Walks from Inverbervie

Coast and country walks linking Kincardineshire's historic coastal villages. Welcome to Inverbervie. This summary is based on a leaflet 'Inverbervie for Walking' available from Bervie Information and Activity Centre. Click Here for Map and Walks

	A LAND FOR RAMBLING At Bervie Bay the Mearns coastline changes from steep cliffs to a low rocky shoreline. Farmlands sweep down to shingle beaches, the views stretch for miles, and, if you choose, you can walk all day between fields and by the sea. Starting from the Beach Car Park at Inverbervie, these rambles range from 3ml (5km) to 10ml (16km) in length, offering the chance to explore this countryside, to enjoy the ever-changing seascapes, and to discover an area with a unique cultural heritage linked with land and sea. And for your practical needs, the coastal villages offer a choice of refreshments, as well as a regular interlinking bus service.
	The Route Pattern Much of the walking is on two historic north-south routes. Along the shoreline runs the Low Road, the ancient link between Inverbervie, Gourdon, and Johnshaven. Inland of the A92 runs the Old Coach Road which was the main road from Montrose to Aberdeen in the early days of horse-drawn coaches, until replaced by the turnpike, or toll, road (now the A92) in the early 19th-century.
	Public Transport Whether or not you have a car, you will find that the regular local bus service offers extra flexibility in planning your walk. The bus serves Inverbervie (High St), Gourdon (Harbour), Mill of Benholm (A92), and Johnshaven (Square). Buses run every hour (every 2 hours on Sundays) so you can start or finish your walk at any of the above points if time, weather, or energy so require.
	Routefinding With this information and the waymarkers en route you will be able to follow the walks easily, but further interest and enjoyment will be gained by using the Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 45 (1:50,000 scale) or Pathfinder Maps NO 76/86 and NO 87/88 (1:25,000).
	CARE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE Around you as you explore this beautiful landscape, people are working to make their living from the land and the sea. For your safety, and as a courtesy to local residents, please follow these guidelines: Informal parking in the countryside can cause problems. Please park only in the villages of Inverbervie (Beach Car Park), Gourdon, and Johnshaven; or at Mill of Benholm. When walking on or near public roads, take special care. If there is no footway, walk on the right (except on blind bends), facing oncoming traffic. Where the routes cross the main A92, there are ramped kerbs at the most suitable crossing points. Here you must wait until it is safe to cross; then do so with great care. (Traffic will not stop for you!). Today’s farm vehicles are very wide and cannot easily stop or change course to pass walkers. Please assist by taking the first safe opportunity to step clear of the track (e.g. into a gateway). Take due care to avoid any crop-spraying which may be in progress near the path. It may be advisable to wait until the spray vehicle has temporarily moved on. Take care on rocks and harbour quaysides. Wear suitable walking footwear and outdoor clothing. Show that you care! Keep dogs under close control. Leave no litter. Guard against risk of fire.
	PLACES AND PEOPLE Beneath this land are deep beds of red sandstone, deposited 400 million years ago by erosion of the Caledonian mountains, which rose to Alpine altitudes a few miles north of here (where the Highlands are today). The villages and farm buildings of the area are built of this sandstone. Along the coast are outcrops of conglomerate and of volcanic rocks of similar age. Earth movements created the valley of Strathmore to the northwest and the hills of Garvock which form the backdrop to the walks. Finally, just before humans settled here, glacial meltwater carved deep river valleys. e.g. the Bervie Water, and narrow gorges, as at Mill of Benholm.
	As the climate became warmer, trees began to grow. Wildlife thrived on the shorelines and in the forests. attracting groups of people who lived by hunting and by gathering plants and shellfish. They were followed by the first farmers — the people who built the Long Cairn, older than the Pyramids, high on Gourdon Hill. Later came other cairn builders, whose round cairns dot the high places throughout the area.
	In mediaeval times, Inverbervie was the seaport for the Scottish kings en route to their Castle of Kincardine, l0ml (16km) inland. In 1341 David II and his Queen Johanna came ashore here at a rock now called the King’s Step. In 1652, the Scottish Crown Jewels were smuggled from a besieged Dunnottar Castle under the very gaze of Cromwell’s troops, and successfully hidden in the Kirk of Kinneff, just north of Inverbervie. Well into the 18th-century, Garvock remained a hunting forest, the domain of the Keith family, Lairds of Benholm and nearby Dunnottar. The Keiths of Dunnottar lost their influence through their support for the unsuccessful Jacobite cause; but local tradition still recognises connections with those tumultuous times.
