Sandend
The Six Harbour Walk 2009 
Banffshire Coast Leaflet (500K)Sandend dates back to the 1600’s, making it another early fishing community on the Banffshire Coast. Original fishermen’s cottages are clustered around the small harbour which dates from the 19th century. One of the first written records of the village is when the inhabitants were rebuked by the Kirk Session for baiting their lines on a Sunday – a sin indeed!
Houses were clustered around the harbour areas when they were built, as the fishermen originally paid rent for their houses and ‘shore accommodation’ – the right to draw boats onto the shore.
Unsurprisingly, the village gets it name from its position at the edge of a wide sandy beach. Sandend is a magnet for surfers these days, with its unspoilt bay and unpredictable Moray Firth swell. It was recently described on a surfing website as;
“As good as any Cornish beach break without the crowds!”
Close to Sandend, by the Glenglassaugh Distillery, are the quirky remains of a coastal windmill now known as the Cup and Saucer – the shape of the surviving base and tower.
While much of the Banffshire Coast had to defend itself from ancient Viking raids, it was also an area considered to be at significant risk from invasion during World War II. On Sandend beach, you can still see the anti-tank positions and pill box defences built to protect against possible German attacks from Norway.
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