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Pennan, UK

Stay in Pennan: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Pennan

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Pennan, Aberdeenshire, Moray Firth, Scotland
Pennan, the nearest town. Photo: Thomas Andy Branson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Pennan

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (7°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (187°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 7°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pennan, 0.8 km away (about 5 min by car).

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 15 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. ORD to EDI, direct.

    See flights ORD → EDI · Skyscanner from about £375 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 50 from the airport to Pennan.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PennanAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Pennan · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Pennan · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pennan on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct272 ft9 shollow58kJ11°C
Mon 19Oct121 ft9 shollow18kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct121 ft6 shollow12kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct444 ft6 smushy114kJ10°C
Thu 22Oct142 ft5 shollow11kJ10°C
Fri 23Oct61 ft4 shollow2kJ10°C
Sat 24Oct91 ft3 smushy2kJ8°C
Sun 25Oct71 ft7 shollow12kJ10°C
Mon 26Oct144 ft6 shollow82kJ9°C
Tue 27Oct83 ft5 smushy55kJ9°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h 50 by road. About 15h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Pennan

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h 50 by road. About 15h 45 door to door

The trip from Pennan, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,105–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£375–£780
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,105–£2,055

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.