Thursday 24th March 2022

Another section of the Moray Coastal Trail (10.1 miles).


We had walked from Lossiemouth to the signpost in the middle of nowhere on the shore at the edge of Lossie forest on the 30th December. Today’s walk was to do the section from there to Kingston on Spey. This was my 67th birthday day out! My birthday was the 18th.


Mairi came up to the house and we headed East. We stopped at Mackenzie and Cruickshank for our scone and for me a glass of milk. We the went on to Garmouth where we asked a local for advice on where to leave the car and then join the Moray Coastal Trail. There was a good car-park at the sea front in Kingston. We started walking at quarter to twelve. We have had the most fabulous March weather recently. Today was dry but a wee bit more overcast than it has been. It was a great day for walking.

I went to church camp in Garmouth in 1967. My memories of it are sketchy. I just don’t remember the place. We had stayed in the school. I do remember getting a burn from Giant Hogweed which grew at the mouth of the Spey. I also remember Finlay Mackenzie (who became a minister) giving me lots of piggy backs as I found it difficult to walk. He felt responsible as he had shoved a huge stalk of Hogweed in the windows over my camp-bed! It probably had nothing to do with him but I milked the free carries. A really nice man. The burn came out in a huge water blister which was drained by Donald Macdonald who became a doctor. I also remember getting into trouble with Rev Billy Graham who was commandant. My cousin Martin and myself had hidden away when we were supposed to clean the toilets. Billy Graham (Uncle Bill) was too nice to give you a hard time. I do remember we went on bus trips to RAF Kinloss where we were shown a Shackleton aeroplane and Royal Navy Lossiemouth where we were shown a Buccaneer jet.








It is not the most exciting or the most scenic of walks but it is nice. It is sea on one side and forest on the other. Looking back to Kingston. The hill showing is Bin of Cullen, I think.


And looking towards Lossiemouth.


There are World War II defences the whole way along. I went up this tower.








A bit further on we all went up another tower.


We stopped for lunch at 1.30 and sat on the pebble beach. Amazing pebbles.








I don’t know was this some gun emplacement but it had been well graffitied. 






At almost two we reached the signpost where we had got to in December. The signpost in the middle of nowhere. Anne in the middle of nowhere.




I went out onto the pebbles to take photos. Looking back to Anne and Mairi at the signpost in the middle of nowhere.




The coastal defences go into the forest. I had photographed them before.


I did turn it over and it had some pentagon on the back. Anne said it was some Satanic symbol so I didn’t photograph it.


This ruined house was in the forest behind the graffitied gun emplacement.








We got back to the tower we had all been up earlier. We all went up again and had our afternoon break there.




We arrived back in Kingston just before four.


So we have completed another section of the trail.


So now we have done

1. Forres to FindhornSaturday 14th March 2020 (unrecorded)
2. Findhorn to RoseisleTuesday 16th November 2021
3. Roseisle to BurgheadSaturday 19th December 2020
4. Burghead to HopemanFriday 9th October 2020
5. Hopeman to LossiemouthFriday 23rd July 2021
5. Lossiemouth to Lossie ForestThursday 30th December 2021
6. Lossie Forest to Kingstontoday
7. Findochty to PortknockieSaturday 4th September 2021 (unrecorded)
8. Portknockie to CullenSaturday 30th August 2014


We are going for a holiday to Port Essie near Buckie in April. If the weather is good we hope to do a few more sections of the trail. We could finish it! It is a fantastic walk.