Culbin Edge

Brodie

Make the most of winter in Moray

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Image courtesy of Gordon Castle Walled Garden & Cafe

As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder, the opportunity for spectacular events such as light shows and indoor events come into their own.

Here, we round up our pick of some fantastic things to do in Moray over the coming months…

Brodie Illuminated

This November, the Brodie Illuminated 2021 light show will take visitors on a magical, after dark walk around Brodie Estate and Castle.

Illuminated paths will guide you through the estate around the castle, with trees and plants illuminated like never before, and music accompanying your adventure along the trails. Refreshments will also be available each night.

Brodie Illuminated takes place Wednesday to Saturday from 3rd until 27th November 2021. Suitable for all the family, booking in advance is advised. Click here to book your tickets.

Cullen Sea School Winter Talk series

Since there are less opportunities to get out on or in the water over the winter, Cullen Sea School is putting on a series of online talks from November 2021 until March 2022.

The first talk is ‘Moray Firth Sea Life’ by Claire Matthews, Aquarium Manager, Macduff Marine Aquarium, and takes place on Tuesday 9th November at 7pm.

Then on Tuesday 14th December at 7pm, Lorna Hall, Scottish Dolphin Centre Education Officer, will host a talk on ‘Whales, dolphins and porpoise in the Moray Firth’.

The talks are charged at £3 per person and £1.50 for Cullen Sea School Members, with income split between the Three Harbours Association/Cullen Sea School and the organisation delivering the talk. Click here for further details and to book your place.

Logie Steading

Over at Logie Steading near Forres, there are a number of activities planned to keep you entertained. Each month, its Square Room Gallery has an artist of the month exhibition, and from 4th November until 4th December, this is Jackie Hichens. Check out the website for further details of Jackie’s exhibition and other exhibitions happening throughout the winter.

If nature is more your thing, Logie Steading is also holding a Winter Tree Identification event. Here, ethnobotanist Jennie Martin will host a fun and informative day learning how to identify broadleaved trees in winter. Taking place during National Tree Week, the event will be held on Wednesday 1st December from 9.30am until 3.30pm. Click here to book your ticket.

Warm up with a tipple!

Gordon Castle and Walled Gardens is hosting an afternoon tea with a twist on the 5th and 6th November 2021. There you can enjoy a classic afternoon tea with a teapot full of a cocktail of your choice for £21.99. Click here to book your tickets.

If you’re more of a whisky or beer fan, these events will warm you up this winter!

You can have a dram on a train through the Moray countryside from Dufftown via Drummuir to Keith where you can enjoy a short break before heading back to Dufftown, with a small dram served each way. Click here to book your tickets for journeys on the 6th and 7th November.

Over in Lossiemouth, you can take a tour of Windswept Brewing Co’s brewery followed by a guided tasting of five craft beers. This will include three speciality beers from its barrel-aged range, which have been aged for at least three months in Glen Moray whisky casks. Click here to book your spot on the tour and tasting on 4th November.

So, as you can see, there’s plenty to do in Moray this winter!

Image: Gordon Castle Walled Garden & Cafe

Which will you try? Let us know over on our Facebook page.

Northern lights season hits Moray

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Image courtesy of Northern Nights Moray

The season for spotting the beautiful aurora borealis is here and where better to enjoy it than the Moray coast

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a spectacular sight to behold and the north of Scotland is lucky enough to enjoy stunning views of them.

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei first named the light phenomenon aurora borealis in 1619 after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland proposed the theory behind the northern lights, saying that electrons emitted from sunspots produced the atmospheric lights after striking the earth’s magnetic field.

For centuries, people have marvelled at the beauty of the northern lights and headed to places like the north of Scotland to try to catch a glimpse. North West Scotland, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Skye, Cairngorm National Park and our very own Moray are among the best places to try. Here, you could see them from mid-October until mid-March.

Top tips for catching the northern lights

It can be hard to predict when the northern lights will appear so, to increase our chances, here are a few tips.

  • Avoid times when there is a full moon – we need as dark a sky as possible
  • The best times are usually on cold nights with clear skies and no clouds or light pollution
  • You are more likely to catch a sighting in the evening but be prepared to wait

If you’re planning a trip to Culbin Edge, you’ll be spoiled for choice with places to northern lights spot! Take your pick of the many beaches along the Moray Coast but choose somewhere along the coast away from streetlights and other light pollution.

Burghead is a popular spot and is located around a 20 minute drive from Culbin Edge. Other options include Findhorn, Hopeman, Roseisle and Lossiemouth beaches.

To help take out some of the guesswork, a local photographer has set up the Northern Nights Moray Facebook page to keep you updated on when you might spot the lights – a great resource if you’re staying at Culbin Edge.

Visit Forres has just published this great blog post on catching the northern lights in the area too.

AuroraWatch UK is another useful website to keep track and you can even set up alerts directly to your phone.

Good luck and happy aurora borealis spotting!

Have you spotted the northern lights in Moray? Share your photos with us on Facebook and Instagram. Or why not book your northern lights spotting trip with us? To book, contact us here or phone 07789 404794.