JOYCE FALCONER, ACTOR
Where is it?
Greyhope Bay, Torry, Aberdeen.
Why do you go there?
Greyhope Bay is right next to where I was brought up in Torry. It is a place that has been a constant throughout my life. It is located where the River Dee meets the North Sea. Girdle Ness Lighthouse was designed by Robert Stevenson [in 1833] and that was my primary school badge.
How often do you go?
Every time I am home. Which is very regularly. My mum still stays in the scheme where I grew up.
How did you discover it?
We all swam there when I was a kid. These days Greyhope Bay is considered one of the best places in the UK, if not Europe, to see bottlenose dolphins. It is almost guaranteed that you will see them at the mouth of the harbour. That has become one of the reasons to visit.
What's your favourite memory?
During the summer holidays when I was growing up, we would go there any day it was nice and have a picnic. One of my earliest memories is climbing the lighthouse and seeing the fantastic view.
In those days, there was a foghorn which is no longer operational. That was known as the "Torry Coo" because you used to dream that you were hearing cows in a field, but it was actually the noise of the foghorn going off on a foggy night.
My favourite memory is probably jumping off the pier on a hot summer's day. I don't think we realised how cold the North Sea was. You just went in.
This expression of "wild swimming" – we didn't think of it as "wild swimming" then. You went into the sea and that was it. No wetsuits. I still don't wear a wetsuit when I go in swimming.
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When we were kids, it was at the tail-end of the fishing and the oil hadn't quite hit majorly. I don't remember there being the big, massive boats that you see coming in and out of the harbour now.
Who do you take?
My mum is 86 and she likes a wee run in the car. We sometimes sit at the Torry Battery, an old fortification that is a good viewpoint to see the dolphins.
What do you take?
Binoculars. It is a good bird watching spot too.
What do you leave behind?
Stress. Watching the roll of the tide is always comforting and therapeutic.
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Sum it up in five words.
Wild. Unpredictable. Comforting. Inspiring. Constant.
What travel spot is on your post-lockdown wish list?
I have plans to visit Ullapool and Gairloch. I would love to go back to Madeira too. I visited a few years ago and was very taken by the island. There is a lot I would still like to explore.
Joyce Falconer re-joins the cast of River City as the new series begins on BBC Scotland on Monday at 10pm
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