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Discover Culbin's extraordinary and ever-changing sandy forest landscape on foot, by bike or on horseback

Culbin

Come to Culbin… you'll never want to leave

There's a fascinating network of tracks to explore and the level ground makes it easy. Hill 99 is the only waymarked trail, but you can use the Culbin map and numbered posts at path junctions to explore this unique, diverse and ever-changing coastal forest. Don't miss the panoramic views from the top of the amazing Hill 99 tower.

See our guide to Culbin (PDF 2.5MB) for a map of the area or find out more about the other wonderful forests to discover in Moray: they’re all described in our guide.

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Accessibility information

The car park and toilets have additional accessibility advice to help you plan your trip. Click the button for more information from DisabledGO.

Parking (charge) Toilets Picnic area Walking Cycling Horse riding

Life’s essentials

The toilet block at Wellhill is open year-round. It includes easy access facilities and facilities for baby changing. Find refreshments and shops at Brodie Country Fare as well as the nearby towns of Findhorn, Forres and Nairn.

Car parking

Please note, parking charges are as follows:

  • £1 for up to 1 hour
  • £1.50 for up to 3 hours
  • £2 for all day
  • £8 for minibus and coach all day

Season passes are also available. For more information please contact us.

Walking trails

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Accessibility information

The Hill 99 and Gravel Pit Ponds Trail have additional accessibility advice to help you plan your trip. Click the button for more information from DisabledGO.


Gravel Pit Ponds Trail

A gentle wander through pretty pine and birch woodland, and around the Gravel Pit Ponds.

Firm and smooth gravel surface. Generally flat with gentle slopes and some short moderate sections. No obstacles.

Easy

1 miles /
1.8 km
Allow
½ an hour

Hill 99 Trail

Wind through the pine-covered sand dunes to the viewing tower on Hill 99 for a ‘squirrel’s eye’ view over the forest and across the Moray Firth.

Largely wide, firm and smooth gravel and sandy surface. Generally flat with some long moderate slopes and short steep sections. Includes some steps up to the viewing platform.

Moderate

3 ½ miles /
5.7 km
Allow
2 hours

More information...

Cycling trails


Mountain biking trails


Cycling

One of the best ways to explore Culbin is by bicycle. It’s never been easier to find your way around this largely flat forest: key junctions have clearly numbered posts that you can follow using the leaflet. Perfect for a fun family day out.

Horse riding

Culbin’s network of criss-crossing trails and paths over flat sandy ground is ideal for horse riding. Cloddymoss car park gives the best access for horse-boxes. From there you can either head east towards Findhorn Bay and Buckie Loch, or west towards the less-visited Nairn end (but please avoid the fragile saltmarshes). If you’re interested in horse riding here, check out the Moray Equestrian Access Group.

Bird-watching

Culbin's birdlife is rich and varied, ranging from tiny woodland birds to immense flocks of wildfowl. The forest is a great place for bird spotting as you explore its many tracks and trails. Most of coastal Culbin is managed as a reserve by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, but it’s a reserve that can be quietly enjoyed by anyone and accessed free, all year round.

Top tips for exploring Culbin

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

  1. The Hill 99 viewpoint trail
    Wind through the sandy pinewoods and experience the forest canopy from the top of the amazing viewpoint tower.
  2. 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.
  3. Dragonfly Pond
    A pretty pond on the Hill 99 viewpoint trail, where you can spot brilliantly-coloured dragonflies in summer.
  4. Hidden History
    This peaceful stopping-point tells some of Culbin’s human story in unexpected ways.
  5. Sandlife
    A pleasant, heathery corner surrounded by lichen beds, where you can find out how life clings on in such a hostile environment.
  6. The Gut
    This muddy bay is a haven for all kinds of wading and water-birds – just don’t expect to find a beach here.
  7. Buckie Loch
    There 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. The Minister’s Pool
    A reedy freshwater pool that attracts both birdlife and walkers. It’s very close to Nairn East Beach.
  11. Otter Pool
    A big pool in a hidden corner of Culbin, and a good place to spot some of Culbin's mammals drinking.

Looking after Culbin

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. Please help us protect it:

  • Allow birds to feed and rest in peace. If they have to fly away, they are wasting valuable energy.
  • If you spot seals on the beach, admire them from a distance. If they start to move you are too close.
  • The saltmarsh is a fragile habitat; help it survive by walking around the edge rather than through it.
  • Keep your dog in sight at all times.

Culbin in World War II

As you explore Culbin’s shore, you’ll notice long wooden poles still sticking out of the sea. When Britain braced itself for a German invasion in 1940, the poles were placed in the water to stop enemy gliders landing along the coast. If they fire your imagination, there’s plenty more to discover about Culbin’s remarkable wartime history.

Contact: Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District

Address: Portsoy Road, Huntly

Postcode: AB54 4SJ

Telephone: 0300 067 6200

Email: morayaberdeenshire@forestry.gsi.gov.uk


How to get here

Using SatNav?

IV36 2TG is the nearest postcode.

  • Wellhill car park is at grid reference NH 997 615.
  • Cloddymoss car park is at grid reference NH 981 599.

By public transport

The nearest railway station is Forres, 3 miles (4.8km) from Wellhill on foot, or a ten minute taxi-ride. There are also regular buses to Forres running between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Moray Council offers a limited local bus service (no. 318) running from Forres to Kintessack on schooldays, Tuesdays and Fridays. It's about a mile (1.6km) from Kintessack to Wellhill. You’ll find service details at Traveline Scotland.

By bike

National Cycle Route 1 runs through the south side of Culbin, around half a mile (800m) from the main car park at Wellhill.

On foot

You can walk into Culbin from Nairn East Beach – a good option if you’re interested in birdwatching and coastal wildlife.

Nearby places

Looking for the beach?

It’s quite a long way to the beach and shoreline through Culbin forest. If you're looking for a great beach and forest experience that's easy to reach for all the family, try Roseisle. You can walk or cycle the trails or just relax on the sandy beach there, and there’s a play area, barbecue equipment, toilets and a wildlife hide too.

Want more walking?

Find a range of tranquil woodland trails, great views and a perfect picnic spot beside the Black Burn at Torrieston, or a hilltop woodland with stunning views over Elgin and the Moray Firth at Quarrelwood. There are trails there that follow in the footsteps of our Stone Age ancestors, or of creatures even older than the dinosaurs!


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For questions and complaints, please contact us directly.