Went To Pennan And It Was Shut!!

The day starts in near perfect sunny winter conditions as we capture our photo-shoot of two red hearts masks on the rocky peninsular at Hopeman. This glorious and unpredicted weather stays with us as we drive east along the Moray Coast to Findlater Castle and Gardenstown, and then onwards to the tranquil and isolated village of Crovie, an old fishing village at the bottom of a cliff with no recognisable street where visitors are asked to park there cars half way up the hill before walking down in to the near deserted village.

After an invigorating walk along the promenade at Crovie we drive 3 miles along the Moray coastline in search of Hells Lum cave which despite its remote location we manage to locate but fail to enter due to the fading light conditions and growing intent of the north wind blowing off the Moray Firth. With an idyllic winter sunset fading we arrived in Pennan. Sadly the quaint, whitewashed town is now populated by only two people and a cat and the famous hotel is now closed for business while it awaits new owners to try and reinvigorate interest in the famous location of Bill Forsyth’s pastiche of greed, village life and the multi-conglomerate; ‘Local Hero’.

As darkness fully envelops us we quickly travel south to the Glen Hotel in Newtonmore (15 miles south of Aviemore) arriving just before cut off time for the evening meal at 9pm.