Hidden Scotland
Sign in

Places to visit
in Moray.

It’s 22:08 in Moray.
Morayshire

Rivers, whisky and a dolphin coast.

Moray Speyside runs from the clear waters of the Spey to a coast of sea stacks, coves and fishing villages on the Moray Firth. More than half of Scotland's distilleries are said to be here, along the river and its glens. There's a great ruined cathedral at Elgin, castles on hills and lochs, and dolphins in the bay at Spey Bay. Highland Games fill the summer. These are the places in Moray Speyside we think are most worth your time.

CastlesBeachesDistilleriesGardensVillagesAbbeysWalks
From our archive21 hours agoMorayshireLogie SteadingMorayshireNelson's TowerMorayshirePluscarden AbbeyMorayshirePortknockieAberdeenshirePortsoy Ice CreamMorayshireSidings Cafe

Moray this autumn, in our photographs.

Six places in Moray, each as we found it.

Read the guide
Places to visit21 hours ago

Loch an Eilein Castle.

A ruined island castle of the late 14th century on Loch an Eilein, refuge from the war bands of the Thieves' Road.

See the place
From our guide21 hours ago

Sueno’s Stone.

Now here’s something you don’t see every day. This vast, seven-metre tall Pictish cross-slab is the largest surviving stone of its kind, and notable not just for its size but its detailed sandstone carvings of knotwork and human figures. Dating back to the early medieval period, it’s now housed in a clear protective shelter.

See the place
Did you know21 hours ago

Cardhu has planted an orchard to echo the orchard-fruit notes in its single malt.

The trees are expected to take around two decades to mature. The apple and pear kept under glass beside the bottles here point to the same flavours.

See Cardhu Distillery · Morayshire
Did you know20 hours ago

The Grant family of Glenfiddich only began blending whisky because their biggest customer, the Pattisons of Leith, went bust in 1898.

When the Leith firm collapsed in December 1898, the Grants were left without their largest buyer. So they began blending their own whisky, and went on to build export markets in many countries. The early blend that did best took its name from the old slogan of Clan Grant: 'Stand fast Craigellachie'.

See Glenfiddich Distillery · Morayshire
Places to visit20 hours ago

Sluie Walk.

A walk along the edge of the River Findhorn's deep gorge near Forres, on a narrow path high above the water, linking with Randolph's Leap and Logie.

See the place
From Issue 2 of Hidden Scotland magazineIssue 220 hours ago

The Story of Speyside

Christopher Coates on how Speyside became the home of malt whisky, from George IV calling for Glenlivet in Edinburgh in 1822 to the smugglers, taxes and Highland line behind it.

Read the story
From our guide20 hours ago

Hopeman East Beach.

One village, two beaches. The harbour headland at Hopeman separates its sands into the West Beach and the East Beach: both have their selling points, but the latter is the largest, drawing everyone from surfers and rock-poolers to dolphin-watchers.

See the place
Places to visit19 hours ago

Carrbridge Golf Club.

A nine-hole course above Carrbridge, played for over a hundred years, rising to a thousand feet with views across the Cairngorms.

See the place
From our archive19 hours ago

Speyside Cooperage, Morayshire.

A working cooperage near Craigellachie, making and mending whisky casks since 1947, with a viewing gallery above the coopers at work.

See the place
From the magazine19 hours ago

The Moray Coast Trail runs 50 miles from Findhorn to Cullen, along a shore once named among the world's most beautiful by National Geographic.

This long-distance walk snakes along the shoreline from one end of the coast to the other, taking in cliffs, beaches, caves, coves and fishing villages on the way. It makes the perfect showcase for the Moray coast, with its pale sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and characterful little fishing villages. You can walk the whole trail, or simply pick a stretch for a day out with a flask. At its eastern end, Cullen makes a fine place to finish, a former royal burgh by the sea with a looming eight-arched viaduct.

Read the full story in Issue 9
From our archive19 hours ago

Spynie Palace, Morayshire.

The largest surviving medieval bishop's house in Scotland, home of the bishops of Moray for 500 years, with the great David's Tower.

See the place