Findhorn Bay – Geese, Waders and Seals in Winter
A few hours.
The route
Findhorn Bay is a wide tidal basin behind the village of Findhorn, with the pines of Culbin along its far shore, and from autumn to spring it's full of birds.
Redshank and wigeon feed on the mud, sea ducks ride the swell off the bay's mouth, and at dusk thousands of pink-footed geese come in to roost. It's a lovely winter afternoon's walk for anyone with a pair of binoculars and a warm coat.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Culbin Edge, 6 miles away. Sleeps 4; next free Mon 9 Nov to Wed 11 Nov.
The day
Findhorn Bay
An afternoon on foot round the edge of Findhorn Bay, from the beach at its mouth to the shore south of the village. Stay until the light goes, when the geese come home to roost.
About three hoursAbout 2 miles on foot
Findhorn
An attraction
Park in the West Beach car park beside Findhorn Marina, following the signs through the village rather than a satnav; it's £1 a day at the time of writing, and the toilets beside it are seasonal. The walk is flat, round the edge of the bay from the beach over the dunes, through the village and along the foreshore to the south. Eiders often feed off the mouth of the bay, and from October long-tailed ducks, scoters and divers ride the swell further out, so a telescope or good binoculars help. In winter this shore has big numbers of redshank and a little flock of turnstones. Wigeon and pintail gather on the far side of the bay, and they're best seen from the village at lower water, before the rising tide pushes them south. Seals haul out on the sands at the bay's edge, where signs say it's an offence to approach them, so watch from well back. From mid-September pink-footed geese arrive in their thousands, and at dusk they fly in to roost at the bay's southern end. Sunset is about 4pm in mid-November and 3.30pm at Christmas. Stay off the sandbanks, as the tide comes back fast, keep a dog close, and bring a torch for the walk back.
If it rains
There is no shelter on the walk: on a wet, windy afternoon the birds are hard to watch, so choose a dry day.
The Captain's Table, a restaurant in Findhorn.
Crown & Anchor Inn, a restaurant in Findhorn.
Photograph by Mia Sabel via Google