Rated one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, the Moray Coast greets the eye with pretty fishing villages and dramatic cliff formations. The Moray Coast Trail is designated one of Scotland’s Great Trails.

Ranging between the royal burghs of Forres and Cullen, it is traversable by walkers, cyclist and horse riders alike and offers an ideal way to experience this impressive shoreline.

If you enjoy a more punishing physical challenge, why not bag a munro? Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3000ft,  and was named after Sir Hugh Munro in 1891, of which the Cairngorm National Park has over 50 to choose from. Cairn Gorm may have given its name to the mountain range but it isn’t its tallest; that would be Ben Macdui. 

A popular, but challenging, 11-mile hike up both of these munros affords you the closest experience of this unspoilt wilderness. It’s not for the faint-hearted…

The River Spey is world famous for its excellent salmon and trout fishing. One of Scotland’s longest rivers, it can also boast of being the fastest. Moray’s third great river, the Findhorn, with its sequence of riffles, shallow runs and deep pools, travels north to Findhorn Bay and meets stretches of fine sandy coastline as far as the eye can see.

Here, and at Moray Firth, the marine nature lover can spot bottlenose dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea otters and minke whales from the shore or take a boat trip for a closer inspection. Seabirds also thrive in this unspoilt landscape. During the Summer, puffins, guillemots, gannets, fulmars, shags, kittiwakes, razorbills and ospreys make themselves at home.

The story of Scotch Whisky is inextricably linked to the story of Moray Speyside distilleries. Follow the Malt Whisky Trail to discover this fascinating aspect of Scotland’s history from illicit distilling in heather-covered hills to the fine whisky production associated with the area today.

Speyside distilleries produce everything from global brands like Aberlour, Glenfiddich and Macallan to boutique gems such as Tamdhu and Cragganmore. The Malt Whisky Trail offers a unique insight into the history of whisky production. With generations of distilling experience to impart,  experts are on hand to give you all the clues necessary to discover the delights contained in each bottle.

Perhaps a round of golf is more your thing? Moray has a plethora of prestigious golf clubs. Royal Dornoch is ranked one of the world’s top ten and Nairn Golf Club, host to the Walker and Curtis Cups, is within easy reach of the house.

A little further along is Castle Stuart with its sweeping fairways and striking views. There are many more to choose from, too. Be careful not to strike your ball into the sea, though!