Cruden Bay

The spot

Cruden Bay is a southeast-facing beach break on the Aberdeenshire coast, around 26 miles north of Aberdeen. It's a fairly scenic spot - golden sand, dunes backed by a links golf course, and the ruins of Slains Castle on the clifftop to the north. The break is a peaky sandbar, best at low to mid tide. At high tide it tends to shoredump. Winter and early spring are your best bet, although, it's quite fickle and can be unreliable even in good conditions. There's a free car park near the harbour and public toilets on site, with another alternative car park in the village itself. Access to the beach is a short walk from the car park over the Ladies Bridge.