NAIRN

The 18th century travelling companions Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell were not very impressed with Nairn when they reached it on their Scottish tour. According to Boswell: "Though a county town and a royal burgh, it is a miserable place." No doubt plenty of people today would disagree with this sentiment, particularly in view of Nairn's stunning sandy beaches. A century after Boswell and Johnson's visit, Nairn was dubbed "the Brighton of Scotland", not least due to its exceptionally high sunshine quota. Nairn started life as a herring port, and this part of its history is recalled by the narrow streets of the old fishing district known as Fishertown, next to the harbour. The coming of the railway sealed the town's fate as a major Scottish resort, and during the same period one Dr John Grigor worked tirelessly to promote the town as a health resort.

The sandy beaches stretch away from the harbour to both east and west. The West Beach is home to the Nairn Golf Club, one of two golf clubs in the town: the other one is the Nairn Dunbar Golf Club. As for the town, the main shopping area includes the site of Nairn Castle, built in the 1100s and demolished in 1585. The town is built around the mouth of the River Nairn, which was probably the site of a Norse settlement. The fascinating Nairn Museum contains both local relics and artefacts from around the world, brought back by local adventurers.

Each year in August Nairn hosts a Highland Games event. Highland Games are an enduring feature of Scotland. Held in a number of venues around the country, they are like a Scottish version of the Olympics, with such riveting events as the "tossing of the caber", during which a long pole made of pine is hoisted into the air, or the "hammer throw", which involves whirling a metal ball around the head and tossing it over the shoulder. The Games are preceded by the rousing sight of bagpipers parading through the streets. There are also displays of highland dancing. For a sample of the delights on offer, see this video.

Map of the area.

Tidal Channels at Nairn - geograph.org.uk - 185012. Photo by Gary Rogers, via Wikimedia Commons.

CULBIN FOREST

The area now occupied by Culbin Forest used to be farmland, with the village of Culbin at its centre. However, a succession of storms caused the village to be overwhelmed by sand, which also engulfed the farmlands. The Forestry Commission created a forest here in the 1920s, and over the years this has become a haven for some of Scotland's most iconic wildlife species: ospreys, wild cats and the largest game bird in Britain, the flamboyant capercaillie. Those visiting during the Spring months may be lucky enough to witness the capercaillie's entertaining mating ritual, which consists of a good deal of preening and showing off of feathers accompanied by a cacophany of popping and "drumming", sounding for all the world like some strange piece of modern percussion music.

As for the shoreline adjoining the forest, there are dunes and an RSPB Reserve called Culbin Sands where twitchers can clock up species such as shelduck, ringed plovers, velvet scoters, bar-tailed godwits, greylag geese and knots. Winter is a particularly good time to visit, when the sands provide a safe haven for waders and sea ducks and are visited by pale-bellied brent geese.

Map of the area.

Culbin Forest, Scotland. Photo by Shardalow, via Wikimedia Commons.

FINDHORN

Anyone feeling in need of a bit of spiritual awakening should head to Findhorn, where the Findhorn Foundation's eco village offers full board accommodation and "experience weeks" which promise to "unfold a new human consciousness". Activities on offer include meditation, nature outings and gardening. Reading about the origins of the gardens at Findhorn requires a suspension of disbelief: one of the founders of the Community reckons to have been able to "intuitively contact the overlighting spirits of plants", and these spirits provided guidance which led to the cultivation of monster cabbages and other oversized plants.

The village of Findhorn lies between Findhorn Bay and Burghead Bay. The present village is a successor to a previous village which was overwhelmed during a storm in the 1600s, and another one which succumbed to floods in 1701. The bay's mudflats, which are exposed at low tide, attract large numbers of birds. The village's fishing and shipbuilding activities of the past have been replaced by more leisurely activities, the focal point for which is the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club. Visitors interested in the history of the area should head to the Findhorn Heritage Centre and Icehouse.  The Icehouse was used to store ice for salmon to keep it fresh for shipping to London, and its underground chambers were built over 150 years ago.  To the south-east of the village is the site occupied by RAF Kinloss.

Map of the area.

Findhorn. Photo by W. L. Tarbert, via Wikimedia Commons.

BURGHEAD

Burghead is a bit behind the times. By that I don't mean it is old-fashioned, but that its New Year celebrations fall 11 days after most of the rest of Britain. On 11 January each year, which is New Year according to the Julian calendar, the village hosts an event called the Burning of the Clavie, a tradition which was once far more widespread, but disappeared from most places following attempts by 18th century churchmen to stamp it out, declaring it "an abominable, heathenish practice". The origins of the tradition are lost in the mists of time, with theories ranging from Celtic to Pictish to Roman. The "clavie" which is subjected to the burning is a half barrel filled with wood shavings and tar. It is nailed to a post, then taken to the Burghead Provost, who lights it with peat. Then a group of fishermen accompanied by an elected Clavie King carry it around the village in a clockwise direction, stopping at various houses to present smouldering embers which are used to light fires in the homes for luck. The clavie's meander around the village culminates in an ascent of Doorie Hill, part of the Burghead Promontory Fort, where there is an altar known as the "Clavie Stone". Once placed on the Stone, fuel is added, and the clavie erupts in flames. Needless to say, all this is accompanied by a great deal of merrymaking.

