Why you Should Visit the Moray Coast

The Moray Coast is one of Scotland’s most spectacular jewels, yet is often overlooked by visitors. I fell in love with the seaside scenery on the Moray Coast Trail, and the picturesque fishing villages along the way. If you haven’t considered visiting this wee slice of paradise, it’s time to get inspired.

I travelled to the Moray Coast on a paid campaign with Stagecoach to promote the ease of travelling by public transport in this area. Check out my blog on the best of beautiful Cullen

Introducing the Moray Coast

Cliffs, beaches, harbours and fishing villages. Each time I stumbled across more scenic treasure on the Moray Coast, I was both shocked and delighted at the absence of other people. The Moray Firth is famed for its resident bottlenose dolphins, and the area is considered one of the best places in Europe to spot these super-cute sea creatures. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited in Scotland, and it is also known for its sunny weather and low rainfall. The Moray Coast has got me conflicted.

Would I like to see more visitors venturing in this direction, as opposed to following everyone else around Scotland’s usual suspects? Aye, absolutely. Would I like the Moray Coast to become as popular and congested as, say, the North Coast 500 or the Isle of Skye? That would be a resounding NO.

For me, it’s all about balance. Enough visitors to boost the economy, but no more than what the infrastructure can handle. While this might be a wee bit idealistic, we can all strive to travel responsibly – to maximise the benefits of tourism in areas like the Moray Coast, while minimising the impact. Here are some simple ways we can do our bit:

• Treat the places we visit with respect.
• Spend our holiday pennies in small, independent businesses where possible.
• Travel on public transport; this is better for the environment, reduces traffic congestion, and I believe you really see what’s around you.

Moray Coast on Public Transport

Despite being relatively remote, this super-scenic stretch of coastline is easy – and enjoyable – to reach on public transport. I explored a section of Moray Coast without a car, and loved it. My own two legs relished having a good stretch in the sunshine (minus the sprained ankle – more on than in my post about Cullen), and I had the pleasure of travelling on the new Stagecoach double-decker buses from Aberdeen.

The Stagecoach Service 35 travels north through Aberdeenshire, and joins the coast in Banff, before continuing right through to Elgin. I focused on the pretty fishing villages in-between, which are all served by the Service 35, and linked by coastal walking routes.

The extra elevation on the top deck offers a whole new perspective of the countryside and coast; I had a clear view of a hairy coo social gathering in an Aberdeenshire field, and could see the Moray Firth over the rooftops of the adorable fishing cottages. Bonnie vistas all round.

So, in a nutshell, if you don’t visit the Moray Coast – you’re really missing out. The locals will welcome you into their secret haven with open arms, and you’ll only wish you made the journey sooner. Here are my highlights from the Moray Coast Trail – featuring five beautiful fishing villages you’ll love to photograph.

Where is the Moray Coast?

The Moray Coast runs along the Moray Firth (a firth is a “narrow inlet of the sea”) and is the North Sea meets over 500 miles of coastline, extending North and East of Inverness in a triangular shape. The northern section is part of the popular North Coast 500, but my adventure was on the southern side, which stretches from Inverness to Peterhead through the areas of Morayshire and Aberdeenshire.

Moray Coast Trail

This long-distance walking route stretches 50 miles along Moray’s magical coastline, from Forres to Cullen. The route is well signposted with good paths, easy terrain and gasp-worthy views of the breath-taking coastline. I walked the section between Portknockie and Buckie, to discover little bays with rugged rocks, smooth white pebbles, and translucent water in varying shades of blue.

The path had vibrant bursts of yellow on either side, courtesy of the daffodils, gorse and rapeseed in bloom. It was such a bonnie sight to behold, I had butterflies in my stomach, and couldn’t control my frequent eruptions of WOW. I’m desperate to return as soon as possible to walk the full route.

Pretty Fishing Villages on the Moray Coast

Findochty

This charming wee village is all kinds of beautiful. As I approached from the east on the Moray Coastal Trail, my first glimpse was the bright white sand on the cutely curved Findochty Beach. In the centre of the village, local children wearing wetsuits jumped off the harbour walls into the water. The historic harbour was a bustling fishing port for hundreds of years, but is more likely to welcome leisure travellers nowadays.

A pit-stop at Admirals Inn is a must. It’s a friendly and traditional establishment, which has no doubt seen its fair share of drunken sailors over the years. The perfect place to ask a local how to correctly pronounce the name of the name of the village; something like ‘fin-ook-ty (I think).

Photo Opportunity: Findotchy Harbour from the hill to the Findochty War Memorial.

Portknockie

Portknockie is a clifftop fishing village, which was founded in 1677. Adorable fishing cottages line the streets – which slope down towards the vast blue of the Moray Firth. Portknockie Harbour was once a hotspot for herring fishing in the 19th century, and is still home to a fleet of fishing boats which serve other ports in Scotland – as well as a few small boats which operate locally to land mackerel and creels.

