Collieston facts for kids
Collieston is a small village located on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It used to be a busy fishing village. The village is just north of the Sands of Forvie, which is a special area for nature. It sits between the towns of Cruden Bay and Newburgh.
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A Look Back at Collieston
The first stories about Collieston tell of St Ternan. He was a monk who came to teach the local Picts about Christianity. But people lived here even before that time.
Collieston's Fishing Days
Collieston became a fishing village by the 1500s. It was the first safe harbour for many miles along the coast. Fishing was very important in the 1600s and 1700s. People caught fish like herring, haddock, and cod. This was the main way people in Collieston made a living.
The village became famous for 'Collieston Speldings'. These were haddock and whiting fish that were salted and dried in the sun. They were a popular food all over Britain.
Later, in the mid-1800s, fishing started to slow down. Bigger boats were needed for fishing, but Collieston's harbour was too small. So, the fishing industry moved to bigger places like Peterhead.
Smugglers and Hidden Caves
The many sea caves and small coves along the cliffs were perfect for smugglers. In the late 1700s, a lot of illegal spirits were brought into the area.
A famous smuggler from the village was Phillip Kennedy. His grave and tombstone can still be seen in the village graveyard.
Castles and Battles
In 1594, a ship from the Spanish Armada called the Santa Caterina is said to have sunk near Collieston. It was carrying weapons for the Earl of Erroll.
King James VI was angry with the Earl. So, he blew up the Earl's castle. This castle was on the cliffs about a mile north of Collieston. The Earl later built a new castle, Slains Castle, further up the coast in 1597.
Today, Collieston is mostly a village where people live and travel to work in Aberdeen. Many tourists also visit during the summer.
Interesting Facts
In September 1930, a famous person named T. E. Lawrence stayed in Collieston. He is also known as Lawrence of Arabia. He rented a small cottage in the village while he was on leave from the RAF. He called it "the nearest hovel to the high-tide mark" in his writings. This cottage is still there, but it has been updated.
