Easy hikes and walks around Benholm And Johnshaven

The Gourdon Survival Station – small, blue, and absolutely essential for survival! Right on the harbor wall in Gourdon, you'll find everything you need for survival – in a charmingly Scottish miniature version: • 🥫 The Storage Box – A food donation box. Open, honest, and supportive. If you're hungry, help yourself. If you have anything left over, put it in. Works better than some refrigerators! • 📚 The Little Free Library – A blue bookcase with anchor decorations, packed with crime novels, children's books, and romantic dramas. For your mind when the weather turns to "horizontal rain" again. • ⚡ The Defibrillator – Safely stored in an old telephone booth with a retro mosaic. If the thrill of a JD Kirk novel or the stairs to the harbor sweep you away – here's power for your heart. Conclusion: Humans need three things: food, reading, and life. In Gourdon, you'll find everything – right next to each other, without any bureaucracy. You just have to brew your own tea.

Imagine a tiny museum in an old Coast Guard building right on Gutty Harbor—charming, but with the heart of a captain. The superstar there is the "Maggie Law," a 30-foot surf rowing buoy built in 1890, rowed by six men, and ingenious at performing rescues between sharp rocks—it saved 36 lives in 40 years of service!

If you are looking for a coastal walk with stunning views, diverse wildlife and rich history, you might want to visit St Cyrus National Nature Reserve. This reserve is located on the north-east coast of Scotland, between the village of St Cyrus and the North Sea. It has a warm and sunny microclimate, thanks to the shelter provided by the inland cliffs and the sand dunes. You can enjoy the sight of colourful wildflowers, rare butterflies, lizards and birds, as well as explore the remains of an old lifeboat station and a salmon fishing station. The reserve is open all year round and has a visitor centre, toilets and parking facilities

If you are interested in visiting a historic site with a long history of worship, you might want to check out Ecclesgreig old church in St Cyrus. This church, which was dedicated in 1242 and went out of use in 1632, is located within a peaceful burial ground near the sea. You can see some old headstones and table tombs with coats of arms and mortality symbols, as well as the ruins of the church itself. There is also a watchhouse that was used to deter bodysnatchers in the 18th century. The site is also known as Nether Kirkyard or St Cyrus Old Church.

Fabulous nature reserve. There’s a waterfall at the northern end accessible at low tide.

Pretty old ruined church in a remote location between the sand dunes and the cliffs. We saw deer nearby.

Inverbervie which means mouth of the River Bervie is a small coastal town on the North Sea coast. It dates to at least the 12th century although it's likely that there was a settlement here for much longer. The harbour was once important but over the years a shingle reef built up offshore and eventually the harbour was abandoned. The town became industrialised in the late 1700's with Flax spinning dominating. By the early 1900's this ended. Today it's a small town with a selection of shops, cafes and pubs. The coast is pretty and it's worth a stop on a bike ride, it's a good distance from Stonehaven in the north or Montrose in the south so works well as a turnaround point.

They have lovely vegan chocolate cake and oat milk coffee. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.