I was born and raised in the small fishing town of Fraserburgh, on the north-east tip of Scotland. Fraserburgh is called "The Broch" locally, however the origins of this nickname are vague. I love it here and can't really imagine living anywhere else. Tim and I actually live a couple miles out of the town, on the outskirts of a tiny village. We have the best of both worlds here because our house is right in the middle of the countryside, yet within two minutes, we can be walking along this glorious beach ! National surfing competitions are held here regularly and we have quite a number of local surfers who always do very well.

The Broch has a population of approximately 12,000 people - the vast majority of whom are employed in jobs in some way related to the fishing industry, whether it be going to sea to catch the fish, processing the fish in one of the many factories, or buying and selling in the fishmarkets and shops. The harbour is always bustling and is a great place just to sit and watch the comings and goings of the trawlers.
Above is a picture of one of the many harbour basins here in town and on the right, is the beacon which marks the end of the breakwater at the entrance to the harbour.

One of our favourite places in The Broch, is "The Four Corners". This is really just a car park with a small shelter which is open to the four corners of the earth ! Both overlook a tiny, rocky bay just north of the harbour and on stormy days, the waves crash explosively over the rocks. It never ceases to fill me with awe and wonder at the sheer power of nature. Sometimes, the waves come crashing in here so strongly, that large stones and boulders are lifted up onto the car park surface. Just be careful where you park on a stormy day !! Anyway, here's a picture of part of the bay on an unusally calm day.

At the other side of this bay, perched on the rocks, is the oldest building in the town. It's a small, square building, about three storeys tall, with a turf-covered roof. It's called "The Wine Tower", but it's purpose remains a mystery. This is what it looks like. (The steps outside were built a few years ago.) Inside, there are no stairways connecting the three floors, although several ornate bosses can be found on the walls inside. As I said, mystery surrounds the tower and there are a few legends about it, one of which goes like this:-

The Lord of the castle (which stands behind the tower) had a daughter. He had arranged a marriage between her and another wealthy lord. However, the daughter had fallen in love with one of the poor servants of the house and when her father discovered this, he had her imprisoned in the tower. He also imprisoned the servant, who was starved to death. On hearing about her lover's fate, the tragic girl flung herself from a window in the tower to her death on the rocks below. To this very day, you can still see the splash of blood on the rocks below......