Interesting facts about our Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire coastline

• The Ythan estuary is now home to the largest seal haul-out site in Scotland. Remarkably this has gone from a few hundred seals to over 3,000 in the last 15 years.

• The oldest fossil of an air breathing creature was found at Stonehaven and was named after the local amateur fossil hunter who found it.

• Peterhead is the largest white fish port in Europe with Fraserburgh being the largest shellfish port. The vast majority of produce is exported whilst we import most of the fish we eat!

• Aberdeen airport is/was the world's busiest heliport!

• Elvis the king eider duck has spent the last 25 years trying to attract a mate at the Ythan Estuary; sadly most years he is the only member of his species in Britain!

• The cliffs at Fowlsheugh are home to over 130,000 breeding seabirds making it the largest sea bird city in Aberdeenshire.

• It is estimated that over 3 million thrushes arrived on the Aberdeenshire coast in one day.

• Aberdeen Harbour is the point at which one of Scotland's great salmon rivers meets the sea. In order to improve the river Dee, one million trees are being planted along its banks. This aims to cool the river and restore the habitat.

• There are still thought to be World War 2 mines in the sand dunes at Forvie National Nature Reserve (NNR).

• The earliest evidence of human presence in the north east of Scotland dates from 8,000 years ago and survives in the form of flakes of flint found by rivers or on the coast.

• A settlement of thirty-one huts was discovered within the dune heath and dates to about 700 BC.

• Six thousand years ago the sea level was up to 4.5m higher than at present. The Ythan estuary was much wider and slowly deposited sand and mud across the area. As the sea level has fallen, raised beaches have been left exposed.

• The longest sea-cave on the Scottish mainland is Trough Cove, under Fowlsheugh (Crawton) at 323 m. (Until someone finds a longer one!)

• There are 442 sea-caves on the Aberdeenshire coast, of which 9 are more than 100 m long!

• There are also 50 natural arches!

Click here for more facts about the Sands of Forvie Nature Reserve!