Findochty

Findochty
Scottish Gaelic: Am Fionn Ochdamh
Scots: Finechtie, Fineuchtie
Findochty Harbour, with town in background
Findochty  Findochty shown within Moray
Population	1,106
OS grid reference	NJ4667
Civil parish	Rathven
Council area	Moray
Lieutenancy area	Banffshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BUCKIE
Postcode district	AB56
Dialling code	01542
Police	Grampian
Fire	Grampian
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Moray
Scottish Parliament	Moray
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Findochty (Scottish Gaelic: Am Fionn Ochdamh) is a village in Banffshire, Scotland, 4 miles east of the town of Buckie. The village was founded in 1716 by a colony of fishermen from Fraserburgh.

Findochty (known locally as 'Finechty') stands on the shores of the Moray Firth. The Gaelic name of the village was recorded by Diack in his own transcription method as fanna-guchti which is unclear in meaning. With its painted cottages, a scenic harbour overlooked at the west by the local war memorial, and at the east by the white painted Church of Scotland, Findochty is a jewel of the north east of Scotland.

The village has basic amenities including a pub, small supermarket, library, and a pharmacy. There is a caravan site at the west of the village, sited behind The Admirals pub. The caravan park looks out onto a rock formation known as the Edindoune, and a bay past which the schools of Moray Firth dolphins can sometimes be seen. For sailors, there is a marina and pontoons. The harbour is well protected from the elements by sturdy quays, one of which is topped with a small lighthouse.

There are coastal walks both east and west. To the east are cliffs, studded with caves. The cliffs are the home to myriad seabirds. There are substantial rock formations such as the Priest Craigs, and the Horses Head. West of the village lies the 18 hole Strathlene golf course, bounded to the north by coastal footpaths and low cliffs, making the errant drive from some tees particularly costly. At the south side of the course lies the road linking Findochty to Portessie and Strathlene. Adjacent to this can be seen the remains of a small castle, or keep. Access to the castle is not normally permitted as it is located in the midst of a working farm.

Many of the villagers work in the oil and gas industry - as is true of much of the surrounding area - due to its reasonable proximity to Aberdeen.

Churches

There are a number of churches in this small village, a Church of Scotland congregation. The Salvation Army have an active corps here and the 'Closed' Plymouth Brethren have two meeting rooms as their church halls are generally known. There is also a Methodist church. The Plymouth Brethren at Station Road Hall have an annual Bible Conference every September which draws Christians from all parts of the British Isles and many overseas countries. Details of this are found on the BibleCentre website [1].

External links

• Panorama from Findochty Pier (QuickTime required)
• grid reference NJ465685