The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Findlater Castle
Location: Moray Map: OS Landranger 29 Distance: 6 miles (10km) Time: 3-4 hours Terrain: Coastal paths, beach and headland THE villages that line the Moray Coast are among the sunniest in Scotland. Even in the midst of winter’s dreary gloom, seaside villages such as Findhorn and Hopeman, Findochty and Cullen are often bathed in golden light. That’s probably why the Moray coast became such a popular holiday destination for Victorian visitors, many of whom described their surprise at the mild climate and early harvests of north-east Scotland.
Figures from the Met Office show that between November and March, you’re likely to experience more sunshine in Moray than in London and suffer less rainfall than the English average. Kinloss, for example, has an average annual rainfall of 624mm – compare that to Eastbourne on the south coast of the UK, which sees 790mm of rain.
With its 44 miles of beach walking, coastal paths, quiet roads and old railways, and its views from coves, beaches and skerries across the vastness of the Moray Firth towards the hills of Sutherland, the Moray Coast Trail is one of Scotland’s bestkept secrets. A waymarked route meanders west from the harbour village of Cullen to the historic town of Forres and for some of the way it follows the line of the disused Aberdeen-to-Inverness railway line.
This short walk, to the gaunt ruins of Findlater Castle, follows the route of the Moray Coast Trail and is a fine mix of beach, coastal path and headland walking. The castle ruins lie about two miles east of Cullen, famous for its skink, or fish and potato soup, but keep that for later once you’ve finished walking.
We left Cullen Harbour on a bright but cold winter day and headed out along the coast path, passing a pet cemetery – something you won’t find on many of our walkies …
The path soon narrows as it wriggles its way around the headland before descending to a bay complete with the ruins of an old salmon fishers’ bothy. I couldn’t help wonder if salmon could still be caught using such simple methods – rig up some nets then haul in the catch next morning.
The path runs along the shore here and leads to a gully and a gate. Beyond the path becomes rockier before descending into another bay. Incongruously we eventually reached a long flight of steps that was apparently built by one man in the 1980s – we owe him our gratitude.
It didn’t take long before Findlater Castle came into view, a crumpled, sad remnant of its former glory. It must have been an impressive keep in its day, high on its clifftop with only a steep-sided ridge joining it to the mainland.
The first records of the castle go back to the 13th century when the original keep was fortified by Alexander IV to defend it from the Norsemen. This was the beginning of a number of “strengthening improvements” – the castle was rebuilt by Sir Walter Ogilvy in the 15th century before it was passed to the Gordon family the following century. Following the execution of Sir John Gordon, who rebelled against Mary, Queen of Scots, the castle was returned to the Ogilvies, who lived here until the 1600s. It’s been derelict ever since. It’s been suggested the name Findlater comes from the Gaelic for white cliff – fionn leitir.
Route: Start/finish at Cullen harbour (GR: NJ505673). Leave the harbour, pass the hostel and take the path along the shore past the pet cemetery. Continue past a number of bays, and eventually climb the slopes to the clifftop near the castle itself. An interpretive board offers a brief history of the castle. Take great care if you decide to visit the castle remains. The slopes are very steep and the castle remains, unsurprisingly, are in a dangerous state. Either return the way you came or follow the clifftop path to a sign marked Logie House. Follow the path inland, past Logie House and on to a minor road that takes you back into Cullen itself.