Head to Scotland’s northeast coast and you’ll find the stunning Moray Firth, a vast inlet of the North Sea that borders three historic counties of the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire.
Moray comes from the marriage of the Celtic words Mur (sea) and Tav (side) to become Mur’av, a fitting location descriptor: seaside. With over 500 miles of coastline, the Moray Firth is a scenic playground for lovers of watersports and walking, and home to countless charming communities that have called this place home for millennia. It’s also known for its abundant dolphin population, who swim in the region’s waters alongside other captivating creatures including otters, porpoises and whales. It’s these species, and other distinct flora and fauna, that make this a wondrous wildlife-watching hub.
When to go
Head to the region in the summer, when warm, dry weather lets you fully explore the area and taste local culture. Plus, many of the region’s attractions – from castles to whisky distilleries – are seasonal; they only open to the public during spring and summer.
Don’t miss
Unmissable highlights along the Moray Firth are best discovered via coastal walking and biking. These afford plenty of opportunities for beachcombing, as well as the chance to explore stunning natural features and heritage sites. But there are also some great places to swim in the bracing waters of the North Sea, and warm up again afterwards in a wood-fired mobile sauna: a tradition imported from Scandinavia that modern Scots are embracing wholeheartedly.
Explore the Moray Coastal Trail
From Forres to Cullen, this 72km trail winds across sandy beaches, wild cliffs and friendly fishing villages. It’s well-marked and relatively flat, making it one of Scotland’s most accessible long-distance routes. Choose to walk it fully or pick and choose a section to explore. And if biking’s more your thing, switch to two wheels for a truly picturesque pedal.
Backdropped against an endless pinewood forest, the white sandy beaches of Roseisle are popular among locals, with forest infrastructure such as BBQ pits and additional woodland trails designed around summer days out. History buffs will also enjoy a day out here, as a series of concrete blocks, which once acted as defences from invasion in World War Two, also line the coast.
Sea defences including anti-tank traps and concrete pillboxes dating from the Second World War on Roseisle Beach, Moray.
But those aren’t the only features to look out for. At the picturesque village of Portknockie, the infamous jaggedy points of Bow Fiddle Rock jut out of the sea at the shoreline edge; its resemblance to the tip of a bow/fiddle gives its namesake.
And when the tide is out, walkers can marvel at the numerous caves dotted along the way. Descend the cliffs between Lossiemouth and Hopeman to walk along sea-level rocks. Eventually, you’ll encounter Sculptor’s Cave, a 3,000-year-old cave that’s been a place of significance for communities since the Neolithic era. Evidence includes Pictish carvings (AD 600-800) and artefacts from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
Sauna by the sea
Sauna culture is swelling in the UK, and the Moray Firth hosts one of the most superb locations for getting your steam on.
Watershed Sauna is a wood-fired mobile sauna based in Findhorn. The sauna sits atop low-lying coastal cliffs, delivering panoramic sea views. On a clear day, see as far as Wick in the far north of Scotland (over 50 miles away) and the mountains beyond. Look a little closer and you might also spot local wildlife such as dolphins, seals and basking sharks.
Or step into a wood-fired barrel sauna with Sauna at the Kings, Cullen. Its perfectly framed view highlights the impressive surrounding coastal scenery and makes for a rejuvenating seaside activity – no matter the weather.
Relaxing sea views from Watershed Sauna in Findhorn.
Tarlair
Walk through history at Tarlair, near MacDuff in Aberdeenshire, one of three remaining outdoor swimming pools in Scotland. Completed in 1931, this Art Deco building sits at the base of a sea cliff. While not in use today, visitors can still bask in the same stunning views locals once enjoyed nearly a century ago.
Adventures on the doorstep
Watersports
Get your surf on with the New Wave Surf School, based close to Lossiemouth’s picturesque East Beach. Formed on a coastal spit, this endless stretch of sand and sea is accessed via footbridge and offers some of the region’s best surf opportunities. The school also offers lessons and equipment hire for nearby locations.
Located between Portsoy and Cullen, Sandend is another location frequented by surf veterans with the area often compared to Cornwall’s surf scene. For the best conditions, head out in winter and spring.
Waves crashing on East Beach outside Lossiemouth, just after sunrise.
Other watersports such as paddleboarding and kayaking are also popular. This is the best mode for exploring the infinite hidden coves along the coastline, which are not easily accessible via land. Take the coves between Hopeman and Lossiemouth: when the sun shines, these coves become a sandy paradise, ready to host your best beach day yet.
