The Moray Coastal Trail: The Routes

The Moray Coastal Trail: The Routes
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From Forres to Findhorn
he Local Nature Reserve of Findhorn Bay is a bottle shaped estuary, 1,000 football
pitches in size and a sheltered tidal haven for people and wildlife. The Bay teems
with food for a vast array of wildfowl and waders that over-winter, breed or pause
during migration in this international mecca for birds.
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From Forres railway station, turn left into the minor road to Waterford, Netherton and
Kinloss between the banks of the River Findhorn and salt marsh on one side, and
reclaimed productive farmland on the other. Do not stray onto the salt marsh. It may
look firm but the rank grasses conceal deep creeks and pans. Otters are a common
site at dusk and dawn in the Bay. Look out for them in the Mosset Burn where it runs
alongside the road before passing beneath it en route to the Reserve.
Distance, duration & terrain:
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6 Miles, 3 Hours (allowing for time in the village), Easy
Tarmac road, cycle path and beach sand.
Buses & trains to Forres.
In Forres, at bird hide south of village and on the backshore.
Cafes in village, good food in the village pubs.
Shop in Foundation sells books, clothes, jewellery,
food and herbal remedies.
Public toilets in Railway Station and on the west dunes
road and dunes car park.
Roseisle Forest and Burghead Bay
he path runs through dunes, heath and pine woods from Findhorn’s backshore to
the ancient pictish capital of Burghead, following the 5-mile stretch of Burghead
Bay. The dunes form part of the largest dune system in Britain. During wartime the
coastal defences of tank traps and pillboxes following the beach were used to practice
for the Normandy landings.
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Admire views over the Reserve and at Kinloss turn left on the Findhorn road pass the
Findhorn Foundation community using the roadside cycleway path, and follow the
pavement to the village and the bayside.
5 1/2 Miles, 2 1/2 Hours at moderate pace, Sandy paths
and tracks, Easy.
Sand, firm forest tracks and shoreline shingle.
Bus services run from Findhorn to Forres and Burghead
to Elgin.
Findhorn backshore, Roseisle Forest car park, Playground
and BBQ Site (which carries a small entry charge) and
Burghead Esplanade.
A beach café in Burghead overlooks the Bay and shop in
Grant Street.
Roseisle Forest car park and by Harbour Office in Burghead.
Best quality water in Moray and a safe beach. Great paths
and tracks to explore. BBQ’s and kiddies play equipment
in the Forest car park. Take time to explore the local path
network created by the Burghead Footpath Group.
Visit Roseisle Forest.
The Coast of Moray
The Coastal Trail
Guide Lines and Ground Rules
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The coastline and settlements of Moray are linked by a waymarked
(1) Be aware of the tides. Rising tides can move very quickly. Check with local
newspapers for tide times or collect annual tide tables from the Harbour Master in
Buckie, Lossiemouth or Burghead.
(2) Never venture out alone on to tidal flats or estuarine sand bars. Unstable sands
can make this treacherous.
(3) Please avoid causing fire to break out in the coastal heath, duneland grasses or
the whin alongside footpaths from a discarded cigarette end, glass, and never
deliberately light a campfire in such areas. Fires spread quickly out of control in
these area destroying the homes of animals and birds, and threatening those of
people living nearby.
(4) Leave no litter on footpaths or by the shore. Bottles, cans – and the plastic rings
they come in – can be lethal to wildlife and family pets. Please take your
litter home.
(5) Dogs are welcome, but keep them under close control, particularly close to roads
or grazing livestock and where wildfowl can be easily disturbed. Dog muck on
paths can be a nuisance, in the sand of the beach it can ruin a family’s day out –
and it spreads disease too.
(6) Take care on the cliffs. Do not attempt to descend on steep rocky slopes. It may be
difficult to climb up again.
(7) Let someone know or leave a message if you intend taking a seriously long walk
on the coast. Make sure you are properly equipped.
(8) Follow waymarked paths wherever these are present. Look for the coastal
trail logo.
(9) If you bring a mountain bike on the path, be aware of other path users.
(10) Motorbikes, 4 wheel drive vehicles and quad bikes are an antisocial use of coastal
paths and tracks, and they cannot be driven on land without the owner’s express
permission.
