Archaeological remains hint at a fairly large local population in the Stone and Bronze Ages, although the region’s more tangible history kicks off in the 4th century, when the Picts occupied the area. It spent several hundred years under Pictish rule until Kenneth I united the region with the lands of the Scots in the 9th century, and after several bloody battles against Vikings, the ancient province subsequently provided two 11th-century kings (including Macbeth) to the Scottish throne. Later, Robert the Bruce designated the county of Moray as an earldom, gifting it to his nephew in the early 14th century. The rippling unrest of the English Civil Wars saw many local villages decimated, but by the 1700s, the Scottish Enlightenment witnessed a rise in living standards, with new harbours and fertile farmland. The Highland Clearances had their own impact on the region, with many displaced locals emigrating across the Atlantic. On a more positive note, the arrival of the railways in 1850s helped transport fresh seafood to market, boosting the Moray fishing industry. Today, the region’s main sources of income lie in timber, whisky, and livestock.
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