Year-round, both locals and tourists flock to the waters for wild swimming. Look out for the numerous swimming groups dotted across the firth. In some places, sea swimming is even part of long-standing traditions. Brave souls in Burghead, for example, B-line to the water for their annual Boxing Day Swim. Now in its 38th year, many adorn fancy dress to add to the vibrancy of this community event, helping to raise even more money for multiple local charities. Participation is open to all.
Bouldering
The north-facing sandstone sea cliffs at Cummingston entice climbers from across the globe. Its dynamic crags provide a satisfying challenge for all climbing abilities. In the summer months, it’s the perfect place to rewild the soul. Sunset climbs with the lull of waves behind? Yes, please.
Its slightly hidden location also adds to its adventurous feel. If travelling from Elgin, drive towards Hopeman via B9012. Between Hopeman and Cummingston, turn right just before a white memorial. Park at the car park next to a children’s play area, then walk five minutes along the disused railway to begin bouldering.
Cummingston Stacks in Moray on the northeast coast of Scotland.
Golf
Known as the home of golf, Scotland already attracts keen players globally. But for a hole-in-one by the sea? There’s no finer place than the Moray Firth. Choose from the region’s whopping 15+ courses, including the idyllic seaside links courses at Cullen, Hopeman and Lossiemouth.
Ideal stepping stone to Scotland’s most famous routes
The Moray Firth overlaps with parts of the North Coast 500 and the North East 250, which traverse Scotland’s stunning coastal scenery in the north. By bike or car, start your journey on the Moray Firth roads. While much flatter than the route’s western side, enjoy endless countryside views as you travel up to prime locations such as the impressive stately home of Dunrobin Castle, which dates back to 1275, and John O’Groats, the UK’s most northerly point.
Whisky
For a different type of adventure, sample a taste of local culture via the Malt Whisky Trail, a network of local distilleries that sit parallel to the Moray Firth. The trail encompasses seven world-famous whisky distilleries, including the Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Macallan and Speyside Cooperage.
Local waters have fed traditional distillery processes for generations, creating flavours that are now firmly-footed in a local culture celebrated worldwide.
The historic Glen Moray distillery is a Speyside distillery producing single malt scotch whisky. Situated on the banks of the River Lossie in Elgin, Moray, the distillery started production in September 1897.
Flora and fauna
From otters to white-tailed sea eagles, the Moray Firth is one of the best places in the UK to spot sea wildlife – particularly dolphins, of which around 130 live in these waters. That’s why the Scottish Dolphin Centre, run by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), now call it home. Operating from Spey Bay, the centre offers informative dolphin and whale-watching experiences and it’s completely free to visit.
Dolphins – and some whale species – are predominantly crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk. So, head to the beach during these times to maximise your chances of spotting them. Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins and Risso’s dolphin all swim in these waters. Sightings increase greatly with calm weather and during rising tide (around two hours after low tide) when their food source (fish) is most abundant.
Bottlenose dolphins are a common sight in the Moray Firth, where they often jump out of the water, to the delight of marine wildlife watchers.
Look out for their Cetacean cousins, too. In the summer months (between May and September), two orca pods – namely 27s and 64s – travel between Iceland and the Moray Firth to hunt and raise young. Head out on one of the many wildlife-watching boat tours departing from Inverness Marinato learn more.
Numerous bird species also call the Moray Firth home, whether for all or part of the year. These include large numbers of waders, such as oystercatchers, curlew, dunlins and redshanks, which typically signal the presence of the peregrine falcon, a formidable hunter and the world’s fastest animal.
Locations such as Burghead and Spey Bay are known for their flocks of wintering sea ducks such as common and velvet Scoters, long-tailed ducks and eider. Many of these arrive around October and typically stay out at sea, making summer a quieter time for birdwatching. Lucky twitchers might still catch sight of osprey, which roam the Moray Firth between April and September.
Ardea herodias, the Great Blue Heron, close by the shore in the Moray Firth, in the orange light of sunset.
Red kites, once almost hunted to extinction in the UK, can now be spotted in the Inverness and Ross-shire area after their successful reintroduction in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Swathes of gorse bushes line much of the Moray Firth coastline, lighting up shores with its sunny yellow between January and June (peak blossom in April/May), but flowering can occur sporadically throughout the year. Many associate this region with the flower’s distinct sweet smell: coconut.
Other local plantlife includes the rare oyster plant, which grows on the UK’s northern shores – blossoming into a delicate bluebell blue in summer – as well as abundant fern and moss species, Caledonian pine and broadleaf woodland.