(11) Please do not pick or dig up wild flowers growing by the path. It is a crime.
ith its 50 miles of marvellous landscapes from rugged cliffs,
coastal trail from Forres to Findhorn, Cullen and all the places between.
caves and sheltered coves to fishertown harbours and
Use the Guide to plan your route and on the way look for the coastal
sweeping stretches of sand, Moray has a coastline alive with wildlife
trail sign on waymarking posts and information boards. The Trail Guide
that would be the envy of many other regions in Britain.
is small enough to be carried in a pocket, but can also be used at home
to plan routes before you set out. Always dress for the weather as the
Many visitors are drawn by the resident bottlenose dolphin population
coast is exposed in many places. Bring waterproofs, a warm fleece or
or to watch birds by the sea. Other recreational activities on the Moray
sweater, sturdy boots and a sense of adventure.
Coast include yachting, cycling, windsurfing or just visiting the beach.
(12) When walking the coastal path follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
The Moray Coast Ranger Service
Advice of the path network is a function of the Moray Coast Ranger Service. For
information call the Ranger on 01343 557048 (Mobile 07967 748937).
For Forestry Commission Forests call 01343 820223
Although the coastline has a great wilderness quality it is never far from
Further information
roads, car parks, coastal settlements and bus routes. Check with Elgin
For more local information visit www.aberdeen-grampian.com
Bus Station for bus services and times.
Enjoy the Walk!
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Caer nam Broch – Burghead of the Picts
urghead’s narrow sandstone promontory exhibits current bedding on the
sandstone cliffs showing that the town and its headland follows the course of an
ancient river bed preserved in stone. Burghead is an ancient settlement with a history
going back to the Bronze Age. In the dark ages it was the capital of the Northern Picts
and cradle of the Scottish Kings. Tradition has it that MacBeth was a local hero, being
born close by, and Duncan who was King before him fell at the battle of Burghead. The
fort itself was a massive medallion shaped citadel, which is largely buried beneath the
Victorian town. Links with the past include symbol stones of the clan’s emblem – a
muscular bull. Two such symbol stones are displayed in the Headland Visitor Centre.
On January 11th, a fire festival – the Burning of the Clavie – is still held in Burghead. At
one time Burghead was a great centre for sea trade and was reborn as a fishing port in
the 19th Century. As you stand on the quay, admire the warehouses the design of
which is attributed to Thomas Telford.
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For further information about the town, visit the coastguard lookout, visitor centre and
exhibition on the headland.
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Look No Trains: the line to Hopeman
he old railway line from Burghead to Hopeman has great views over the cliffs and
skerries of the coast. Curlews from fields visit the shoreline and fulmars glide past
the sandstone cliffs. Finches, warblers and other birds are abundant in the whin. The
cliffs are favoured by climbers as well as seabirds, and a deep hollow near the car park
at Cummingston exhibits a deep blowhole now high above the waves.
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2 1/2 Miles, 1 Hour stroll, Easy.
Old railway track.
Bus services on neighbouring coastal road.
East Beach Car Park in Hopeman and Cummingston Car
Park off Seaview Road.
Ice cream and chip shop in Harbour Street, Hopeman.
By the harbour. Open throughout the year.
Explore the routes round the East Beach marked out by
the village heritage group. Cummingston has a small
children’s playground and interpretation panels overlook
the shore.
etween Hopeman and Covesea, a 70 metre high sandstone ridge has two
contrasting sides. From the Laich and coastal road it is seen as a shallow sloping
hillside comprising farmland and pinewood. This conceals spectacular scenery of cliffs
on the ridge’s northern edge where the waymarked path runs, matching in grandeur
and beauty anything that better known coasts of Britain exhibit. The sandstone of the
cliffs formed 250 million years ago under desert conditions. ‘Fossil’ dunes can be seen
in the cliffs, and exposed surfaces display the footprints of pre dinosaur reptiles that
grubbed in the sand with twin tusks. Primroses, campion and violets cover some areas
in springtime, and throughout, dense stands of whin (gorse) spread into the
heathland. From the coastguard lookout tower scan the sea for signs of the Firth’s
resident bottlenose dolphins. Gows’ Castle is the tall stack near North Covesea. Listen
for stonechats, linnets, willow warblers, soaring fulmars, herring gulls, oyster catchers
and kittiwakes. Look out for bottlenose dolphins offshore. Continue along the ridge
before descending down to beach at Covesea. Here the trail now carries you onwards
to the lighthouse.
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Distance, duration & terrain:
1 1/4 Miles, 1 Hour or longer depending on your interest,
Easy. Some effort needed to climb the steps.
