Morayshire

Plenty of Activities to Enjoy

Inland, the scenery is just as beguiling – rising from the coast to miles of heather hills (ideal for walking), which stretch deep into the Grampian region. There are great fishing rivers such as the Findhorn and the Lossie and distilleries along the Whisky Trail that produce some of the finest and best-known whiskies in the world. Most of them offer tours and tastings for visitors.

The favourable climate and wooded river walks, gorges, sandy bays, cliffs and coves, make Morayshire a great holiday destination. Although the area is mainly rural with thriving agricultural and food industries, it has numerous visitor attractions to explore including castles, Pitish sites and ecclesiastical buildings. There are also activities such as watersports, fly fishing, golf, walking and mountain biking to enjoy.

With over 50 distilleries, the region has the greatest concentration of malt whiskey distilleries in Scotland and is famed for having the only Malt Whiskey Trail in the world, as well as the Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival. Also worth visiting is Speyside Cooperage near Craigellachie where they make and repair about 100,000 oak casks for whiskey each year.

Dolphin in the Moray Firth

Towns to Visit

The city of Elgin is the smallest in Scotland but it has a flourishing city centre and has many attractions including one of Britain's oldest museums, the ruins of Elgin Catherdral, the Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere Mills and the nearby Baxters of Fochabers.

The traditional Highland town of Grantown-on-Spey is an ideal location to tackle many outdoor pursuits including walking, fishing, golf, rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, and mountaineering or you can visit the town's museum, its annual show or Highland Games. Highland Games also take place in Aberlour, Forres and Dufftown.

Other attractions to visit in the area include the castles Duffus, Brodie and Auchindoun and the Spynie Palace, the Fochabers Folk Museum and Heritage Centre, the Keith and Dufftown Railway and East Grange where you can partake in quad biking, dirt karting, laser tag and archery and shooting.