Where to stay, eat and drink
A bustling bunch of villages and towns line the Moray Firth, all with distinct qualities, traditions and amenities. Not sure where to start? Try these:
Inverness
The cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness has been voted one of the ‘Best Places to Travel in 2025’. It’s a walkable city built around the banks of the River Ness. Among quaint 18th-century architecture, explore a range of amenities, from outdoor stores to hearty restaurants and cafés.
The city is also an ideal stepping stone for adventures further afield. Get to popular spots such as Ullapool in 1 hour 20 minutes and Aviemore in under 40 minutes.
Inverness is handily situated where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth and is known as the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands.
Findhorn
A little bit of magic in Scotland’s northeast, Findhorn blends the bayside communities of an ex-fishing village and an eco-village that first took root in 1962. Internationally renowned, the work of Findhorn Ecovillage centres around low-carbon practices, spirituality and creativity. It even places in the World Economic Forum’s top five coolest eco-villages.
Findhorn derives its name from the Celtic Fionn Èire, meaning ‘white Ireland’, likely referring to the pristine long stretch of sandy beach and bay. It makes an irresistible walk and swim destination year-round, with plenty of local options to fuel up. Grab a stellar barista coffee and freshly-made sausage bun (vegan options available) from the locally-loved shop, The Bakehouse, which also sells organic seasonal produce. Or opt for a sit-down meal at the Captain’s Table or the Kimbely Inn, the local pub; both perch on the water’s edge.
Nairn
For those seeking seaside nurturing, this friendly coastal town features a spa, hotel, endless beach, vibrant shops and two championship golf courses.
Culbin forest, home to one of the largest sand dune systems in the UK, is also nearby. Walkers can enjoy the excellent infrastructure, including well-marked trails and a high wooden tower, which delivers panoramic views across Moray and beyond on a clear day.
Hopeman
Head to Hopeman for some of the region’s best seaside walking, thanks to idyllic views and nods to history. The stretch of Moray Coastal Trail between Hopeman and Lossiemouth winds through pretty undulating trails, passing dinosaur footprints, Covsea viewpoint and trails to Duffus, home of the prestigious Gordonstoun boarding school. Eventually, you reach Covesea Lighthouse, a fully operational lighthouse on the verges of Lossiemouth (fun fact: it also featured in BBC drama The Crown).
While you won’t find as many amenities in this small seaside village, seafood lovers will still relish the locally-loved fish and chip shop – best enjoyed on the beach, of course – and the Bootlegger’s Bothy, which serves up freshly-made food on Dory the Double Decker bus in the summer months.
Covesea Skerries Lighthouse, originally built by Alan Stevenson and belonging to the Northern Lighthouse Board, stands on top of a small headland on the south coast of the Moray Firth at Covesea, near Lossiemouth.
Lossiemouth
Nicknamed the ‘Jewel of the Moray Firth’, Lossiemouth is a former fishing town and port that once belonged to the nearby municipality of Elgin. Today it’s a seaside haven featuring not one, but two long sandy beaches. Amenities include numerous shops and cafés, from Gulay’s, a Turkish patisserie, to The Re:Store, an award-winning sustainable-refill shop. Learn about the town’s fascinating history at the quaint harbour-side Fisheries & Communities Museum.
Portsoy
Portsoy is a pretty port village between Inverness and Aberdeen. You’ll find the famous family-run ice cream parlour in the quirky hillside village centre before strolling down to the peaceful harbour, often filled with colourful fishing boats. It’s the perfect place for hosting the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, an annual celebration of boat building, sailing and associated crafts (think: knotting, weaving and embroidery) – all to the tune of locally-performed music.
How to get there
Via car and bus
The area is well networked with roads, making transport via car ideal. But regular bus services also run between the coastal towns and villages.
Via train
Once a key railway region, the counties of the Moray Firth have held onto excellent train links. You’ll find a station in most larger towns, such as Inverness, Forres and Wick. For smaller coastal destinations such as Burghead, Hopeman and Lossiemouth, for example, head to Elgin train station before opting for a bus or taxi.
Via plane
Arrive at Inverness airport and you’re only a stone’s throw away from starting your Moray Firth adventure.
Travelling within Moray
For speed, traverse the northern-east coastline of the Moray Firth along the A96, which runs between Inverness and Aberdeen and passes through most major towns. But for the views, take the coastal route along smaller country roads, rewarding you with views across the Firth as you wind through the region’s smaller villages.
For northbound travel from Inverness, follow the A9.
Sophie Ranson is a freelance writer and researcher with a specialist interest in environment, health and sports subjects. An experienced ultra runner, wild swimmer and yoga teacher, she splits her time between London and Scotland.
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