Cullen
The Six Harbour Walk 2009 
Banffshire Coast Leaflet (500K)Cullen’s most striking feature was the result of the local landowner’s ‘NIMBY’ attitude to ‘modern’ development. The Countess of Seafield refused to have the new fangled railway cross her land and three viaducts had to be built to accommodate the change in route. The railway may be long gone, but the Cullen Viaduct provides a stunning frame for the town.
The viaduct also delineates the ‘old’ and ‘new’ towns – with ‘seatown’ by the harbour and ‘upper town’ the later development. Seatown may be credited as a ‘planned’ town, but it is in fact a delightful, irregular clutter of fishers’ houses built gable end to the sea and with colourful painted pointing between the bricks. ‘Upper town’ by contrast has wider streets and a more regular street plan.
Mother Nature is seldom upstaged by man made structures, and whilst the viaduct may be a wonder of the industrial age, the natural arch of the Bow Fiddle Rock at nearby Portknockie demonstrates the beauty in natural structures. The ‘Three Kings’ rock stack in the bay at Cullen is also much photographed and the sweep of pristine, award winning beach is a noted panorama.
Cullen was once home to a specialist trade in smoked haddock and supported three smoking houses. The legacy of these remains in Cullen Skink – the rich smoked fish, onion, milk and potato soup which has made Cullen a name well known to all foodies. Cullen Skink’s continuing success was further ensured in 2006 when the term was added to the Oxford Dictionary.
The organs of the wife of Robert The Bruce were buried in Cullen Old Kirk when she died travelling in the area. An annual stipend was paid to the minister of the kirk by Robert The Bruce to pray for her soul and this payment remains today.
Cullen golf club claims to have one of the most remarkable sites for a course in Europe. The outward nine are situated along the cliffs, with the back nine playing at beach level. It was described in ‘Golf Monthly’ as “a course like no other… the epitome of quirky”.
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