# Rattray Head - Coastguard Lookout and Cottages



## Seahorse (May 22, 2009)

I managed to beat the bad weather this morning, and went for a walk by the seaside. 

First stop was the old Coastguard lookout and cottages. I have been unable to find any info about this place, apart from a coastguard being stationed here back in the late 1800's. It has now rather obviously been abandoned for some considerable time.

It does look at first glance as if the lookout is a little bit lost, since much of the view of the sea is hidden behind sand dunes 100 feet high.

But I guess the sand was quite possibly not there during the early years of the station's life. In fact, the nearby Loch of Strathbeg at one time was open to the sea, until a huge storm threw up so much sand, the loch became land locked, leaving a ship loaded with slate trapped forever. So the dunes being in a constant state of flux, it's understandable how the view could become obscured over the years.

Anyway's on with the pics...

The road up to the site, showing the cottages and lookout...






A wee pump house? A nearby burn looks a likely candidate for a water supply...





Looking a little bit dry now, but the pump house was connected to here...





The cottages were terraced, each having three stories...





Water was obviously very precious, and every effort made to collect it and store for dry periods. Note the water tanks, fed from the gutter downpipes...





Looking almost straight through the cottages. Incredibly precarious, bits of roof were falling while I was there, and there was hardly a breath of wind. I imagine big lumps come tumbling when it gets a bit gusty...





Salvaged for later use and stored in an outhouse, I doubt very much whether anyone will be coming back for this fireplace now...





I risked a quick visit to the first floor...





The Coastguard lookout post...





It can't have been all THAT long ago that this place was abandoned...










Next door neighbour. In the background is the Loch of Strathbeg. And beyond that, the masts at Crimond airfield...





We didn't always have a refuse service. Rubbish used to be dumped in middens. I always find them fascinating, and am always amazed at the amount of pottery that used to be thrown away. This place is no exception, with the remains of what looked like mum's Best Sunday China, old stoneware bottles. And I was particularly taken with this glass stopper and what looks like the neck of a bottle. I didn't have the heart to dig down to see if it was intact. If it was broken, I'd have been gutted. 





So what about other waste, I hear you ask. I assume that you mean, where did the poo go?

Well, come and have a look at this...





Yup, they had their own waste treatment plant. How cool is that? Self powered, the water and, erm, solids flowed down to the contraption above the gravel bed, turning the arms as it did so. The gravel gets progressively finer the further down you go, filtering out the nasty stuff, until the cleaned water runs off down the soakaway down the hill.











All in all, a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours. But since I was in the area, I thought I'd pop over and have a look at this. Seatown. An abandoned village, supposedly. Although a village that was a bit short on the actual dwellings department, but hey ho. How many houses do you need to constitute a village anyhow? My next thread will explain more...


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## jonney (May 22, 2009)

what a great site. I would love to live somewhere like that and it has a pillbox as well for me to play in.


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## Seahorse (May 22, 2009)

jonney said:


> what a great site. I would love to live somewhere like that and it has a pillbox as well for me to play in.



There's another 2 or 3 pillboxes all within site of each other. Again, unable to see the sea because of the huge dunes. I'm wondering exactly what else might be buried under the sand.

In fact, not far from there is an entire castle buried. Legend has it it happened because they were playing cards on the Sabbath, and so God sent a storm to bury them alive.

Where's Baldrick and his Time Team when you need them?


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## jonney (May 22, 2009)

Definatley worth another poke about round there you never no what you might stumble upon this time.


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## Seahorse (May 22, 2009)

Oh, look. Not very valuable then. But I still like the glass stopper. 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COLLECTION-OF...temQQimsxZ20090519?IMSfp=TL090519181004r16029


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## the_historian (May 22, 2009)

Good pics. Is that landlocked ship still there?


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## Seahorse (May 22, 2009)

the_historian said:


> Good pics. Is that landlocked ship still there?



