River Findhorn
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The River Findhorn () is one of the longest rivers in
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Located in the north east, it flows into the
Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...
on the north coast. It has one of the largest non-
firth Firth is a word in the English and Scots languages used to denote various coastal waters in the United Kingdom, predominantly within Scotland. In the Northern Isles, it more often refers to a smaller inlet. It is linguistically cognate to Scan ...
estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
in Scotland. The river is c. ''Almanac of Scotland''
Retrieved 9 June 2018.
long and the catchment area is The river provides excellent salmon and trout fishing and is popular with anglers from around the globe. It is also one of Scotland's classic
white water Whitewater forms in the context of rapids, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque ...
kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
rivers (varying from grade 2 to 4) and draws canoeists from across the country."River Findhorn - Gorge"
''The UK Rivers Guidebook''. UKRGB. Retrieved 3 June 2018


Name

The Findhorn is known in Gaelic as the ''Éire'', while its valley, Strathdearn, is known as ''Srath Éireann''. The name ''Éire'' or ''Éireann'' was also borne by the Deveron to the east, and the two rivers were distinguished as ''Fionn-Éireann'' and ''Dubh-Éireann'' (incorporating the Gaelic words for "white" and "black", and giving rise to the English names). ''Éire'' is identical in form to the Gaelic name for
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, and an old saying played upon this by comparing the five divisions of Strathdearn to the five Irish provinces. It is likely pre-Celtic in origin, however, which would make the similarity coincidental.


Course

The Findhorn rises in the Coignafearn Forest north of the main massif of the Monadhliath Mountains, several streams joining together near the Dalbeg bothy to form it. The westernmost of these is the River Eskin which flows down through a small valley surrounded by the heights of Càrn a' Choire Sheilich , Càrn nan Làraiche Maoile and Càrn na Saobhaidh . To the south west the Abhainn Cro-chlach takes a direct route along a narrow and steep-sided defile that carries its waters from Carn Odhar na Criche and Càrn Bàn . The two join by a small bridge in the heart of the Coignafearn Forest (which is a Scottish
deer forest The deer forest ( Gaelic: frìth) is a sporting estate which is kept and managed largely or solely for the purposes of maintaining a resident population of red deer for sporting ( deer stalking) purposes. It is an institution and phenomenon pecu ...
and devoid of trees). Arguably this is the point, some above sea level, at which the Findhorn itself is born but less than kilometre downstream the Allt Creagach joins them at Dalbeg and from here on this is unquestionably the Findhorn River. Strathdearn descends from here in a southwesterly direction until the river reaches its outlet to the
Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...
. In its upper reaches the river is unusually sinuous, being an incised meandering river valley very little altered by glaciers. The next tributary to join the flow is the Elrick Burn, a substantial rivulet whose head waters are in the Monadhliaths east of the Abhainn Cro-chlach. Its confluence with the Findhorn is just south of the Coignafearn Lodge. further east is the first wooded area of the valley, on the left bank below Creag Irealis and just upstream from Coignafearn Old Lodge. Some downstream beyond the cliffs of Creag Dubh the valley takes on a definitely wooded appearance, although the surrounding hills remain bare heather moor. The Glenmazaran Burn is the next tributary on the right bank, and various farms and lodges provide habitation from here throughout most of the river's remaining length. Tomatin is the first settlement of any size on the river's banks and here the waters pass under both the
Highland Main Line The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the central Scottish Highlands, mainly following the route of the A9 road (Scotland), A9, and linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth, Scotland, ...
railway and the
A9 road This is a list of roads designated A9. * A009 road (Argentina), a road in the northeast of Santa Fe Province * ''A9 highway (Australia)'' may refer to : ** A9 (Sydney), a road linking Windsor and Campbelltown ** Port River Expressway, a limi ...
. Just beyond this the Allt Bruachaig tumbles down from the heights of the Slochd Mor and joins the Findhorn on its right bank. Here the river takes its only major bend, a lazy S-shape over a stretch at the end of which the Funtack Burn, which drains
Loch Moy Loch Moy (from the Scottish Gaelic ''Loch A'Mhoigh'' meaning the Loch of the Plain) is a freshwater loch beside the village of Moy, Highland, Moy near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. History There is an island on the loch called the Isle of ...
to the north, joins the Findhorn's left bank. Beyond this point the character of the landscape changes again as the river enters the Streens gorge. This long defile has no metalled road, is largely treeless and almost completely uninhabited. At Drynachan lodge the valley reverts to its earlier wooded and inhabited character and roads again follow its course almost all the way to the sea. The river is joined by the Carnoch Burn and flows almost due east from here, passing the contour, and then shortly afterwards it is met by the Tor Burn on the right bank. This stream is only about long, being formed by the confluence of the Rhilean and Leonach Burns, which flow through moorland before cascading down narrow gorges and over waterfalls in their final sections. There is a small, wooded river island in the Findhorn at the point at which it is joined by the Tor Burn - one of the few such islands along its length, none of which are named by the
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
. Next, the river reaches the remains of the
hillfort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...
of Dunearn just south of Dulsie Bridge. Here the Findhorn turns northwards and flows through a sinuous and narrow gorge with Glenferness House on the right bank and the Ardclach bell tower on the left, after which it reverts to a generally north-westerly course once it passes under the
A939 The A939 is a road in Scotland, connecting the A96 at Nairn on the Moray coast with the A95 Grantown-on-Spey. It then continues to the A93 at Ballater by way of the Grampian Mountains, passing Tomintoul and the Lecht Ski Centre. This road p ...
bridge. Beyond Relugas the Findhorn is joined by the River Divie at the beauty spot of Randolph's Leap. The Divie's head waters lie in the hills to the south of the prominent Knock of Braemoray, and shortly before its confluence with the Findhorn it is itself joined by the Dorback Burn, which is fed by Lochindorb. Hereafter the waters provide kayaking opportunities for the experienced for the next Further downstream the Findhorn passes Logie House, the ruined hill fort of Dun Earn, Sluie Walk where it crosses the contour, the Altyre estate and the Meads of St John before reaching the hamlet of Mundole just outside the town of
Forres Forres (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the County of Moray, Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin, Moray, Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several ...
, which is by far the largest settlement on the river's route. Passing under the Findhorn Bridge on the A96 and the main Inverness to Aberdeen railway line the river finally reaches relatively flat land just before it reaches
Findhorn Bay Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, and about 5 miles (9  ...
. This is a large tidal basin and at low water the river is joined by the Muckle, Mosset and Kinloss Burns as it flows unimpeded over its sands. The combined streams flow on to the north with the village and military base of Kinloss to the right, crossing the bay and passing
Findhorn Ecovillage Findhorn Ecovillage, known in the past as the Findhorn Community, and also referred to as Ecovillage Findhorn, is an experimental and utopian community project based at The Park, in Moray, Scotland, near the village of Findhorn focused on ecol ...
and the harbour of the village of
Findhorn Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, Scotland, Kinloss, and abou ...
before exiting the bay through a narrow, sandy channel and entering the
Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...
with the Culbin Forest on the left. At higher stages of the tide the riverine waters mix with the incoming sea, creating a brackish lagoon.


