Cruden Bay

Scotland · United Kingdom

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Cruden Bay is a long sandy beach on the Aberdeenshire coast, about 40 km north of Aberdeen, below the village of the same name. The best-known peak is a sandbar next to the harbour wall at Port Erroll, where a small river meets the sea; more peaks break further down the beach. The village is where Bram Stoker wrote the first chapters of Dracula.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a longboard on small, clean days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m north-east to east swell around low tide with a north-westerly wind.

When it doesn't

✕ South-easterly winds blow straight in, and it is flat without a North Sea swell. The headland by the harbour gives the north end some shelter from north-east and east winds.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Local tips

Start at the peak by the harbour wall, then walk south along the beach if it is busy or closing out. Rips can be strong when the swell is up.

Getting there

Follow the signs to Cruden Bay, then to the beach car park. The harbour-wall peak is a short walk away.

History

The Norwegian pilot Tryggve Gran took off from this beach on the first solo flight across the North Sea.

Travel notes

How often it works
Works mainly in winter and spring on North Sea swells; the harbour wall and river help keep the sandbar in shape.
Crowd and vibe
Rarely crowded, even when there are waves.
Camping and vans
No campsite in the village that we could confirm; there are holiday parks around Peterhead and Aberdeen.
Facilities
Beach car park. The village has hotels and a golf course.
Water quality
Cruden Bay is rated excellent by SEPA.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NNE–ESE best, N–SSE works
Size
1.2–2.2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 3 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 10 s
Wind
Offshore W–NNW; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low best
Faces
SE (125°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Scotland · All spots

Sources