Moray Coast Cottages - The Old Police Station

Moray Coast Cottages (The Old Police Station)

Dog Friendly Cottage in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire

We are so excited to have finally completed our “police station project”! Delayed by covid, then problems with the water supply and getting connected to the gas, we stayed at the property ourselves, to ensure we had covered all the finishing touches and everything is up to standard! And we didn’t want to leave! Even the enclosed outside space is now looking stunning, with a rockery garden on the rooves of the 2 sheds, a patio area and a solar fountain!

From the front, it looks tiny! But as you enter from Church street, you will be surprised by how light, bright and spacious this new holiday cottage is! The house is split level, as it backs on to the open space of the Wally Green park and the footpath down the old railway line. Comfortably sleeping 4, the living area is at street level, with a king size double ensuite and a twin bedroom downstairs.

Barely recognisable as Portsoy’s old police station, which had lain empty for many years, it is now a warm and cosy retreat, having been insulated and renovated to the highest standards. It provides an ideal base for your holiday, whether you are wanting to walk along the coastal paths with your four legged friend, discovering the pretty harbour villages and beautiful near deserted beaches nestled between dramatic rocky cliffs, or travel further afield.

Of course, like all our cottages, we have good WiFi and dogs are very welcome. The kitchen is well equipped, whether you want to cook a full Sunday roast or just heat up a takeaway! We provide Egyptian cotton sheets, Dorma duvet covers and thick fluffy towels. We aim to make the cottage a real home from home, so you feel comfortable as soon as you walk in!

In the summer, the light up here is special, days are near endless. Winter skies are dark and starry and – with a bit of luck – you might even see the Northern Lights! We hope you will visit us in Portsoy and discover this often overlooked, largely midge free corner of the North East of Scotland for yourselves!

The Area
Portsoy is a welcoming small town, with a lot going on for it’s size. It has a fantastic sense of community, with the caravan park, the 4 star Salmon Bothy museum, the Sail Loft Bunkhouse and the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival all being run by the community for the community. It is centred around it’s 2 historic seventeenth and nineteenth century harbours, the area little changed in years: it was used as the film setting for the recent remake of Whisky Galore and last series of Peaky Blinders. The fishing industry has largely moved on, but you can often see the town’s two St Ayles skiffs rowing out from the harbour.

There are some fantastic walks round Portsoy! If you walk westwards, past the old swimming pool carved out amongst the rocks, along the rugged coastline towards Sandend (pronounced ‘Sanine’) or further along to Findlater Castle, Sunnyside Beach and Cullen. Eastwards try the Coastguard’s path, with views across to Troups’ Head. There is the Shore Inn between the cottage and the harbours, some great cafes and the new Aspire Restaurant… and of course the award winning Portsoy Ice Cream shop.

The Banffshire coast is one of the world’s outstanding coastlines, according to the National Geographic. Natural beauty combines with plentiful wildlife – there are dolphins, seals, puffins and other seabirds in abundance, if you are lucky enough to see them. Fishing villages all along the coast perch on clifftops, or crouch precariously at the water’s edge, with the oldest houses built gable-end on to the weather and the waves. In the summer, the light up here is special, days are near endless. Winter skies are dark and starry and – with a bit of luck – you might even see the Northern Lights! We hope you will visit Portsoy and discover this often overlooked, largely midge free corner of the North East of Scotland for yourselves!