	With the era of agricultural improvement more land was cleared and the old woodlands survived only in remote areas and on the steep sides of the valleys. In Victorian times new shelterbelts were planted, and a new era of tree-planting is underway on local estates and farms. The coastal villages prospered as fishing havens and seaports. In the 18th century, Inverbervie haddock was exported as far afield as London. In the late 19th-century, herring fishing brought a new wave of prosperity, which perhaps more than any other era has shaped Gourdon and Johnshaven as we see them today.
	This is a landscape of farming and fishing. In the in spring and early summer the bright yellow bloom of oilseed rape is a memorable sight. Among the other products of this well-farmed land are pigs, beef cattle, wheat and barley. Fishing activity ranges from salmon netting to cod netting, trawling, and creel-fishing for crabs, lobsters and whelks.
	The coastal strip is rich in interest for the birdwatcher at any time of year. At sea look for eider and kittiwake. On the shoreline, turnstones and ringed plover may be found. On the land, oystercatchers and peesies (lapwings) frequent the fields; while buzzard and kestrel are seen hunting overhead.
	The coast is rich in wildflowers, such as birdsfoot, trefoil and kidney vetch. Red campion and cow parsley dot the hedgerows. Whin (gorse) and broom splash the hillsides with brilliant yellow.

	HOW TO GET THERE Car: A92 between Montrose and Stonehaven. Rail: nearest stations Montrose and Stonehaven. Tel 0345 484950 Coach: National Express/Scottish Citylink. Tel 0345 808080 Bus: Bluebird Buses Tel 01224 212266 Tourist Information Tel 01569 762806 (seasonal): 01224 632727 (all year). The Trail guides you by routes ancient and modern through the Inverbervie of today. The main trail starts at the Beach Car Park. and is 1.4mls/ 2.3kms in length, taking 1-2 hours to complete, including time for refreshments or shopping along the way. The surface underfoot is variable, and walking shoes or trainers are recommended. A shorter route, of 1.2mls/ 2.0kms, is also described.

Route 1 Gourdon Circular	Route 2 Benholm Circular	Route 3 Johnshaven Circular
A leisurely 3ml (5km) coastal walk to the fishing port of Gourdon and back. Start by facing the sea and turning right! Beyond the car park, follow the walkway along the old line of the Montrose and Bervie Railway. On the clifftop above is Hallgreen Castle, whose foundations are over 600 years old. Beyond the ruin of the old castle coach-house, the cliff line is broken by a shallow valley. This is Mudlin’s Den, the site of an early fishing village. Tradition tells of a vessel of the Spanish Armada wrecked nearby. It is known that one Armada vessel, the “Magdalena”, was lost at an unknown location. Are the names connected? Ahead, the overhanging rock is about halfway between Inverbervie and Gourdon. Here you can look back to Bervie Bay and Craig David. Beyond the rock, Gourdon is seen ahead. After 330yds (300m), there is a gateway in the fence on your right. Turn seaward here to join the Low Road, the track by the shore leading to Gourdon. At the vehicle barrier, the grass on your left hides blocks of Norwegian granite, salvaged from a vessel wrecked nearby a century ago. This may be the only Scottish walk that takes you to Norway! The first house on the right is a former Coastguard lookout, another reminder of the dangers of this rocky coastline. On the street ahead (beware of traffic) you pass the buildings of mainland Britain’s last flax spinning mill, which sadly closed in 1997. At the Harbour, do visit the “Maggie Law” exhibition (in the building in the middle of the street), which displays Gourdon’ s unique maritime history. Shellfish now dominates the local catch, but until recently Gourdon was the home of a line-fishing fleet specialising in haddock. Quality seafish is still processed here, and a harbour shop specialises in fresh and smoked fish. Other visitor facilities include two hotels and a general store. (A “Gourdon Heritage Walks” leaflet is available). To return to Inverbervie go up Bridge St, opposite the Farquhar Monument. At the far end, turn left, up the steps leading to Brae Rd. (Beware of traffic at the top as there is no footway). Turn right on Brae Rd, keeping to the right to face oncoming traffic. The white pillar is the upper Leading Light, a beacon for mariners entering the harbour. A little further on is the village shop, a beacon for walkers! Follow Brae Rd past the public toilets and the Cemetery to the A92. At the junction, turn right, along the footway leading to Inverbervie . The new Industrial Estate nearby was created to replace jobs lost in the textile and fishing industries. The farmhouse of Sillyflatt was once an inn on the coach road which you can see climbing steeply over Gourdon Hill to the southwest. (See Walk 2). In Inverbervie, Kirkburn leads from the Church down to the Beach Car Park, but first you may want to explore! Features include the Hercules Linton Memorial, a Heritage Trail and exhibition, shops, cafes, hotels, and an award-winning fish and chip restaurant. .	