Eastern Scotland: lighthouses and small coastal towns

Pennan, Scotland

From Banff we spent an afternoon driving along Scotland’s northeastern coast, enjoying the views and popping in and out of a string of tiny fishing villages. 

Pennan, Scotland

An impossibly steep, narrow road took us down to the village of Pennan, famous for serving as the set of Local Hero, one of the few movies about Scotland that does not feature deeply disturbed drug addicts.

Pennan, Scotland

The entire town consists of a small harbor and one short row of houses along the coast, framed by rocky cliffs at either end.

Pennan, Scotland

From Pennan it was onward through Sandhaven to Fraserburgh. The weather was turning iffy which seemed the perfect excuse to stop and check out the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses (plus entry was free with our new Historic Scotland memberships).

Fraserburgh from above, eastern Scotland

The museum included a guided tour of the old Kinnaird Head lighthouse, which had fun old-timey steampunk-esque mechanical parts.

Kinnaird Head lighthouse

The lighthouse museum itself is good for an hour or so of entertainment. We now know more than we ever thought we would about the lives of early Scottish lighthouse keepers.

Kinnaird Head lighthouse

Up next: we turn inland for the last day of our road trip through eastern Scotland

Kinnaird Head lighthouse