Geology and geomorphology

During the
Caledonian orogeny The Caledonian orogeny was a mountain-building cycle recorded in the northern parts of the British Isles, the Scandinavian Caledonides, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and parts of north-central Europe. The Caledonian orogeny encompasses events tha ...
, some 500 mya, much of the land that is now northern Scotland was subject to folding and
metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and different ...
and then intruded with
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
which contributed to the uplift of the area and ultimately the creation of the
Grampian mountains The Grampian Mountains () is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Grampian range extends northeast to so ...
of which the Monadliaths that form the head waters of the river Findhorn are a part. The bedrock of the upper Findhorn is largely made up of the Grampian Division of the
Moine Supergroup The Moinian or just the Moine, formerly the Moine Supergroup, is a sequence of Neoproterozoic metasediments that outcrop in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland between the Moine Thrust Belt to the northwest and the Great Glen Fault to the s ...
, a formation that stretched from south of Forres to Lochindorb and beyond. These rocks are typically metamorphosed sediments of
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
that are rich in
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
mixed with some
shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
and
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from ''shale'' by its lack of fissility.Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.'' New York, New York, ...
that date from circa 750 mya. The
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
s that underlay the Streens in the middle reaches of the Findhorn were once thought to be part of the younger Dalriadan Supergroup but are now considered to be Moinian as well. The Grampian Slide is a zone of shearing between the younger Grampian Division and the older Central Highland Division. In the lower Findhorn the bedrock is
Old Red Sandstone Old Red Sandstone, abbreviated ORS, is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the eastern seaboard of North America. It ...
that was deposited after the Caledonian orogeny. The rapid uplift of the mountain terrain to the south was accompanied by similarly rapid river erosion that resulted in sediment being spread throughout the Moray Firth basin and further north to
Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...
and
Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
some 360–400 mya. At this time the land lay some 20 degrees south of the equator and experienced a semi-arid climate. During the
Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...
period some 65–50 mya volcanic activity on what is now the west coast of Scotland resulted in considerable uplift there and the creation of the slope that dips in an easterly direction that the modern Findhorn river follows. With the onset of
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
glacial period some 2 mya the whole of northern Scotland became ice-bound. For example, the Cairngorm mountains immediately to the south of the Findhorn valley became covered in ice some thick. The melting of the ice, which occurred comparatively rapidly, resulted in "vast volumes of meltwater" creating further erosional and depositional features, such as
river terrace Fluvial terraces are elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and fluvial valleys all over the world. They consist of a relatively level strip of land, called a "tread", separated from either an adjacent floodplain, other fluvial t ...
s in the middle reaches of the Findhorn and
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
s such as the Cluny hills downstream. The great weight of the ice depressed the land surface and with the end of the glacial period there resulted both sea level rises and isostatic rebound of the land which combined with periodic uplifts resulted in a complex interplay of land and sea with a prominent raised shoreline between Nairn and Forres that skirts the Culbin Forest. However, the shores have not been static even in historic times. The earliest detailed map of the Findhorn estuary dates from 1590 and was made by
Timothy Pont Reverend Timothy Pont () was a Scottish minister, cartographer and topographer. He was the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual surve ...
. It shows a long sand bar stretching west from the site of the village of Findhorn along the Culbin shore. In 1701 this bar was described as being long after it was breached by the sea close its eastern edge. At this point what is now the Culbin Forest on the river's left bank was a sandy waste with dunes reaching to in height and the river channel through Findhorn Bay was slowly shallowing due to the wind-blown sands. Noticing the erosion to the bar, on which the village had been built, the inhabitants gradually deserted this site and moved to a new location about to the south east, where the modern village now stands.


