Blue Skies Cottage, Auchmithie (Angus) review and itinerary for your stay

Auchmithie, Angus, on Scotland’s east coast.

This blog is part of a paid campaign with Visit Angus and Blue Skies, Auchmithie, but all opinions and musings are my own.

If you’re anything like me, the first part of the holiday-planning process is deciding on an ‘area’ to stay, and the second is always finding a great place to stay. This is a key element to any holiday-planning process and often determines whether you’ll have a good time or a mediocre time!

I couldn’t say no when we were invited to stay at Blue Skies Cottage in historic Auchmithie on the breathtaking Angus coast!

Angus is an area of Scotland that I’ve passed through time and time again, particularly travelling back and forth to Shetland from university in Dundee or from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Yet, it’s a place where I’ve not, to my shame, spent much time exploring. My sister stays in nearby Arbroath, but again, time spent there has usually involved a lot of wine and the odd trip to Jumping Joey’s with the kids and a sore head from the night before, so I was keen to explore the area properly.

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Auchmithie, where we were staying, is a former fishing village that predates Arbroath by several centuries, and although many of the small cottages were built as farming cottages supporting the rich farmland stretching far inland from the coast, creating a landscape of gently rolling hills, the village is best known for its fishing heritage.

Historically, Auchmithie was the centre of fishing in the area, with the shingle beach creating the ideal haven for the deep-keeled boats engaged in whitefish fishing. As the industry grew, work on building a harbour began, and, in 1890, once completed, boats no longer had to be physically dragged up and down the beach before and after each trip.

Today, Auchmithie is a quiet, picture-postcard-perfect community with elevated views above the towering 120-ft cliffs four miles northeast of Arbroath. It is the ideal spot to base an Angus adventure.

Getting to Auchmithie

Getting to Auchmithie is easy; if you are coming from Glasgow or Edinburgh, head towards Dundee and then follow the A92 from Dundee towards Arbroath. Continue along the A92, following Montrose Road until the roundabout onto Seaton Road, and follow the road signs towards Seaton and Auchmithie for a few miles until you reach your destination. Blue Skies is the first cottage on the left as you enter the village.

Arbroath (4 miles) provides the closest amenities to Auchmithie, and a regular bus runs between the two.

Episcopalian Church of St Peter’s on the edge of the village

Blue Skies Cottage

Arriving at Blue Skies, we were met with the heady scent of freshly-ploughed fields rolling towards the sea and the sight of hopeful snowdrops and crocuses standing proud from the cold earth. With a promise of spring in the air, we checked in.

Blue Skies is a welcoming semi-detached cottage beside the beautiful red-sandstone Episcopalian Church of St Peter’s on the edge of the village. With views across open farmland, an enclosed garden, and a decked area outside, it provides a welcome haven from life’s hustle and bustle.

Sleeping five guests across two spacious and bright bedrooms and with a generous lounge and kitchen, the cottage’s dainty, traditional exterior masks the roomy, modern accommodation within.

The pet-friendly cottage is well-equipped with a shower room, log-burning stove, cooking facilities, Freeview, wifi and a selection of interesting books and games. Travel cot, high chair and all towels and linens are also provided.

After a long day exploring the scenic countryside of Angus, cosying up in front of the log burner was a welcome end to the day, and in the morning, watching a beautiful red-breasted robin hopping merrily around the spring blooms, enjoying the early morning sun, was nothing short of idyllic.

Blue Skies Cottage is an ideal location for exploring the rest of Angus. Easily accessible from Dundee, it’s not far from all the treasures Angus offers. A personal highlight of our stay was waking up with the rising sun creeping in the window and heading down to the beach to watch the sunrise. With only myself and some brave campers for company, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the crisp February morning, listening to the sea gurgling and babbling over the pebble beach at the one-time harbour as fulmars rose above me, riding the updraughts and gliding and banking around the towering cliffs around me – it was magic. There’s something heady and restorative about early morning. As the rest of the village slept, curtains firmly closed against the chill day, I marvelled that only myself and the campers packing up after a presumably cold night under canvas were witnessing the breaking of the day. It felt good to be alive.

Exploring Auchmithie

Although small, Auchmithie is worth exploring, and the sense of community is readily felt as you walk through the village, snapping photos of the neat row of houses and gable ends defiantly facing sheer cliff drops. It’s a very ‘grammable place to visit, and I could have spent hours wandering around, soaking it all in.

