Nairn Area

Forres

Nairn Harbour

Benromach Distillery

Area Main Page

Nairn lays claim to being one of the driest and sunniest places in the country. It became popular as a resort in Victorian times with the coming of the railway. Formerly a community of fishermen and farmers, Nairn has developed into a traditional seaside town, with its sandy East Beach and range of tourist facilities.

Fort George lies to the west of Nairn and looks directly across the Moray Firth to Fortrose. The huge site covers much of the headland and is a fascinating place to visit; here is a virtually unaltered 18th Century artillery fortification that cost more to build than Scotland's total Gross National Product for 1750 and was designed to ensure that, after the 1745 uprising, the Highlands were "pacified" once and for all (see our Historical Timeline).

East of Nairn is the village of Auldearn with its 17th Century Boath Doocot, or dovecote. Here you'll find displays about the Battle of Auldearn between Royalists and Covenanters which took place in 1645. A few miles to the south, the waters of Lochindorb surround a ruined thirteenth century castle.

Cawdor Castle, associated thanks to Shakespeare with Macbeth, is to the south east of Nairn and open to visitors during the summer season. The grounds are magnificent with an attractive walled garden, a topiarian maze and nature trails. Cawdor Castle also boasts it own small golf course and putting green. Nearby is the attractive estate village of Cawdor.

Brodie Castle also provides an interesting excursion. The ancestral home of the Earl of Brodie, ownership has now passed to the National Trust for Scotland, though it is still the family residence. Open from April through October, there is much to see here. A classic Z-shaped Scottish town house, Brodie Castle houses an outstanding collection of paintings and some fine furniture. The family presence contributes to the country house atmosphere and the well manicured grounds (open all year) make for a lovely setting.

Forres, to the east, is one of Scotland's oldest agricultural towns and well worth a visit. Its centre is dominated by the magnificent St Laurence Church. It is home to one of the most remarkable Pictish stones in the country, the 20ft Sueno's Stone. Just south of Forres is the Dallas Dhu Distillery, maintained as a visitor attraction by Historic Scotland, while to its north is Speyside's smallest working distillery, Benromach.

North of Forres is the attractive harbour and seaside resort of Findhorn, which is also home to the Findhorn Foundation, an international spiritual community founded in 1962.