Amble to Whitehills

Tuesday 14/5/19

We planned another overnight trip and were blessed with little wind, flat seas and clear skies. Bruce piped us into Scotland as we crossed the border.  He looks better without the hat and wig. The noise-cancelling headphones the family bought me for my birthday really came into their own during “pipe practice”. 

Wednesday 15/5/19

Whitehills is a small village nestled on the coast of the Moray Firth. I called ahead to secure a birth and was greeted by a very enthusiastic and helpful harbourmaster - Bertie Milne (07906 135786).  The harbour entrance is narrow and guarded by rocks on the right and a tall sea wall on the left. You then have to negotiate a ninety degree turn through a narrow gap into the marina.  Not a lot happens in Whitehills and the anticipation of a boat arrival brings out many spectator who line the sea walls awaiting the impending incident! One of those is the harbourmaster who takes picture and video of your vessel. At the time I was not sure whether it was for insurance purposes or that he just loves his job. He was also there to help us tie up. This is not the normal level of service that I’ve come to expect - and this was just the start.

Bertie hands you a pack of useful info, including a chip with the pictures of your arrival.  He spends time telling you about what’s on offer in the town and the surrounding area. He also gives out his mobile and says to call anytime up to 10pm if you need anything. He put me onto someone in Wick who knew about negotiating the Pentland Firth and went well beyond anything I have experienced with other harbourmasters. During our stay he towed in a boat with mechanical problems and found an engineer for the exhausted skipper. Nothing was too much for him.

It turns out that the harbour was no longer viable with the demise of the fishing fleet so a trust  was set up by the locals and the marina built to finance the venture. Everyone we met involved with the project could not have been more friendly of helpful.

McDuff Harbour 

We stayed the next day since the wind had picked up and, having completed a few chores, I walked along the cost path to Banff and McDuff. Here a theme was beginning to emerge. I asked where I could find somewhere for a coffee and the intake of breath through her clenched teeth was an early indication that this was not likely.  I followed her directions and arrived just in time for the closed signed to be raised! I clearly haven’t yet got used to the hours of opening in this part of the UK.

McDuff has a fair bit of heavy industry and an active fishing harbour. Part of the harbour acts as a graveyard for old fishing vessels. Sad to see.

Whitehills is a lovely little place with a great pub and friendly locals. It was well worth a visit and we were sad to leave; however, the following day the weather had picked up and we set off at 0820 for the Orkney’s.