Crovie, Aberdeenshire (pronounced “Crivvie”) - a charming, tiny village nestled between a cliff and the ocean. I was out with my friend Bob (amateuremigrant.com), a few years ago checking out the clifftop site of the ancient Fort Fiddes above Cullykhan Bay, so we had a quick stop to peer down at Crovie (seen from a distance in the last photo.)
While it has been a settlement since the 1200’s, the population surged to over 300 in the wake of the Highland Clearances. Crofters were pushed off their land to make way for sheep. They were forced to move to the coast and learn a new way of life - fishing. The fleet out of Crovie grew in size to about 50 vessels, but faced a gradual decline as larger, more efficient boats came onto the scene.
In 1953 a devastating storm damaged Crovie, and brought an abrupt end to the fishing industry there. Many people left after their homes were swept into the sea, and the council considered bulldozing all of it. But it was preserved under conservation order as a result of local opposition. It is now mostly holiday homes, some of which you can rent. It’s a very steep (exhilarating!) drive down to the village. With only a very narrow space for a footpath along the row of houses, residents have to leave their cars at the south end of the village and often use wheelbarrows to transport things to their homes.
(Please note that if you want to visit Crovie, it is requested that you park in the designated lot up above and walk down to the village. Parking for residents is limited, so it is respectful to them to keep these spots clear.)
Thanks for reading!
Lilly x
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