Bullers of Buchan

A collapsed sea cave near Cruden Bay that's become a vast circular chasm — the 'Pot' — with the open sea pouring in through a natural archway. From above it's mesmerising: a near-perfect ring of cliff enclosing churning water, best captured with a slow vertical straight over the hole (from a safe offset), then an orbit to catch the arch and the ragged Aberdeenshire coastline running north. The pink granite and the constant surf make for high-drama footage. But this is a serious wildlife site: in late spring and summer the cliffs host a big seabird colony — puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars — and low flying will flush birds off nests. Treat May to July as a keep-your-distance-and-height window, or better, shoot it outside breeding season. The coast is fiercely exposed, so pick a calm day; onshore wind plus the updraught off the cliff edge makes station-keeping tricky for a light drone. Access is via a rough clifftop path from the small parking area; TOAL from the grass under access rights. No airport FRZ close — Aberdeen lies ~28km south — but stay alert to helicopter traffic serving the offshore oil industry.