A Day in Moray Full Of Surprises
Written by Graeme Johncock
The region of Moray isn’t as well-known as some of its near neighbours, but it has a way of surprising you. One moment you’re gazing up at a soaring cathedral, the next it’s an enormous, 1000-year-old Pictish stone and before you know it, a beautiful coastline stretches into the distance. There’s a lot you can pack into just one day in Moray!
Elgin Cathedral
The gargantuan ruins of Elgin Cathedral dominate the region’s main town. Known as the “Lantern of the North,” even in ruins, it’s an impressive site. It’s seen its fair share of turmoil over the last 800 years, being burned down in the late 1300s by the dreaded “Wolf of Badenoch”....
Spynie Palace
Elgin Cathedral isn’t the beginning of the story though. Not far outside of the town lies Spynie Palace, once the location of the Cathedral of Moray. Before Elgin was constructed, Bishops could choose which church would be their cathedral and Spynie often held that honour! Eventually, this became the Bishop’s...
Sueno’s Stone
Tucked away down a dead end road, surrounded by houses in Forres, you’ll find one of the most impressive stones in all of Scotland. Standing at an enormous 6.5 metres, Sueno’s Stone is the tallest surviving Pictish cross-slab in Scotland. Carved in the 9th century, this monolith is carved with...
Cafe 1496
This is a very dog-friendly café that Molly and I usually eat at when we’re in Forres. There’s great coffee to go along with all-day breakfasts, burgers and usually a delicious special on the board!
Burghead Pictish Centre
At first glance, Burghead looks like your average, quaint, Scottish fishing village, one of many dotted along the coast here. However, just like Moray itself, this is somewhere that can really surprise you. Around 1200 years ago, this was the largest Pictish Fort anywhere in Scotland! Much of the battlements...
Duffus Castle
There aren’t many castles in Scotland that look like Duffus. The thick stone walls we see today were built in the 1300s, but the grassy mound that they sit atop dates back to an even earlier 1100s motte and bailey. Unfortunately, that mound was never designed to hold so much...
Lossiemouth
End your day back by the seaside, in the picturesque wee town of Lossiemouth. Once the busy port for the major royal burgh of Elgin, the current town has replaced four older villages that stood in its boundaries. It’s a bustling place, with plenty of wee cafes and shops. My...
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