Tarmac, grass and gravel track.
Bus services to Hopeman, Duffus and Elgin.
On the esplanade and by St Aethan Cemetery at the top of
the town.
Shop in Grant Street. The Beach Café has fresh food.
By the harbour next to the harbourmaster’s office.
A visit to the Fort is a must.
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Cliffs, caves and coves of the
Hopeman Ridge
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6 1/2 Miles, 2 1/2 - 3 Hours, Moderate. The path is rough
in places.
Gravel path and earth track overlooked by whin.
None on route. Buses to Hopeman & Lossiemouth.
Hopeman East Beach. Small car embayment on Clashach
Quarry track, Coastguard Lookout track entrance and East
Covesea Golf Course.
None.
Hopeman Harbour and Lossiemouth West Beach car park.
Try rock pooling in Hopeman, Visit Cove Bay and marvel at
the pre dinosaur footprints on the access track.
Lossiemouth,
an Island in a forgotten sea loch
ollow the sandy beach towards the cliffs and the Covesea lighthouse. Look for an
alternative waymarked route through the dunes and marram grass during extremely
high tides. The lighthouse is now automatic but remains as an evocative landmark.
Erosion of the dunes nearby has exposed wartime tank traps. See seals clambering on
the offshore skerries at low tide.
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Although Lossiemouth has a long history and was the home of St Gerardine, a hermit
who’s lantern warned seafarers of the rocks around the headland, Lossiemouth’s
fortunes changed with the arrival of the fishing fleets. The Harbour, once busy with
zulus and drifters (craft of the herring fishing industry) is now a marina with cafes,
shops and public houses. In the 19th Century, Lossiemouth became a fashionable
resort. Promise of a further upturn in Lossiemouth’s fortunes came with the discovery
and mining of lead and silver on the headland but this was unprofitable and came to
nothing.
Lossiemouth has many attractive town houses and the view from Prospect Terrace of
the sands, dunes and estuary of the East Beach and landscape beyond is amazing.
The Lossie is narrow and intimate and a great way of seeing widgeon, herons and
other wildfowl – and ospreys in summer – at close quarters. Cross the river on the
footbridge by Seatown with its terraced fishertown cottages built gable end facing the
sea to combat the ravages of winter gales.
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Pines, pillboxes and shipyards, by an
ancient sea of stones
rom Lossiemouth the fine yellow sand of the east beach gives way to shingle and
the dunes to the dense pinewood of Lossie Forest managed for the public by
Forestry Commission-Scotland. Tank traps by the path and huge gun emplacements
overlook the sea. Following the path inland, pass manmade pools full of freshwater
life and nesting ducks. Binn Hill has on its seaward side a high fossil sea cliff now
covered in trees. Waves of shingle in the forest mark the site of storm ridges, now high
and dry. Passing the sea of stones as the ridges are known, enter the Lein, celebrated
for its vast reservoir of alpine plants and into Kingston. In Kingston follow the path
from Beach road to a farmyard and School Brae past an old 18th Century water tower.
Once Kingston was an important shipbuilding port. Nothing now remains of the reach
where boats were built. From Garmouth cross the viaduct over the Spey and carry on
northwards to Spey Bay.
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8 Miles, 3 1/2 Hours, Easy – Moderate if you climb
the Binn Hill.
Sandy beach, shingle path, forest tracks and tarmac.
Buses run from Lossiemouth to Elgin and Garmouth
to Fochabers.
Park in Lossiemouth by the Lein in Kingston or at the end
of the viaduct cycle track. Ample car parking in Spey Bay
by the Tugnet Ice House.
Shop and bar food in Garmouth. Spey Bay Wildlife Centre
has a good café and gift shop.
None on route.
Explore Binn Hill with its magnificent views. Try dolphin
watching at Spey Bay – with help from the Moray Firth
Wildlife Centre.
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Spey Bay to Buckie – Dolphins, Ospreys
and tales about Spies
he mouth of the Spey at Tugnet is a great spectacle and is constantly being
reshaped – particularly during northerly gales and when there are heavy rains
upstream. The shingle comes originally from glacial meltwater streams. The Tugnet is
a historically interesting Ice House, still used for events and exhibitions. Next door the
Moray Firth Wildlife Centre is a great source of information. Follow the Speyside Way
(also now the Coastal Trail) to Portgordon and onto a cycle path. The track at the
mouth of the Gollachy Burn is an area rich with wild flowers and legend concerning
German spies who landed there were arrested in Portgordon. Passing through
Buckpool discover the Yardies conservation area, the perfect example of a seatown
settlement. Buckie Harbour is alive with working fishing boats, shipbuilding,
engineering and lifeboat station.
