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St Giles' Church on the Plainstones in Elgin, its columned front behind the war memorial and its bronze figure.
Morayshire

Elgin

Moray's handsome county town, a royal burgh since the 1100s, with a great ruined cathedral, a cobbled high street and whisky and cashmere all around.

Welcome

Elgin is the county town of Moray, a place of grey stone and wide streets, and one with a long history.

It was already well established when David the First made it a royal burgh in 1136, and in 1224 the cathedral of Moray moved here, beside the River Lossie.

That cathedral, the Lantern of the North, is the town's great sight, a soaring ruin a few minutes' walk from the centre, with the Biblical Garden beside it. On Lady Hill, where the royal castle once stood, a tall column carries a statue of the Duke of Gordon, and the view over the rooftops is fine.

From the 1820s Elgin rebuilt itself in elegant classical style, and the cobbled Plainstones, with St Giles' Church, its fountain and the Dandy Lion, is its heart. Johnstons of Elgin has been making cashmere by the river since 1797, and the distilleries of Speyside are close at hand.

Close byOrrin RestaurantA modern Scottish restaurant in Elgin, cooking seasonal produce for an à la carte menu and an eight-course tasting menu with wines.2 min by roadSee itCrystal chandelier hangs above set tables with wine glasses in a dark green dining room
Before you go

A town to walk at any hour; shops and sights keep their own hours.

Where
On the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.
Royal burgh
1136.
See
The cathedral, Lady Hill and the Plainstones.
Where it is

On the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.

Close byElgin.
  1. Lion-mermaid statue in top hat stands beneath a rainbow on Elgin high streetDandy Lion StatueThe top-hatted lion on the Plainstones.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Bookshop interior with shelves of colourful titles and a central display tableYeadon's of ElginAn independent bookseller and stationer in Elgin, with a bright shop of well-stocked shelves and room to browse.Under a mile2 min by road
  3. Framed landscape painting on stone wall above a leather dining chairThe Drouthy CobblerUnder a mile2 min by road
  4. Elgin CathedralElgin CathedralThe great ruined cathedral by the Lossie.Under a mile3 min by road
  5. Stone building with gabled dormers beside a clock tower flying the Union flagJohnstons of ElginThe cashmere mill by the river.1 mile4 min by road
Directions
Crystal chandelier hangs above set tables with wine glasses in a dark green dining roomRestaurantsOrrin Restaurant0.5 miles
Concrete anti-tank blocks stretch through pine trees in straight formationAttractionsLossie Forest2.0 miles
Ruined stone castle towers rise among bare trees on a grassy hillAttractionsSpynie Palace2.8 miles
Wooden footbridge leading to the ruined castle atop a grassy moundAttractionsDuffus Castle5.1 miles
Green shepherd's hut café with parasol, customer ordering at the hatchCafeKula Coffee Hut5.1 miles
The Gatehouse, MorayshireMorayshireThe GatehouseSleeps 4 · 5.4 miles
A yellow-harled tower house with battlements flies a flag above conical yew trees and a lawn.MorayshireInnes HouseSleeps 38 · 5.4 miles
A white harled farmhouse with a slate roof and chimneys stands amid greenery under a blue sky.MorayshireViewfield FarmhouseSleeps 8 · 5.4 miles
Bay window overlooking a golf course, table and green chairs insideAttractionsMoray Golf Club5.8 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the town, and when each is next free.

The Gatehouse, MorayshireThe Gatehouse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Morayshire
  • 4 miles from Elgin
Check datesA yellow-harled tower house with battlements flies a flag above conical yew trees and a lawn.Innes House
  • Sleeps 38
  • In Morayshire
  • 4 miles from Elgin
Check datesA white harled farmhouse with a slate roof and chimneys stands amid greenery under a blue sky.Viewfield Farmhouse
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Morayshire
  • 4 miles from Elgin
Check datesThe timber cabin lit at dusk against a pink sky, a hot tub steaming on the deck beside two chairs.Callie Bothy
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Morayshire
  • 6 miles from Elgin
Free 16–18 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in MorayshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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