An easy day ramble (7ml/11km) via Gourdon and the restored watermill at Mill of Benholm, with time for a leisurely lunch en route. (Please note that dogs are not permitted in the picnic area and grounds at the Mill). First, follow Walk 1 to Gourdon. Beyond the harbour, follow the stony track beside the sea wall above the Ware Hole, named after the "ware” or seaweed which accumulates here. This is also a good spot to see eider duck. From the promontory at Whitehouse the low, rocky shore stretches southward for miles, backed by fields. The Low Road guides you, beside a strip of grassland rich with wildflowers in season. [0.5ml (800m) beyond Whitehouse, a waymarker indicates a shorter route back to Inverbervie, via the Lang Rig]. At the cottages at Haughs of Benholm, if you wish to avoid livestock, turn right, along the tarred road which joins the A92 near Mill of Benholm. The main route continues along the coast, crossing the bridge over the Burn of Benholm. 330yds (300m) further on, at a gate in the wall, turn right and head inland along a fenced track known as the Birnie Road. Pigs and cattle graze in the fields here, and walkers with dogs must take special care. At one point there may be a bull, with other cattle, on the path itself. Wait for them to move away before continuing to the woodland beyond. Follow the road uphill and turn right at the waymarker into the woodland. For your safety, keep to the path, as it winds through the elm trees above the deep den of the Burn of Benholm. At the A92 turn right, along the footway across the bridge. Cross the A92 with care at the ramped kerb and then corss the Benholm Road to the Mill. (exhibition April-October [admission charge]; tearoom at peak times; Ranger Service; free admission to picnic area, toilets and walks; tel 01561 361969). From the Mill continue inland to the point where the Benholm road turns sharp left across a narrow bridge. (Benholm kirkyard, of interest to family historians, lies just beyond). The main route climbs the stony track to the right. This is the Old Coach Road, the main route north for mail coaches 200 years ago. As it climbs to the shoulder of Gourdon Hill, a marvellous view extends southward to the cliffs of the Red Head, 16ml (26km) away. From the crest of the hill, look seaward across the field to an irregular grassy ridge on the highest point of Gourdon Hill, about 85yds (80m) from the track. This is a “long cairn” built of stones some 5000 years ago. Often located in commanding positions, long cairns are thought to be burial sites of local chieftains. This site is protected by Historic Scotland as an Ancient Monument. The rough road, here known as the Lang Rig, now descends, and Inverbervie can be seen ahead with Bervie Brow beyond. Cross the A92 with care at the ramped kerb near Sillyflatt. From here the footway leads back to Inverbervie as described in Walk 1.	At l0ml (16km) this is a classic coast and countryside day for the keen rambler. Follow Walk 1 to Gourdon, then Walk 2 past Haughs of Benholm. At the gate where Walk 2 turns inland, continue along the Low Road, following the coast. No doubt the remarkable drystane dyke beside the track helps protect the fields beyond from salt-laden winds. Numerous shipwrecks took place along this rockbound coastline in the days of sail, for this is a “lee shore” in a southeasterly gale. Arriving in Johnshaven, you may well be tempted by Wairds Park, (shop and toilets in season, picnic area, play area). A few minutes’ walk further along the street is the harbour (hotels, shop, toilets nearby). Traditional boatbuilding continues here; crabs and lobsters are caught locally, and lobsters are reared indoors in seawater ponds. To leave Johnshaven, climb the steep path with the handrail, starting near the shop in the Square. At the top, by one of the harbour’s leading lights, bear left along Seaview Terrace. At low tide you can see the very narrow harbour entrance bounded by dangerous rocks. At the far end of the Terrace, take the road uphill to the right. Tradition records that after their defeat at Culloden in 1746, a group of Jacobite soldiers camped near here. Just below the A92, there is a fine coastal view to St Cyrus Church spire and Scurdiness Lighthouse. At theA92 turn left, along the footway to the far end of the bus stop layby. Cross the A92 with great care, and go up the minor road opposite. At a T-junction, turn right and follow the Old Coach Road for 1.7ml (2.8km), crossing a minor public road on the way, and ignoring any side roads. At Kirktown of Benholm, bear right to follow the tarred road (beware of traffic). The Parish Church and its historic Kirkyard lie a little further on, on the right. Cross the Burn of Benholm by the stone bridge, then go straight on for Inverbervie (see Walk 2) or, if time allows, turn right for the short walk to Mill of Benholm (details in Walk 2).