| Track length: | 52.54 km |
| Moving time: | 2:10 |
| Average speed: | 24.16 km/h |
| Total ascent: | 156 m |
| Total descent: | 152 m |
| Difficulty Level: | 3/5 - Medium |
Moray has a stunning coastline with something of everything - wide sandy beaches, some dramatic cliffs, coastal formations and attractive fishing villages.
As might be expected, it makes for an excellent walking route - the Moray Coastal Trail. Beginning inland at the fine country town of Forres, it soon hits the coastline at Findhorn, famed for its echo-community.
Burghead is a small town in Moray, Scotland, about 8 miles north-west of Elgin. The town is mainly built on a peninsula that projects north-westward into the Moray Firth, meaning that most of the town has sea on 3 sides.
Burghead harbour occupies a sheltered position and consists of a single basin, the harbour has become the operational base for a growing number of inshore vessels engaged mainly in the shellfish and squid industry, the quay wall of 196 metres is allocated to pleasure craft, with the remaining 216 metres for commercial vessels.
From here the coastal walking takes just over 42 miles from the start.
Starting across the Roseislet the forested back of the vast Burghead Bay, the Forest proves a beautiful backdrop to the long, sandy beach, this coastal pinewood is home to woodland trails, a wildlife hide, and toilet facilities, the 11 mile stretch of beach incorporates Burghead Bay, Findhorn Bay, Roseisle Beach and Burghead Beach, Look out for seals as you stroll along the sand.
The section from Burghead to Lossiemouth has some superb clifftop walking with great sea views, further on is Spey Bay, renowned for its dolphins, here you will find the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre is situated at the mouth of the River Spey and is a haven for wildlife including bottlenose dolphins, ospreys, grey and common seals, the occasional otter and many coastal birds, the Centre is based in an 18th Century salmon fishing station and has a fascinating history.
Then on to the the ship-building heritage of Buckie, here you will find the Heritage Centre. You will discover the unique fishing history of this lovely part of the Moray Firth Heritage Centre, they have a very extensive range of photographs which depict all aspects of the fishing industries which flourished here in the past, a collection is in excess of 8000 photographs and numerous artefacts on display and a splendid collection of model boats ranging from Scaffies, Zulu boats, Drifters and Motor Fishing boats.
The final part of the Moray Coast Trail follows the road east from Buckie but soon becomes a very fine coastal cliff-top walk linking picturesque former fishing villages of Findochty and Portknockie, with a visit to the spectacular Bow Fiddle rock, that follows, with a final walk along a fine sandy beach to Cullen,on the North Sea coast 20 miles east of Elgin.
Cullen, built around the mouth of the Burn of Deskford. When seen from the sea it is framed from behind by higher ground carrying a disused railway line over a series of spectacular viaducts.
The organs of the wife of Robert the Bruce are said to have been buried in its old kirk after her death in Cullen Castle.
Cullen is renowned for a form of smoked haddock, potato and onion soup named after the town: Cullen Skink. The slightly odd name comes from the gaelic word for "essence".
