Nairnshire
& Moray
As
you head
east
from Inverness the countryside becomes flatter and gentler but has a
combination of superb beaches and historical sites. By the coast, it's
also one of the driest parts of the UK and is often dry when
elsewhere in the Highlands it's wet.
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Fort
George
The mightiest
artillery
fortification in the UK built to pacify the Highlands after the
Jacobite Uprising of 1745. It's still used a military establishment
to this day although much of the site can be visited by the public.
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Cawdor
Castle
Linked by Shakespeare to Macbeth, this fairytale-like castle
also boasts fabulous gardens. It's open to the public from May to the
beginning of October with admission for adults £10, children £6.50
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A
popular golfing and seaside resort with a yacht-filled harbour. To
the south of the harbour is the area of Fishertown filled with many
tiny cottages. Nairn has 2 beaches – the best being the one which
stretches east from the harbour.
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Another great
beach. If you walk towards the mouth of the River Findhorn you're
almost certain to see Grey and Common Seals, sometimes very close-up.
The village is also home to the Findhorn Foundation, a pioneering
eco-village and spiritual centre founded in 1962 which is also well
worth a visit.
The Blue
Angel is
a cafe in the
Findhorn Foundation with excellent and inexpensive snacks and
beverages - many vegetarian. The Phoenix is also community-owned and
sells high quality organic food and crafts.
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Randolph's
Leap is a beautiful gorge where the River Findhorn passes through
narrow rocks. It can be reached by a 2.5 mile walk from Logie
Steading which has a children's play area, shops, including an
excellent second-hand bookshop, and a highly recommended cafe. (The
Olive Tree Tearoom) which serves hot food until 3pm. Much of the
Randolph's Leap walk is under trees so is quite feasible on a day of
light rain.
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Hopeman
Another
pleasant seaside village with a shoreline fringed with colourful
beach huts. There's some great walks to the east along the cliffs to
deserted coves.
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Lossiemouth
Home
to an RAF base with Tornado aircraft, Lossiemouth has 2 huge sandy
beaches to the west and east.
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Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey Bay
Not
only is Spey Bay an excellent place to spot whales and Moray Firth's
famous Bottlenosed Dolphins, there is also this excellent visitor
centre which children will love. Opening in 2014 is a new “Dry
Dive” audio-visual experience in the old Icehouse. Open 7 days a
week April to October. Free admission.
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Portknockie
This
small village boasts a spectacular sea arch known as Bow Fiddle Rock.
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Portsoy
This
village in Banffshire possesses an atmospheric 17th
Century harbour. Portsoy was also famous for its green Portsoy
marble, some of which is in Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles. The
stone is still worked locally and can be bought in the Marble shop in
a warehouse overlooking the harbour. It also hosts the impressive
Scottish Traditional Boat Festival every weekend in June.
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