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7 Miles, 3 Hours, Easy.
Forest path, railway ballast, tarmac and cycleway.
Bus Services from Spey Bay, Buckie to Elgin.
Good parking at the Tugnet. Harbour parking in
Portgordon and Buckpool Harbour. Ample parking by
Buckie Harbour and the Buckie Drifter Museum.
Spey Bay Wildlife Centre, Portgordon newsagent. Cafes
and supermarkets in Buckie town centre.
Spey Bay Wildlife Centre and Buckie Harbour by wall
of Fishmarket.
Visit the Wildlife Centre. In reaching Buckie, visit the
Fishing Heritage Museum and the Buckie Drifter.
Hard Rock Highway – Strathlene to
Portknockie
rom Buckie Harbour follow the coast road through Portessie to a shoreline car park
at Strathlene. This is where the hard rocks of the Grampian Mountains hit the sea;
the roots of a massive mountain range which extended from Norway to modern day
Mexico. Follow the shoreline before ascending the cliff to the Strathlene Golf Course
and down again to Findochty, a classic fishertown harbour, now used by yachts and
leisure crafts. Beyond the town, the east beach has waders, gulls, razorbills and the
peregrines that prey on them. Here the Moray coastal trail joins the coastal cycle way
to Portknockie. Portknockie has a fisher town harbour, but also a pictish fort – the
Green Castle – and a long abandoned boat building industry in the rocky bay below
the town. Sea bird life is outstanding and much of it is concentrated on and around
the Bowfiddle Rock, a huge and much photographed rock arch. The clifftop plateau
has fine coastal heath and views as far as Troop Head near Fraserburgh.
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5 Miles, 2 Hours, Moderate to strenuous with rocky
surfaces, steep climbs and steps.
Grass, shingle, steps, tarmac and gravel tracks.
Bus Service to Elgin from Portknockie and Findochty.
Strathlene, below Golf Course Clubhouse and
Findochty Harbour.
Inns, bar food, chip shop and stores available in both
Findochty and Portknockie.
Near ‘Mannie’ Statue in Findochty harbour.
Portknockie has toilets at the harbour.
Walk the route and enjoy the views.
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3 Miles, 1 1/2 Hours along beach and through the coastal
town, Easy.
Sand and Tarmac.
Buses to Elgin.
West Beach car park off Stotfield Road. East Beach car
park to caravan complex at end of Church Street.
Cafes, restaurants, takeaways and supermarket in
Coulardbank.
In Station Park by Lossiemouth Harbour.
Two businesses in the Harbour offer sailing trips. Try bird
watching by the estuary.
Cullen Bay
own the long flight of steps from Portknockie to Cullen Beach, the path leads to a
lovely shoreline grassland. A low rock arch, the Whale’s Mou allows water to gush
beneath a section of rock headland. Bird life here includes stonechats, wheatears and
various seabirds. A spring called Jenny’s Well is home to wayside traditional herbs
such as sweet cicely, meadowsweet and comfrey. Follow the beach path to the Bay
past the preacher’s cave. In Cullen Bay, enjoy the sandy beach and look for the ‘Three
Kings’, jagged stacks of gleaming white quartzite marching in line out of the sea.
Cullen’s seatown next to the harbour is a beautiful terraced fishertown of low
cottages. The graceful and spectacular railway viaduct that dominates Cullen’s skyline,
now a cycleway was built according to historians to divert the railway from any
proximity to the Laird’s house. The Coastal Trail runs up Main Street beneath the
viaduct to the Square where it finishes. An alternative route follows a coastal path to
the Moray Boundary near Bykie’s Goat overlooking an old salmon fisher’s bothy and
returns via the Caravan Park and Cemetery to the Square.
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2 Miles, 3/4 - 1 Hour at leisurely pace, Moderate.
Stepped path, grass, shingle, rock skerries,gravel track
and tarmac.
Buses from Cullen to Elgin or Aberdeen via Fraserburgh.
Beach Road car park, Cullen Square and Portsoy road.
Hotels and Inns, Café in the Square, Ice Cream Shop.
Cullen Square and April to October at the beach.
Play on beach and enjoy an ice cream.