Here are a few ideas for things to do in the village:

The But ‘n’ Ben, Auchmithie, a real foodie treat!

Eat – eat at the delightful But ‘n’ Ben Restaurant. In this family-run licensed restaurant, owners Angus and Margo are renowned for their signature Arbroath Smokie Pancakes, seafood dishes and traditional Scottish country cooking and baking. They offer a wide selection, including Arbroath Smokies, fresh mussels and oysters from Shetland and the west coast, along with crab and lobster caught in local waters. For those without an appetite for fish, The But ‘n’ Ben also serves Aberdeen Angus beef, venison and game sourced from the estates around Royal Deeside.

As we warmed our cold toes beside the welcoming open fire, owner Margo told us that they took over the business from her mother-in-law and that they have been building on her successes ever since. They pride themselves on offering locally-sourced dishes in a unique setting, with their Smokie Pancakes – which I sampled – remaining a firm favourite amongst their guests.

The But ‘n’ Ben’s signature Arbroath Smokie Pancakes

Arbroath Smokies are a traditional dish to the area, and no trip to Arbroath and its surrounds is complete without sampling this fishy favourite. Margo said the world-famous Smokie originally hails from Auchmithie, where they were accidentally discovered. Several theories exist about how they came about, the most popular being that following a house fire, the fish drying in the rafters was found to have been deliciously hot-smoked during the blaze. Made using haddock, hot-smoked in a process unchanged for generations, Smokies enjoy EU-protected status, meaning that only haddock smoked using these traditional methods within a five-mile radius of Arbroath can use the iconic name.

To book, call: +44(0)1241 877223 (please note that they do not take bookings via social media)

Auchmithie, with its historic harbour which - key to the economy of the village in the past

Explore the beach and former harbour – perched on top of impressive cliffs with panoramic views across the North Sea beyond, you can see incredible examples of sandstone conglomerate cliffs formed over 370 million years ago by a vast river that once flowed over parts of the land. As a result, the pebbles on Auchmithie beach offer an incredible geological diversity which look like lots of different coloured stones that glisten in the sun and shine in a bright tapestry of colour with the outgoing tide, all sea-worn and smoothed by water action.

Aucmithie was once a thriving fishing harbour and a constant hub of activity, with boats coming and going, women carrying creels (baskets) of fish up and down from the shore and men making ready to go to sea. Women played a crucial role in this industry, baiting lines, preparing Smokies, and even carrying the men to their boats to ensure they didn’t set out to sea with wet feet. With a population of 400, the port hosted 12 whitefish boats, six herring boats and 20 inshore crab and lobster vessels. Today, this once bustling harbour stands in partial ruin, with only the remnant remains existing as a testament to this east coast fishing haven that once supported the thriving community of Auchmithie.

If you love beaches, Angus has several fantastic beaches close to Auchmithie. Why not try Lunan Bay, 10 miles from Blue Skies, or the sands of Montrose Bay, 13 miles to the northeast?

Montrose Beach and Scurdie Ness Lighthouse

Stroll along the street – Auchmithie’s main street is strung out along the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the former harbour and pebble beach some 120ft below.

As you come into Auchmithie, one of the first buildings is the beautiful St Peter’s Church, a stunning red sandstone Episcopalian kirk that holds regular services for worship each Sunday.

Nearby, the Annie Gilruth Memorial Hall hosts frequent community events throughout the year and is named after Annie Gilruth, a 19th-century farmer’s wife and mother to six who tirelessly worked to improve the lives of those living in Auchmithie. Her achievements include raising funds for the hall (1888), improvements to the harbour and raising the standards of living and education for the community.

In the centre of the village, the aptly-named Fountain Square, surrounded by red sandstone cottages, features an imposing water tank, and the main house hosts a doocot – for housing pigeons.

Many of the houses that sit along the crowded street are built into the cliffs, precariously perching as though the sea might, at any moment, consume them. It’s a real liminal space, and there’s a real sense that the sea has been the dominant partner in the village, which is, today, primarily served by nearby Arbroath.

At the end of the street, the road peters out and gives way to a gravel track and private residences, and a waymarker announces the route for the coastal walk back towards Arbroath.

Coastal walk Auchmithie to Arbroath

I live where we take our coastline for granted and seldom find a coast that rivals the drama and beauty of Shetland’s fractured coastal boundary. Yet, Auchmithie’s towering cliffs were breathtaking, unexpected and called to be explored.

