Lossiemouth, Beach, Dunes and River.

Start. Lossiemouth (East Beach car park).

Route. Lossiemouth (East Beach car park) - Spynie Canal - Seatown - Seatown Road - East Beach Bridge - East Beach - River Lossie - Dunes - East Beach (Moray Coast Trail) - East Beach Bridge - Seatown Road - Seatown - Spynie Canal - East Beach car park.

Notes. Pause for a second, take in the views, breathe in the fresh sea air, you’ll need to before tackling this walk. Blessed with two vast sandy beaches, glorious dune systems amidst some beautiful countryside, Lossiemouth is a gem on the Moray coast, originally developed as a port it once boasted a thriving herring fishery, it’s main source of income now comes from tourism although the port still thrives.

Walking on sand and shingle saps the strength, we knew this so paced ourselves. Lossiemouth East Beach car park at the side of the Spynie Canal marked our starting point, not a canal for boats but to protect the rich farmland from flooding. A set of steps leaves the car park, we climbed them to access Seatown Road and the Lossiemouth seafront, we wandered on to a new footbridge spanning the River Lossie, crossed to access the stunning dune backed East Beach.

Initially our route followed the coast but soon cut through a gap in the dunes to join the banks of the tidal River Lossie. With the Lossie for company we wandered across the flood plane keeping the dunes to our left, after passing a sylvan knoll the flood plane ended, a green trod then guided us between the river and dunes, we wandered along the edge of a pine plantation to access a wide sandy path cutting across the dunes, this we followed.

Walking through soft sand is hard work, we crossed two waves of dunes before stumbling onto a pebble beach, this was the East Beach, a vast arch curving around Spey Bay from Lossiemouth to Buckie. Towards Lossiemouth sand and the end of the pebbles, we could have walked back under the dunes, but then wouldn’t be able to see the sea, so opted for the highest ridge. Towards Lossiemouth we walked pebbles soon gave way to golden sand and crowds enjoying a day on the beach, after re-crossing the footbridge we re-traced our steps back to the car park.

view route map.

home.

The Spynie Canal built by Thomas Telford not for boats but to protect the rich farmland from flooding.

The old bridge with the dunes of the East Beach beyond.

The new East Beach Bridge over the River Lossie.

The tidal River Lossie.

Lossiemouth as seen from the East Beach.

The vast arch of Spey Bay.

The old bridge backed by the cottages of Seatown.

Pausing for a moment, taking in the sea air, looking back through the gap in the dunes mentioned in the text above.

Viewing the skyline of Lossiemouth from the edge of the tidal River Lossie.

Stunning views over the rivers flood plane.

Striding out along the banks of the River Lossie.

En route through the vast dune system.

Strolling along to the sound of wavelets breaking on shingle, looking to Lossiemouth with the hills of Easter Ross on the far horizon.

In the other direction, across Spey Bay the rolling hills above Cullen including the obvious Bin of Cullen far left.

Showers sweep across the Moray Firth.

Wandering along the frayed edge where the East Beach meets the waters of Spey Bay.

Soaking up views to the Bin of Cullen.

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