In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Bullers of Buchan like this:
Bullers of Buchan, a stupendous series of granite cliffs, with a- huge rocky caldron into which the sea rushes through a natural archway, in Cruden parish, Aberdeen shire, 1½ mile N of Slains Castle, and 5¾ SSW of Peterhead. The cliffs for a considerable distance are high and rugged, and at the Buller proper are pierced by a tunnel, open horizontally in front to the inward rush of the sea, and vertically within to the sky, forming there what is locally called the Pot. ...
The rocks, both in front and in the Pot, are wall-like, and probably 100 feet in height; they terminate in so sharp a land surface as to leave but a narrow and precarious footway either for traversing the summit of the arch or going round the margin of the Pot. Sir Walter Scott's description of the Buller pales before that by Dr Samuel Johnson, who visited it with Boswell in 1773:-' We turned our eyes to the Buller or Bouillior of Buchan, which no man can see with indifference who has either sense of danger or delight in rarity. It is a rock perpendicularly tubulated, united on one side with a high shore, and on the other rising steep to a great height above the main sea. The top is open, from which may be seen a dark gulf of water, which flows into the cavity through a breach made in the lower part of the enclosing rock. It has the appearance of a vast well bordered with a wall. The edge of the Buller is not wide, and, to those that walk round, appears very narrow. He that ventures to look downwards sees that if his foot should slip, he must fall from his dreadful elevation upon stones on one side, or into the water on the other. We, however, went round, and were glad when the circuit was completed. When we came down to the sea, we saw some boats and rowers, and resolved to explore the Buller at the bottom. We entered the arch which the water had made, and found ourselves in a place which-though we could not think ourselves in danger-we could scarcely survey without some recoil of
Additional information about this locality is available for Cruden
Bullers of Buchan through time
Bullers of Buchan is now part of Aberdeenshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Aberdeenshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Bullers of Buchan itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Bullers of Buchan in Aberdeenshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/26837
Date accessed: 25th April 2024
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