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The Great Outdoors: With fascinating wildlife plus pretty fishing villages and amazing beach fronts… that’s our Moray

© GettyThe lighthouse at Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth at sunset
The lighthouse at Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth at sunset

The Moray coastline in north-east Scotland is simply stunning.

The 64km (40 miles) that separate the towns of Nairn and Buckie are home to some of our finest beaches where there is a vast array of wildlife: grey heron, wigeon, greenshank, knot, osprey, grey and harbour seals, bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises and minke whales is just a selection.

Beautiful towns and villages such as Findhorn, Burghead, Forres, Elgin and Portgordon pepper the landscape.

The area is full of fascinating history too. For example it is thought that the coastline surrounding Lossiemouth was once the home of St Geraldine, a hermit who placed lanterns around the rocky headland to warn seafarers.

Add to this a far more benign and sunnier climate than much of Scotland and the fact that this is whisky country, and there is plenty to see and do.

It is a fantastic place to cycle, and walking the 72km (45-mile) Moray Coast Trail is a marvellous way to delve into the area.

Fact file

  • The Duke of Cumberland apparently spent the night in Nairn before the Battle of Culloden.
  • Culbin Forest was covered by a huge sandstorm in the 1600s and was only stabilised in the 20th Century when the Forestry Commission planted trees.
  • In the 17th Century, Findhorn was the main port on the Moray Firth with sailings to the Baltics.
  • Elgin Cathedral, consecrated in 1224, was known as the Lantern of the North.

You can read about a whole series of fantastic journeys in our fabulous new book from Keith Fergus. To buy a copy, go to dcthomsonshop.co.uk or call 0800 318 846 (Freephone UK). Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm.

See more –  visit scottishhorizons.photoshelter.com