Moray

Overview

Whisky, wildlife, snow, skiing and spits: from the beaches to the mountains, unspoilt Moray is a very interesting region to visit in the north-east of Scotland.

East of Inverness and Nairn, the sheltered Moray Firth opens up as it heads out into the North Sea. The coast is fairly flat, characterised by large stretches of sand dunes backed by forests, wide bays, bars and inlets. Inland, the landscape is agricultural, rising up across empty moorland, criss-crossed by rivers and glens (such as the marvellous Strathspey) towards the foothills of the Cairngorms. There are few significant settlements - only really Lossiemouth on the coast, and market towns such as Forres, Elgin and Keith inland. Tomintoul, deep in the mountainous fringe of the region, is frequently snowed under in winter. It is an excellent base for walking and skiing.

A network of paths and quiet back roads linked to the coastal towns and villages make access to the mosaic of farmland, woodland and shore easy for walkers and bikers. This is unspoilt country, off the tourist trail, which abounds with wildlife, such as ospreys, otters, crested tits, red squirrels, pine martens and bottlenose dolphins. Culbin Forest stands on one of the largest sand dune systems in Britain, and Culbin Bar the best example of a shingle spit.

Firmly on the tourist trail are the whisky distilleries that form part of the Speyside Whisky Trail, such as Dallas Dhu at Forres, Glen Moray at Elgin and Strathisla at Keith.