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Rooftops and chimneys of a Moray coastal town overlook a beach curving toward distant sea stacks.
Morayshire

Cullen

A seaside town on Cullen Bay with a sandy beach, sea stacks, a painted Seatown under great railway viaducts, and the soup named after it.

Welcome

Cullen curves round a wide sandy bay on the Moray coast, its upper town of grey stone streets looking down on the Seatown, a huddle of painted fishermen's cottages and twisting lanes.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

Between them march the great arches of the railway viaducts, built in 1886 because the Countess of Seafield would not let the line cross the grounds of Cullen House.

The town itself is younger than it looks. In the 1820s the Earl of Seafield had the old burgh taken down and rebuilt where it stands today, leaving only the Auld Kirk behind. Telford designed the little harbour, and the beach runs west to a string of tall sea stacks that glow at sunset.

This is the home of Cullen Skink, the rich soup of smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk, served in cafes and hotels all over town and celebrated at its own world championships every March.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Before you go

A town to walk at any hour, with a beach, harbour and shops.

Where
On Cullen Bay, between Portknockie and Portsoy.
Eat
Cullen Skink, on menus all over town.
Viaducts
1886.

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Did you know

Daffodils bloom on a grassy hillside overlooking a Moray coastal town and its bay.
Did you know

A soup with a world championship.

Cullen Skink, the town's smoked haddock soup, has its own world championships, held in Cullen each March.

A stone church with arched windows and finials on its gable, gravestones set along the churchyard wall
Did you know

A town that moved.

Between 1820 and 1830 the old burgh was taken down and a new Cullen built, leaving only the Auld Kirk where it stood.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Aberdeenshire

The iconic, smoked-haddock soup known as Cullen Skink was created right here in the seaside village of the same name. Once you’ve devoured a bowl of the stuff, take time too to wander Cullen’s brightly painted cottages and fabulous sandy beach.

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Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Moray

As the town that gave its name to Cullen Skink, the thick smoked-haddock soup now found far and wide, this former royal burgh has long lodged its place in national consciousness. A handsome coastal location and the looming presence of an eight-arched viaduct – as well as a rich local history (the country residence of Cullen House dates back to the early 1600s, while Cullen Old Kirk is even older) – make it a place well worthy of a visit.

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What is on

What is new across Morayshire, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

What is on in Morayshire
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Where it is

On the A98 on the Moray coast, between Buckie and Banff.

Close byThe Moray coast.
  1. The Rockpool café on a street corner beneath a stone railway viaductRockpool CaféA family-friendly cafe and restaurant on the Square in Cullen, known for its Cullen skink, lunches, coffee and cakes.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Garden House TradingGarden House TradingA gift shop in a curved sandstone corner building on the Square in Cullen, full of cards, homewares, candles, scarves and souvenirs.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. Scale model of Old Cullen marks the Royal Burgh's bicentennial in a museum displayCullen Heritage CentreThe model of the old town, on the Square.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Cullen Links Golf ClubCullen Links Golf ClubA short and quirky links on Cullen Bay, first laid out by Old Tom Morris, with red sandstone stacks standing in play on the back nine.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. Bow Fiddle RockBow Fiddle RockThe sea arch at Portknockie along the coast.3 miles 5 min by road
  6. Findlater CastleFindlater CastleA cliff-top ruin to the east.3 miles 8 min by road
Directions
Sandy beach and sea seen through the arched window of a wooden saunaAttractionsSauna at the Kings0.6 miles
Grassy dunes and rocky sand lead to a curved headland beyond the bayAttractionsSunnyside Beach1.3 miles
Fishing boats moored in harbour below whitewashed cottages on a grassy hillsideAttractionsPortknockie2.4 miles
Portknockie Fish Bar, a white-painted chip shop with green trim, at duskRestaurantsPortknockie Fish and Chips2.4 miles
The curving sands of Sandend Bay, yellow gorse in the foreground.AttractionsSandend Beach3.7 miles
Rows of casks on their racks in a Glenglassaugh warehouse.AttractionsGlenglassaugh Distillery3.7 miles
Weathered gravestones set into arched recesses within a ruined church wallAttractionsDeskford Kirk4.4 miles
Curved sign reading "Portsoy Ice Cream" on a stone corner buildingCafePortsoy Ice Cream5.6 miles
The white front of the Shore Inn on Portsoy's old harbour, flags over the door.BarsThe Shore Inn5.7 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the town, and when each is next free.

A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.Gate Lodge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 13 miles from Cullen
Check datesA triangular timber cabin stands behind a wooden gate and post-and-rail fence, bare trees framing the entrance.Midpark
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 13 miles from Cullen
Free 31 Oct – 2 NovA stone cottage with a slated roof and a blue front door, climbing roses in pink and white flanking the porch.Butlers Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Rothiemay
  • 13 miles from Cullen
Free 11–14 DecA grey stone cottage with dormer windows and a black front door, climbing roses either side, set behind a lawn.Bailies Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Rothiemay
  • 13 miles from Cullen
Free 1–4 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in MorayshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Morayshire.

From the magazineMoray: Discovering the Nooks and CranniesFrom the magazineFishing Towns and VillagesArticleWhat restaurants do you recommend in Shetland?CollectionThe Prettiest Villages in Scotland
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