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Beaches
in Moray.

It’s 20:03 in Moray.
Morayshire

Sand on the Moray Firth.

The Moray coast has lovely beaches, many of them quiet. There are seven miles of sand running east from Findhorn, backed by dunes and beach huts, a golden curve with rock pools at Hopeman, and a secluded cove under gorse cliffs near Cullen. At Spey Bay, where the river meets the sea, you might see dolphins from the shingle. Bring binoculars and a flask.

Sunnyside Beach→
Hopeman East Beach→
Nairn Beach→
Spey Bay→
Findhorn Beach→
Beach of the day18 hours ago

Sunnyside Beach.

A secluded sandy cove below cliffs of gorse between Cullen and Findlater Castle, reached on foot and often almost empty.

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From our guide16 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.

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Free14 hours agoMorayshireSpey BayAttractionMorayshireHopeman East BeachAttractionMorayshireFindhorn BeachAttractionMorayshireSunnyside BeachAttractionInvernessNairn BeachAttraction

Free to visit.

Beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints and stones: nothing to pay and nobody to ask.

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From our guide10 hours ago

Spey Bay.

This glorious coastal reserve packs in plenty, from the longest shingle beach in Scotland to wildlife that includes ospreys, butterflies, and bottlenose dolphins. You’ll find it where the River Spey meets the Moray Firth – call in at the Scottish Dolphin Centre to find out more about the area’s remarkable fauna.

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From the magazine9 hours agoThe printed copy of Issue 02Issue 02Spring / Summer 2021

Between November and March, the Moray coast east of Inverness is likely to get more sunshine than London, by the Met Office's figures, and less rain than the English average.

Victorian visitors noticed it too. Many wrote of their surprise at the mild climate and early harvests of north-east Scotland, and the Moray coast became a popular place to holiday. Even in the gloom of midwinter, seaside villages such as Findhorn, Hopeman, Findochty and Cullen are often bathed in golden light. Kinloss, for example, averages 624mm of rain a year, against 790mm at Eastbourne on England's south coast. The promise of drier days tempts walkers onto the Moray Coast Trail, 44 miles of beaches, coastal paths, quiet roads and old railways between Cullen and Forres, with views across the Moray Firth to the hills of Sutherland.

Read the full story in Issue 02
Morayshire7 hours ago

The first village of Findhorn, on the Moray coast, stood a mile to the north-west and was lost to the sea.

Findhorn Beach runs along the shore by the village of Findhorn, near Forres on the Moray coast, and marks the western edge of Burghead Bay. Painted beach huts stand along the top of the sand, and seals are often seen basking at the top of the bay.

Find out more about Findhorn Beach
Somewhere to go5 hours ago

Findhorn Beach, Morayshire.

Seven miles of sand running east from Findhorn, backed by dunes and a line of brightly painted beach huts.

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From our guide1 hour ago

Clashach Cove.

A favourite with photographers, the exquisitely pretty Clashach Cove – sometimes called Cove Bay – is renowned not just for the caves and arches that flank its beach but for the area’s geology. It’s considered one of the best places in the country to see faults in layers of sandstone.

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From our guideJust now

Bow Fiddle Rock.

This geological – and highly photogenic – offshore oddity takes its name from its similarity to the tip of a fiddle bow. If that sounds like an odd comparison to make with a natural sea arch, then the reality is just as eyebrow-raising: a limb of rock slanting steeply out of the waves, looking ready to snap at any moment. An iconic sight along the Moray coastline.

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BeachesJust now

Nairn Beach.

The long sandy beach by the harbour at Nairn, with a promenade, a breakwater and its white beacon, dunes, and wide views across the Moray Firth.

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