Mini-seascape - milky sea pouring into the collapsed cave. Collieston, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

4:16 minute long exposure

Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh. he earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times. Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beaches and dunes stretching north from Aberdeen. Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and cod flourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed. The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard. A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597. Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collieston

Taken on: September 14, 2025

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neutral density

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64ND

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Minimalist landscape

Aberdeenshire

Siorrachd Obar Dheathain

Aberdeen

North-East

Scotland

Doric

seascape

mini-seascape

collapsed cave

milky sea

Collieston

sea caves

cliffs

rocks

sea

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North Sea

smugglers

granite

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seashore

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Canon EOS R6 MKII

CANON RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM « less

Sets appears in: • Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, Scotland • Canon RF 24-105 mm F4 lens more » • Landscapes • Natural textures and colours • Scotland • Sunrise, sunset and the waterside • Water « less

Groups appears in: • Scotland • Seascapes and Seashores more » • Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire • UK Landscapes, Sea and Country. • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • ***Flickr Global • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit « less

Camera: Canon EOS R6m2, f/11.0, 256 sec, 42mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R6m2
Lens:	RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	256
Focal Length:	42mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Bulb
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 26.10 (Macintosh)
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