The Laurels, Gardenstown

Gardenstown, a fishing settlement founded in 1720 by Alexander Garden, is frequently lumped in with neighbouring Gamrie and Crovie as a single community. Gardenstown is located on the edge of a tiny sandy harbour with beautiful landscape on both sides. In addition to a pub that serves meals all year, the village boasts a restaurant, galleries, and various tea houses that are open during the summer. A steep path leads to the bay, where numerous small boats are moored, through the historic, tiny, and twisting lanes. Banff, a nearby town with a calm sandy coastline and a diverse range of fascinating architecture in contrasting styles, is exemplified by Duff House, a magnificent Georgian palace open to visitors and home to paintings and antiques from Scotland’s National Galleries. Banff and the surrounding area also feature a decent number of shops, restaurants, and hotels that provide a superb assortment of local seafood, and neighbouring Pennan, a lovely old smugglers settlement, was the setting for the film “Local Hero.” With easy access to coastal walks and the Whisky and Castle Trails, as well as multiple golf courses, fishing, sailing, dolphin watching, surfing, climbing, wonderful walking, and, of course, breathtaking sunsets and fabulous scenery, the entire area is an outstanding tourist destination. The Grampian and Cairngorm mountains are easily accessible for day trips, while the North East of Scotland is shielded from prevailing winds and has the driest climate in Scotland, with almost no midges.