Slains Castle stands on a clifftop above the North Sea, its roofless granite walls rising from the very edge of the headland. The castle was built in 1597 for the Earl of Erroll and remained inhabited until 1925, when it was stripped of its roof and fittings and left to the elements. What remains is a spectacular ruin: tall walls of pink granite, empty window frames framing sea views, and a dramatic position that has made it the most photographed ruin in Aberdeenshire.
The walk from Cruden Bay village to the castle follows the clifftop for about 1.5 kilometres over short grass, with views south to the bay and north toward Peterhead. The ruins are freely accessible and unguarded. The floors have largely collapsed and there are no safety barriers, so caution is needed inside. From the castle it is worth continuing another two kilometres north along the coast to the Bullers of Buchan — a dramatic collapsed sea cave accessed by a narrow path above the chasm.