There are plenty of things to do and see in this beautiful region: distilleries; sandy beaches and quaint fishing villages; walking and cycling; all kinds of wildlife and birds; castles and museums; numerous sports and activities; local craftsmen; Loch Ness and Inverness; Cairngorm and Monadhliath mountains and breath-taking scenery.
Malt Whisky Trail:
Easter Lawrenceton is especially close to Benromach and Dallas Dhu Distilleries, with Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Cardhu, Macallan and dozens more Speyside Malts, all within an easy drive.
Coastal Trail:
The Moray Firth coast benefits from the Gulf Stream and the shelter of the Black Isle and the far North of Scotland, and therefore has milder temperatures all year around, and enjoys more sunshine than many other parts of the country.
There are lovely, long, sandy beaches all along the coast, just waiting to be explored.
Findhorn, six miles from the cottage, is a very popular, quaint, old fishing village. Findhorn Bay is full of sailing boats
in summer, and there are miles of sandy beaches to enjoy, with the added attraction of stunning views across the sea to the
Black Isle and beyond. With lovely traditional old pubs serving excellent food, Findhorn is a perfect example of the beautiful villages along this coastline.
Walking, Cycling, Nature, Birds and Wildlife:
Only a few miles away is Culbin Sands and Forest, an area of outstanding natural beauty, that has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as being a recognised Nature Reserve for the RSPB. With way-marked trails for walkers and cyclists, Culbin is a unique landscape of sand bars, mud flats, salt marshes, sand dunes and coniferous forest and has been called the Scottish Sahara. Large numbers of sea ducks can be seen offshore during the winter - species to be seen include long-tailed ducks, shelduck, eider, common and velvet scoters, redshank, red-throated diver, black-throated diver, snow bunting. Bar-tailed godwits, oystercatchers and knots flock at high tide.
Other good walks include the Dava Way and the Speyside Way, whilst a visit to Spey Bay is recommended to watch for salmon, oystercatchers and the famous Moray Firth Bottlenose Dolphin.
Sports and Activities:
There are many sports and activities available in the area, why not try water sports such as surfing, windsurfing and sailing; climbing, mountaineering or orienteering; pony trekking; shooting or fishing; cycling; canoeing; hang gliding; golfing;
In winter, we have snow sports including skiing and snowboarding at the Cairngorm Ski Centre and the Lecht 2090. Both centres offer tuition and slopes to suit all levels of expertise.
Local Crafts & Shopping
For a very different retail experience, visit some of our local craft workshops and unusual shops, ranging from woodturning, glass blowing and clay works, to painting, sculpture and objets d’art.
Castles and Museums:
The farmhouse is situated between Blervie and Burgie castles which are both less than two miles away. These matching castles were built around 1600 by two brothers of the Dunbar family. Blervie Castle is shown against the sunset in the banner at the top of the page.
Other castles nearby include Brodie, Cawdor, Fort George, Castle Stuart, Urquhart, Duffus, and Ballindalloch.
Forres boasts its own Falconer Museum, dedicated to local history and situated in the heart of the town, near the historic Tolbooth; also the Nelson Tower, built at the top of the hill in beautiful Grant Park (the showpiece of “Forres in Bloom”), to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar, which displays Nelson memorabilia and local photographs.
The ancient village of Findhorn also has its own interesting museum with artefacts dating as far back as the Neolithic period.