Burghead is a fishing village located on a promontory jutting out into the Moray Firth. The harbour used to be an important grain-shipping port, and there are stone-built granaries lining the harbour which serve as a reminder of that time. Nowadays the main activity is fishing and leisure boating. There is a sandy beach 5 miles long to the southwest of the village. There is a Visitor Centre at the Burghead Promontory Fort telling the story of the Fort, which is Pictish in origin, as is the Burghead Well, which was unearthed in the early 1800s.

Map of the area.

Burghead Beach - geograph.org.uk - 217167. Photo by Ann Burgess, via Wikimedia Commons.

DUFFUS AND HOPEMAN

In 1955, in Primrose Bay, near Duffus, and just to the east of the quiet fishing village of Hopeman, the Second World War came back to haunt the locality ten years after it had ended when a boy was killed by a bomb he had found on the foreshore, and three other children were injured. The area had been used as a training ground during the war. This tragedy prompted a search which led to the discovery of 122 bombs, of which 20 were unexploded.

There are plenty of reminders of the past in and around the village of Duffus. The castle, which now stands as a ruin on a huge mound, or motte, surrounded by a wide, deep ditch, was originally built in 1150 as an earthwork and timber fortification by Freskin, a Flemish soldier. A later version was constructed from stone and lime. The castle was abandoned in 1705. The ruined Duffus parish church dates from the early 13th century, and functioned as the parish church for over 600 years. The remains, of which the existing structure is mainly 18th century, include a holy-water stoup and the remains of a spiral staircase. The village of Duffus has a mercat cross as its centrepiece, and has been the recipient of a Best Kept Village award. Duffus is a short distance inland, while Hopeman is built on a gentle slope overlooking the sea, with sandy beaches to the east and west of the harbour. Each year in August Duffus holds a gala which has as its climax the crowning of the Rose Queen, Rose Prince and Rosebud. In 2006, the gala was also the venue for the North of Scotland Ferret Racing Championships: the overall winner was a ferret called Holly. Three cheers for Holly!


Map of the area.

DuffusCastle. Photo by Kouros, via Wikimedia Commons.

LOSSIEMOUTH

Unlike the present incumbent, former Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Quite the opposite in fact: an illegitimate son, he was born in Lossiemouth in 1866 to a farm labourer and a housemaid. The education which propelled him towards office in Government began in Lossiemouth's Free Church of Scotland school. The British Pathe website has a short film of McDonald arriving at his birthplace for a short stay, showing hordes of local children and adults running after his car as it made its way along the road.

As its name suggests, Lossiemouth is at the mouth of the River Lossie, where it began life as a port set up to serve the nearby town of Elgin. The port is still going strong, and has recently been enhanced by the addition of a marina. The town's heritage and history of fishing is on display at the Lossie Fisheries and Community Museum.  Long sandy beaches stretch away in either direction: the West Beach, overlooked by Covesea Lighthouse and flanked by the Moray Golf Club, and the East Beach with its sand dunes. The beaches are popular with surfers, and there are opportunities for dolphin-spotting and sea angling. RAF Lossiemouth, unlike Leuchars, has so far been spared the effects of the Government's defence cuts, which is a good thing given its vital role not only as the largest fast-jet RAF base, but also as a valuable search and rescue facility.

Map of the area.

Lossiemouth - geograph.org.uk - 703070. Photo by Ann Burgess, via Wikimedia Commons.

SPEY BAY

The River Spey is one of the best loved rivers in Scotland: whether for long-distance walking, salmon fishing or whisky production, it is emblematic of all that Scotland is famous for. The river's birthplace is at Loch Spey in the Scottish Highlands and its mouth is at Spey Bay on the Moray Firth. The story of the river's importance for salmon fishing has been preserved in the form of the Tugnet Icehouse, open during the summer months. Wildlife enthusiasts will find plenty to keep them occupied in Spey Bay courtesy of the Scottish Dolphin Centre. There is a large bottlenose dolphin population in the Moray Firth, and it is not even necessary to go out on a boat trip to see them, as they are often visible from land. Other cetaceans which are regularly seen in the area include Harbour Porpoises and Minke Whales. Sightings of bottlenose dolphins peak in the summer months. For those in search of more land-locked leisure activities, there is a golf club.

Map of the area.

Spey Bay - geograph.org.uk - 58651. Photo by Ian Macaulay, via Wikimedia Commons.