Spynie Palace – The Bishops' Castle and Lunch in Lossiemouth
A few hours.
The route
Spynie Palace was the castle of the bishops of Moray for about five hundred years, and its great tower still stands over the fields just north of Elgin, on what was once the shore of a sea loch.
This is a morning among the ruins, then lunch by the marina in Lossiemouth, the harbour town that took over as Elgin's port once the sea had gone from Spynie.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Lunch tables are booked by phone on 01343 814622.
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The day
Spynie
A morning at the bishops' palace, then a short drive north to lunch on the quay in Lossiemouth.
Spynie Palace
An attraction
Spynie Palace stands just north of Elgin, with parking at the palace. For about five hundred years this was the home of the bishops of Moray, who kept their castle here even after their cathedral moved to Elgin. The great tower, David's Tower, is named after Bishop David Stewart, who was bishop from 1462 to 1476 and began it. It rises 22 metres over the ruined ranges round the courtyard, and few tower houses in Scotland are bigger. Mary Queen of Scots stayed in 1562. Back then the castle sat on Loch Spynie, a sea loch where boats could lie in shelter, until storms banked sand and shingle across its mouth. From 1 April to 30 September the palace opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm, with last entry at 4pm, and closes for an hour at lunchtime; Historic Environment Scotland's page has the latest times.
9 min by car
The Harbour Lights
Lunch
It's 9 minutes' drive north to Lossiemouth and the Harbour Lights, a café on Pitgaveny Quay with the boats of the marina in front of it. The town grew as Elgin's port once the sea had left Spynie, and the north end of the marina is the small harbour opened here in 1835. Breakfasts run all day, from smoked haddock to eggs benedict, alongside soups, sandwiches, main courses, a daily specials board and a children's menu, with scones and cakes baked fresh.
If it rains
David's Tower is roofless, so on a wet day keep the visit short and take longer over lunch.
Photograph by Phil Conkie via Google
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