Iron Age settlement

Dunearn (near Dulsie Bridge), Doune of Relugas, Dun Earn (by Conicavel)"Dun Earn"
Canmore. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
and
Cluny Hill Cluny Hill is a hill on the East side of Forres, Scotland. At the top of Cluny Hill is Nelson's Tower, built in 1806 to commemorate Admiral Lord Nelson and his victory at Trafalgar. The Tower is open to the public. Writing in 1807 the antiquar ...
in Forres are all
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
hillforts. Doune of Relugas is at AOD and had a timber-laced rampart enclosing an area measuring by . Although downstream Dun Earn lies about higher than Doune of Relugas and encloses a larger area. Dunearn's enclosed area is roughly in extent. The existence of the hillfort at Cluny Hill, which extended to , was only confirmed in 2017. Rodney's Stone is a Pictish cross slab symbol stone in the grounds of
Brodie Castle Brodie Castle is a well-preserved Z-plan tower house located about west of Forres, in Moray, Scotland. The castle is a Category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland. ...
that was discovered in the Dyke churchyard in 1781.


Medieval period

Sueno's Stone Sueno's Stone is a Picts, Picto-Scottish pictish stone, Class III standing stone on the north-easterly edge of Forres in Moray and is the largest surviving Pictish style cross-slab stone of its type in Scotland, standing in height. It is situat ...
is a Picto-Scottish Class III standing stone on the north-easterly edge of
Forres Forres (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the County of Moray, Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin, Moray, Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several ...
. It is the largest surviving Pictish stone of its type and stands at over high. Forres Castle stood on the east bank of the Mosset Burn. It may have been the place where King Dub was murdered in 966. Forres was a
Royal Burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...
from an unknown early date – the original charter having been lost and then renewed in 1496. Kinloss Abbey was founded in 1150 under the rule of the
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
order but only ruins now remain, Alexander Brodie of Lethen having reduced it for its stones in 1651. In 1303
Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
stayed at Lochindorb castle for a month during his military occupation of Scotland. Originally built by the Comyns, the structure sat on an island in the loch. Perhaps the most notorious resident of the Findhorn valley was Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch, who was based at the castle and who burned Forres, Pluscarden Abbey and
Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...
in 1390. In 1455 it was reduced by the Thane of Cawdor on the orders of James II and only the outer walls now remain.