After nearly 300 years, I doubt there's even a trace. Although the slates did reputedly get used to roof some Laird's big house though. I'll try to find out which one, get some pics, and tie the two together.

There's a few wrecks on the coast nearby though. It was a bit of a dangerous coast, prior to the erection of the lighthouse. The poor insurers had plenty of cause to complain.

Not that I'm suggesting anything, you understand.


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## and7barton (May 22, 2009)

Did you see all the rabbit skulls and bones laying in the dunes ? - They litter the surface in a bit of a hollowed-out area in the middle of the dunes. I deduced that birds of prey catch rabbits and consume them in this secluded area with little fear of being disturbed by humans. The area is just northwest of that row of cottages, and nearer the sea.


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## Seahorse (May 23, 2009)

and7barton said:


> Did you see all the rabbit skulls and bones laying in the dunes ? - They litter the surface in a bit of a hollowed-out area in the middle of the dunes. I deduced that birds of prey catch rabbits and consume them in this secluded area with little fear of being disturbed by humans. The area is just northwest of that row of cottages, and nearer the sea.




And you'd be absolutely correct. On the way back from the village, there were two hunting in pairs. I've never seen them do that before. One would hover over the top of the other, the bottom one would swoop down and scare the rabbits into running, and the top one would then dive down to try to grab one before they got to their burrows. No luck while I was watching, but it must be a technique that has worked in the past for them.

The hunting must be excellent cos there's half eaten bits of rabbit lying all over the place.


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## Black Shuck (May 23, 2009)

Brilliant shots there Seahorse. I love that Firesurround. Are you off to the Villiag next time?


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## Seahorse (May 23, 2009)

Black Shuck said:


> Brilliant shots there Seahorse. I love that Firesurround. Are you off to the Villiag next time?



I went yesterday too, BS. Check out the thread...

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=11046


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## Foxylady (May 23, 2009)

Oh, excellent find, Seahorse. Some fabulous remains...love the lookout and the water treatment plant.


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## the_historian (May 23, 2009)

Sorry Seahorse, thought the wreck was a _lot_ more recent than that!
Near Kingsbarns in Fife there's the keel of a destroyer which ran aground in 1915, but I never seem to get the timing right for the tides.


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## slimrick (May 30, 2009)

[Geek Mode] The BT junction box is a BT66, and the crimps are called "crimps 8B". The BT66 was introduced about 8 years ago, and the crimps have been obsolete for approx. 4 years [/Geek Mode]
Gives you some idea of when the last activity up there was.


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## skittles (May 30, 2009)

love the cottages


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## LiamCH (May 30, 2009)

slimrick said:


> [Geek Mode] The BT junction box is a BT66, and the crimps are called "crimps 8B". The BT66 was introduced about 8 years ago, and the crimps have been obsolete for approx. 4 years [/Geek Mode]
> Gives you some idea of when the last activity up there was.



Erm... Does this place really look as though it was in use a mere eight years ago? Let alone having telephone lines upgraded...


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## Alir147 (May 30, 2009)

LiamCH said:


> Erm... Does this place really look as though it was in use a mere eight years ago? Let alone having telephone lines upgraded...



could have easily been. the slates have been removed and the windows taken out - plus the entire interior gutted completely. that wasn't natural - that was demolition work - so could have been abandoned any time really.


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## swedish (May 31, 2009)

nice find seahorse, loving the interior shots an of the sewage pump...very informative


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## Seahorse (Jun 1, 2009)

the_historian said:


> Sorry Seahorse, thought the wreck was a _lot_ more recent than that!
> Near Kingsbarns in Fife there's the keel of a destroyer which ran aground in 1915, but I never seem to get the timing right for the tides.



I never knew about that!!! My mum used to live in Kingsbarns.


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## Tieljo (Jun 1, 2009)

Fantastic place! 

Interesting background too.

Fascinating what slimrick said about how it is possibly that recent that it was abandoned!

Tieljo


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