The walk, either from Arbroath to Auchmithie, or vice versa, takes the hiker along 8km of stunning coastline, punctuated with red sandstone formations, caves, arches, stacks, pebble beaches and deep inlets giving richness to the seascape.

To get to know the area better, we joined Cameron from Arbroath Cliff Tours for a guided coastal walk from Arbroath towards Auchmithie. It was a fascinating walk, and Cameron, who also runs kayak and cave exploration tours, was incredibly knowledgeable and showed us places we would have never found ourselves.

He took us along the wheelchair-accessible path and showed us the magnificent natural wonders of the area, including; the Needle’s Eye, a spectacular archway in the cliffs looking out to sea, the Mermaid’s Kirk, a secluded swim spot with glistening turquoise waters, Dickmont’s Den, a large geo, or inlet, where nesting seabirds occupy, the Three Storey House, a series of sandstone ledges, and a hidden house in the cliffs, The Deil’s Heid [Devil’s Head], an impressive, gravity-defying sandstone sea stack, and finally, the Mason’s Cave, a secret cave passageway stretching far inland from the sea where Masonic Lodges used to meet, their Lodge numbers carved into the stone at the back of the cave.

We loved our tour with Cameron, who was passionate, personable and a great ambassador for the area. You can book a tour with him at www.arbroathclifftours.com.

Where to eat in Arbroath:

If you’ve walked from Auchmithie, you’re sure to have worked up a healthy appetite. Arbroath is great if you’re looking to rest those weary legs and enjoy a night free from cooking, and as it’s only a few miles away from Blue Skies, a bus or taxi is cheap enough to allow everyone a dram with their food – also, if you’ve walked, your car will be in Auchmithie!

The Old Boatyard

It’s no secret that I adore seafood, and on the few occasions we’ve been in Arbroath, I’ve always made a point of visiting The Old Boatyard. Situated right on the harbour, The Old Boatyard is a fantastic place to indulge in your favourite seafood. Scotland’s waters are teeming with seafood, and visiting a fishing port without sampling the local catch would be criminal.

Andreous Bistro

Andreous’ is a Greek-Mediterranean-style Bistro serving fantastic food with a Cypriot flavour. With a relaxed atmosphere, the experience is often served with a side of live music.

Beyond Auchmithie

We enjoyed exploring the wider area, and for anyone passing through Angus on their way to Shetland, there are a few stops that you must make along the way.

Montrose Basin Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve

In autumn and winter, the Montrose Basin is home to over 100,000 migratory birds, including pink-footed geese, wigeon and a variety of other waterfowl and waders, while during the spring and summer months, the estuary supports various breeding colonies, including sand martins, common terns and eider, making the Basin a fantastic place to visit all year round. Hides are dotted around the Basin, and the Visitor Centre have scopes installed to allow indoor viewing across the Basin, giving visitors the perfect vantage points for viewing wildlife, including many birds and a colony of seals who bathe on the sandbanks.

Newton Farm

Newton Farm is a 550-acre farm set in the beautiful rolling hills of Angus. They grow cereals, grass, potatoes and peas on the farm and a whole host of livestock, including sheep, cattle, goats, alpaca donkeys, and a docile old micro-pig called Lucy.

Graeme and Louise Nicoll, and their family, have been working the farm since 2001, but farming runs through their veins, going back generations.

Their business has many facets, which predominantly relies on cattle and sheep farming, but has branched out into holiday accommodation, farm tours, and even alpaca experiences. Most of their cereal crops are barley, grown for the whisky industry, and as an essential winter feed for their cattle herd, kept indoors over the winter months.

In many ways, winter and early spring is the best time to visit the farm as the cattle are kept inside and are easy to access and hand feed. The children in our party – and a few of the adults – loved the experience of getting up close and personal to the cows, goats, alpaca, and even the great bull to hand-feed them from buckets.

You can book a farm tour here.

Find out more about our angus adventure here

Blue Skies Auchmithie provided the ideal location for our adventure into Angus. Angus is so often overlooked, and Auchmithie gives the best of both worlds; the peace and tranquillity of a rural retreat a stone’s throw from the vibrant bustle of Arbroath and beyond to Dundee, where the City of Discovery offers so much for visitors, including, the V&A Dundee, McManus Art Gallery & Museum, Verdant Works, Discovery Point, and so much more.

If you want an adventure in Angus, book your stay at Blue Skies Auchmithie today!

book your stay here

We thank Blue Skies Cottage for having us; we can’t wait to return!