle . . . but didn't.
I took a shortcut though a small wood and found this striking stump.
The gorse (ulex europaeus) was in full bloom.
Boggy land draining.
Of course, this trip was about my wife playing in a golf tournament. I walked back through the historic golf course to the Fraserburgh Golf Club, the 7th oldest golf course in the world. Although the golf club was officially established in 1777, golf has been recorded being played here since 1618 . . . 398 years!
It is a beautiful course in a beautiful setting. It had been a fine day . . . with a five-mile walk.