Culbin

Top things to see in Culbin

With a forest stretching for more than 8½ miles along an ever-shifting coastline, there's lots to discover.

Here are our top twelve things to see and do – a useful guide, especially if you've never visited before. They're all marked in the Culbin leaflet and there are plenty of stories about the place there too.

The Hill 99 viewpoint trail

Wind through the sandy pinewoods and experience the forest canopy from the top of the amazing viewpoint tower.

Gravelpit Ponds

An attractive area of marshy ground and ponds close to Wellhill car park, with easy walking on well-surfaced paths that are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Dragonfly Pond

A pretty pond on the Hill 99 viewpoint trail, where you can spot brilliantly coloured dragonflies in summer.

Hidden history

This peaceful stopping-point tells some of Culbin's human story in unexpected ways.

Sandlife

A pleasant, heathery corner surrounded by lichen beds, where you can find out how life clings on in such a hostile environment.

The Gut

This muddy bay is a haven for all kinds of wading and waterbirds.

Buckie Loch

Where the forest meets the sea. Wild and empty coastline which may one day become a true sea-loch again. It's currently a stretch of marram dunes and heath.

Findhorn Bay

If you're lucky, you'll see ospreys or seals fishing at this river-mouth with a beautiful view towards the village of Findhorn.

Lady Culbin's buried trees

Growing on the edges of Culbin's largest sand-dune system, some of the deep-rooted trees here have bizarre, tapering trunks twice as long as they look.

The Minister's Pool

A reedy freshwater pool that attracts both birdlife and walkers. It's very close to Nairn East Beach.

Otter Pool

A big pool in a hidden corner of Culbin, and a good place to spot some of Culbin's mammals drinking.

Wildlife watching

Most of Culbin's shoreline, from the trees to the low tide mark, is an RSPB reserve. This mix of saltmarsh, mudflats, sand and shingle is a vital feeding ground for wading birds throughout the year. If you do come across nesting birds, allow them to feed and rest in peace. If they have to fly away, they are wasting valuable energy.