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Hello folks , I am heading up near Elgin again. When we go drives we always seem to head towards Inverness way but I was wondering if you have any spots that I could take my folks that would be a nice spot for short walks or places to just sit and have a coffee. Thanks in advance
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For short walks, you could head to Spey Bay, you stand a good chance of seeing Ospreys there along with Dolphins out in the Firth. The visitor centre is very informative and it's a nice spot to spend an afternoon if the weather is nice. Another option is the Coastal Trail. I quite often head out to Hopeman and walk along the coast towards Lossiemouth. It's linear so it's an out and back trip unless you have two cars. The beach huts at Hopeman are quite cute and there's a cave system further along too. Burghead is good for birdwatching if you're at all interested in wildlife with Eider Duck, Long Tailed duck and the occasional King Eider all being regular visitors.
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I also recommend Findhorn, such a beautiful village and sand dune beach. You may even spot some seals across the bay! The Kimberley Inn is a lovely pub. Also close by and worth a wander around is the Findhorn Foundation Ecovillage which also has a nice wee café.
Brodie Castle near Forres is also lovely and you could pop into nearby Brodie Countryfare for lunch – they do some lovely homebakes to enjoy a coffee with!
Logie Steading also near Forres is a popular little spot. On the two occasions I’ve visited, the Olive Tree café has been very busy but there’s plenty of seats in the courtyard. They’ve got a variety of shops which promote Scottish craft and produce. It’s also situated on the River Findhorn and there’s paths of varying lengths to explore. You could also pop into Dallas Dhu distillery which is just up the road for an extra detour.
Gordon Castle Walled Garden in Fochabers is another popular spot with the locals. There’s a shop, café and the grounds are lovely to explore – makes for a nice half day trip. From there, you could head down to the visitor centre at Spey Bay and try and catch a glimpse of the Bottle nose dolphins feeding at the mouth or the Spey. Or pop into Baxters if you haven’t been there before, they do fantastic pancakes and Cullen Skink soup! They also have a historic visitor exhibition centre, a couple of shops and lovely views over the river Spey.
Pluscarden Abbey a few miles out of Elgin is also somewhere nice to visit. You can go into the Abbey and walk around the grounds.
Of course, not forgetting Lossiemouth! Only 6 miles from Elgin and you can choose from the East or West beach. The East beach has the advantage of being next to fantastic ice-cream shops (Miele's irn-bru is my favourite!) and a fish & chip shop.