The village is famed for its clifftop views, and the iconic Bow Fiddle Rock; a stunning sea arch in the shape of a fiddle bow. I sat staring at this natural wonder for over an hour, listening to the squawk of seabirds and the waves thrust against the rocks. Afterwards, I popped into The Fly Cup for a cold drink, and would love to return to purchase one of the paintings on display – and a cake!

Photo Opportunity: Bow Fiddle Rock from the clifftop path or pebble beach.

Cullen

There’s something extra special about Cullen. As well as the cute cottages, bonnie beach, and pretty harbour, you’ll find an old viaduct, a popular ice-cream shop, and a celebrity soup – plus so much more. Cullen really stole my heart, and warranted a full blog post to itself. You can read it here.

Photo Opportunity: Cullen Viaduct and fishing cottages from Cullen Harbour

Sandend

This pocket-sized village falls within the Aberdeenshire area of the coast, between Cullen and Portsoy. Sandend was one of the first fishing communities on the Banffshire Coast, dating back to the 17th century. Nowadays, its award-winning beach is the star attraction – and is said to be one of the best surfing spots in the UK. Waves crash against the flawless sand, while families fly kites, and cute dogs run around in their element.

Amidst Sandend’s natural attributes, you’ll also find remnants of war history. On the first squint of my eyes, I thought I could see a row of sandcastles where the beach meets the grassy embankment behind, but the wee structures are in fact the remains of anti-tank blocks from World War II; there is also a pill box at the east end of the beach. I got off the bus on the main road, and walked down into the village, then walked through the countryside to Portsoy.

Photo Opportunity: Sandend from the hill at the end of the beach.

Portsoy

Portsoy is a quaint fishing village, with numerous claims to fame. The wee port has two harbours which sit side-by-side; one from the 17th century and one from the 19th century. The old harbour was used in the filming of Scottish classic Whisky Galore; the tale of the SS Politician, which sank off the coast of the Isle of Eriskay – carrying over 28,000 bottles of whisky! The harbour is also home to the world-famous Portsoy Marble (actually polished serpentine rock) which was used to build fireplaces in the Palace of Versailles.

Portsoy is a hive of activity during the Traditional Boat Festival which is held annually in the month of July. Otherwise, the biggest gathering of people you’ll see is in the queue at the village’s beloved ice-cream shop. Jammy Dodger ice-cream, just saying. There’s also a lovely independent gift shop called The Portsoy Gift Box filled with lots of pretty trinkets and local crafts – check it out! 

Photo Opportunity: Portsoy Harbour from any angle!

Other things to do on the Moray Coast

Stay on a boat in Buckie

Orlik is a charming wooden boat, which was built in Denmark in the 1950s. It’s now docked in Buckie harbour, and is home-sweet-home to a lovely couple from the Moray Coast called Michael and Lorna – and their wee sweetheart of a spaniel, Fergus. After climbing down the harbour ladder onto the boat, I was welcomed with tea, biscuits and doggy cuddles, before checking into my spacious double cabin – with a separate bathroom, and hot shower. The price includes breakfast: warm pastries, porridge, yoghurt and fresh fruit. Yum! One of my best finds on Airbnb to date. The Service 35 bus stop is only a couple of minutes’ walk from the harbour.

Go for a giant pancake at Baxters Highland Village

Baxters is a Scottish food brand, best known for their famous soups. Baxters have been producing food in the village of Fochabers for over 150 years, and the Baxters Highland Village is where you’ll find all their foodie delights in one place – as well as whisky, crafts, gifts and cookware. The pancakes came highly recommended so I visited just to try one; the Service 35 stops practically outside. Made using the Baxter’s original recipe, and heated on a griddle, the pancakes come with a wide variety of toppings. I fancied something healthy, so I opted for apple… with toffee sauce, cinnamon and cream. YUM. I mean oops!

Hop-on the Whisky Trail bus to Dufftown

Take the Service 35 to the end of the route in Elgin, then hop on the Whisky Trail Service 36 into the heart of Speyside; a paradise for whisky lovers. On my adventure to Dufftown, I went glamping, ate goat stew, visited Glenfiddich Distillery, and went for a ride on the nostalgic Keith and Dufftown Railway.

Visit Elgin Cathedral

This striking ruin has featured in Scotland’s history since the 13th century, and was destroyed by the infamous ‘Wolf of Badenoch’ who set it ablaze in 1390. Discover a series of interesting headstones, as well as a display of ancient stone carvings which were recovered from the rubble and meticulously restored by a team of experts from Historic Environment Scotland.

Where on the Moray Coast should I visit next? 

This post is sponsored by Stagecoach North Scotland. As always, all content, opinions & chaotic behaviour are my own.

Happy travels!

Kay