Luxury self catering accommodation in Moray

Looking to take a tranquil self-catering break in Scotland? Moray is a relatively remote part of Scotland, located in the North East of the country, neighbouring Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. A self-catering break in Scotland could appeal for romantic breaks or family breaks away. Discover attractive country towns, the scenery of Speyside, part of the Cairngorms National Park and a beautiful coastline. Moray is also the area for Scotland’s Malt Whisky Trail and is home to a number of historical castles. Whether you enjoy fishing, walking, cycling, golfing or wildlife watching, Morayshire has plenty to offer for luxury cottage breaks.

The Best of Moray Inland

The best country area in Moray is undoubtedly Speyshire, part of which is officially within the Highlands region. Speyside is known for the quality of its scenery with woodlands, rivers and glens awaiting visitors. Fochabers is worth a visit for the Baxters Highland Village. There are also some excellent walks in Speyside including the challenging Speyside Way. Part of Moray extends in to the Cairngorms National Park and there you can discover some spectacular mountain scenery. Discover Ben Macdhuim for some serious hill walking or Ben Rinnes.

Best of Coastal Moray

Along the coast, there are a number of small picturesque fishing villages including Portknockie with its pretty harbour, Findochty, Burghead and Cullen. Travel to nearby Aberdeenshire and there are even more quaint coastal villages to discover at Gardenstown and Pennan where there is a pebble beach and some interesting caves. For great walks, Moray also has a number of sandy beaches, many backed with sand dunes. Beaches include Findhorn beach, Roseisle beach, Burghead beach, and Cullen beach. One of Moray's best attractions has to be the dolphin population at the Moray Firth. To see the dolphins you can either head to the special centre near Spey Bay or book a boat trip.

Moray's Whisky Trail

Moray’s unique selling point for luxury breaks has to be the Malt Whisky Trail which is a Morayshire speciality. Distilleries dotted around Moray include Glen Moray Distillery, Speyside Cooperage, Strathisla, Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Glenfiddich, Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery, Cardhu and Benromach.

Castles in Moray

Those who want to do a spot of castle visiting on a luxury self-catering break shouldn’t be disappointed as Moray boast a number of castles, some well preserved and some ruins. Ballindalloch Castle is a well preserved castle, located in Speyside near to Ballindalloch. This castle has wonderful gardens, by the River Spey and is open to visitors in the summer months. Guide books are available for purchase. Another impressive castle is the National Trust for Scotland’s Brodie Castle which is an impressive building with extensive gardens, tearooms, an adventure playground and a nature trail. This castle dates back to the 16th century and is open from April through to the end of October. In terms of ruins, Auchindoun Castle stands high on a hill by the river Fiddich and enjoys a stunning setting surrounded by hills. Duffus Castle is another ruin located around 5 miles from Elgin. This motte and bailey castle is protected by Historic Scotland.

Activities to Enjoy on Luxury Cottage Breaks in Moray

Morayshire offers visitors an excellent choice of activities. With so much wonderful countryside and coastline just ripe for discovery, choose from walking, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, horse riding and wildlife watching. Dolphins deserve a special mention as these are one of Moray’s key attractions. Moray even has a special award winning Dolphin Centre near Spey Bay where bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen. Visit for free tours and dolphin watching from land.
All in all, Moray has lots to offer for luxury cottage breaks and could be an excellent choice for family holidays or romantic luxury breaks.