Modern era

Various places are claimed to have been where the last
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
in Scotland was slain. One such story is that of a deer stalker called MacQueen who shot one on
Clan Mackintosh Clan Mackintosh (''Clann Mhic an Tòisich'') is a Scottish clan from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs of Cl ...
land in the Findhorn valley in 1743. In the wake of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion the French
brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Ol ...
''Le Bien Trouvé'' slipped past a British blockade in March 1746 into Findhorn Bay. The bay was too shallow for larger British
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s and sloops and although opened fire no damage was caused. On the night of 6 April the Frenchman slipped out again carrying Bonnie Prince Charlie's aide-de-camp Richard Warren and escaped safely to
Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
. The Findhorn valley was badly affected by the
Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...
"which had a tragic impact not only upon remote glens but also upon the Moray Firth as a whole. From it arose the lamentations of a whole people... They had been taught to see themselves as the descendants of 'conquerors' who had won an inalienable right to the land in which they were settled. To them the rebuke of the Canadian Boat Song was well merited". If the clearances were a man-made travail, the Muckle Spate of 1829 was a natural disaster unparalleled in the historic record of the Findhorn. On 3 August of that year heavy rain in the Cairngorms resulted in flooding in the catchment of several rivers in north-east Scotland and that of the Findhorn has been described as "the most severe catastrophic flood in modern UK history". Based on the eyewitness accounts recorded by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder (who was also the author of a romantic history about the life of the "Wolf of Badenoch") were able to determine peak flows down the main river of up to 1,484 m3/s and 451 m3/s on the Divie. Lauder describes numerous incidents including the daring rescues of those trapped by the floods on the plain of Forres by fishermen from Findhorn village. It is at Randolph's Leap that the Findhorn river is at its most spectacular in spate. Here there are two markers indicating the height the river reached in 1829 and it is said that the
butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
at nearby Relugas caught a
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
above the normal river level in his
umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...
. Between 1919 and 1963 the
Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respons ...
planted some of trees on the Culbin sands and created what is now an extensive conifer plantation. During the early 21st century
Moray Council Moray Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Mhoireibh'') is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for Moray, Moray council area. History Moray District Council Local government across Scotland was reorganised in 1975 u ...
undertook a flood prevention scheme on the Mosset Burn to protect the town of Forres up to a standard of a 1 in 100 years event. The principal component of the project is a 3.8 million m3 flood storage reservoir at Chapelton to the south of the town.


Notable buildings

The Findhorn valley has a wide variety of
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
s, several of which are the main residence of Highland estates. These include Dunphail House, on the River Divie, built on the site of a 14th-century castle, the white harled and crowstepped Logie House near Randolph's Leap,
Darnaway Castle Darnaway Castle, also known as Tarnaway Castle, is located in Darnaway Forest, southwest of Forres in Moray, Scotland. This was Comyn land, given to Thomas Randolph along with the Earldom of Moray by King Robert I. The castle has remained t ...
with its 15th-century Earl Randolph's Hall, described as "unique in non-Royal castles" and Altyre, which has a 19th-century
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
farm steading, " now used by
Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...
."The Creative Campus, Highlands and Islands"
Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...
. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
Brodie Castle, which lies to the west in the vale of the Muckle Burn, has large formal gardens and was visited by
Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...
in 1787.
Forres Tolbooth The Forres Tolbooth is a municipal building on the High Street in Forres in Scotland. The building, which is used as a visitor attraction, is a Category A listed building. History The first tolbooth in Forres was completed in the mid-16th centu ...
on the High Street was erected in 1838, but replaced an earlier tolbooth of a similar design on the same site. Cluny Hill College, originally a
hydropathic hotel Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...
dates to 1863 and "has a rambling skyline of dutch gables, ordinary gables, chimneys, parapets and bays". The octagonal Nelson's Tower on the summit of the nearby Cluny Hills is a prominent landmark that was erected in 1806 to celebrate
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
’s victory at
Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * The Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England Trafalgar may also refer to: Places * Cape Trafalgar, a headland in ...
. The Universal Hall is an arts and conference centre at Findhorn Ecovillage that enjoys a stained glass window by American artist James Hubbel. At the heart of the village of Findhorn are the 1739 Crown and Anchor Inn and Findhorn House, the home of the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club, which is an 18th-century house with late 19th-century enlargements.


Ecology and leisure

Agriculture and forestry are practiced throughout the length of the land on the Findhorn's banks, but leisure activities are also an important aspect of the river and its catchment. On the high moors which are the source of the headwaters,
red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...
and
grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order (biology), order Galliformes, in the family (biology), family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the Tribe (biology), tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetr ...
shooting are significant activities. Hill walking and bird watching are also important aspects of local tourism. Here, hardy plant species such as heather and
Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...
thrive on the
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
y soils and in the sheltered valley there are stands of
Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-gr ...
.


See also

*
Fauna of Scotland The fauna of Scotland is generally typical of the northwest European part of the Palearctic realm, although several of the country's larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times and human activity has also led to various species o ...
* Flora of Scotland The neighbouring: *
River Nairn The River Nairn () is a 35 mile long river in the Scottish Highlands. Etymology The hydronym ''Nairn'' is Pictish language, Pictish in origin. The name may involve ''*Naverna'', of which the ultimate genesis is the Celtic languages, Celtic ro ...
to the west *
River Spey The River Spey () is a river in the northeast of Scotland. At it is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom and the third longest and fastest-flowing river in Scotland. It is an important location for the traditions of salmon fishing an ...
to the east.


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

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Further reading

* {{Authority control
Findhorn Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, Scotland, Kinloss, and abou ...
Findhorn Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, Scotland, Kinloss, and abou ...
0Findhorn