One of the great things about Findhorn is that you can spend all your time enjoying the village without having to venture anywhere far. That said, you can very easily go slightly further afield to explore Moray and the Highlands. Here are a few of the things we love, just to whet your appetite.

Beautiful beaches:

Take a stroll along the foreshore to the beach on the bay, via the Captains Parlour ice cream shop and then over the dunes to the main beach. At the right tide, you’ll see seals swimming at the entrance to the bay or lounging on the sand bars.

A lazy lunch or tasty tea:

The Bakehouse for light lunches or evening pizzas on a Friday or Saturday in the summer. Worth booking the pizza so drop in or call on 01309 691826.

The Crown & Anchor is an excellent pub with great food and a local feel.

Torta Findhorn. A lovely sun trap with incredible views, next to the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club. Well worth dropping in for a tasty lunch, coffee and cakes. Keep an eye out for their pop-up evening events as well.

The Kimberley Inn is another favourite. There is something truly special about sitting on the terrace at the front of the pub with a pint watching the world go by.

The Captain’s Table at the marina is a great spot to stop on the way back from the beach for a tasty lunch sitting outside overlooking the boats. Its a real sun trap.

The Phoenix Cafe at the Findhorn Foundation is a lovely spot. Tasty home made food, most of which is grown in the grounds of the Foundation.

Provisions:

Most of your day-to-day needs are catered for in Findhorn or close by.

The Bakehouse: With a wide range of food, fresh bread and a deli counter - plus fresh pizzas at the weekend and great coffee. They sell bread and eggs from the back door from early in the morning. Just follow the aroma to find it. The Bakehouse may well become a daily destination during any stay in the village!

The Findhorn Village Stores and Post Office: Has a wide range of groceries and provisions and caters for all your day-to-day needs a mere 60 seconds from the cottage.

The Phoenix Stores at the Findhorn Foundation: A great range of grocery and provisions, plus a good selection of beer and wine.

Woodside Farmshop in Kinloss (at the end of the village on the right as you drive towards Burghead). Stocks a good range of fruit and vegetables, along with some fantastic meat from the farm. Doesn’t get more local!

Wester Hardmuir fruit farm and farm shop is great. They have a wide range of PYO fruit and a well stocked farm shop with fruit, vegetables,

The Grapemonger in Nairn is well worth a visit for wine,

The Connage Highland Dairy in Ardersier has a fabulous selection of cheese

Macbeth’s Butcher in Forres stocks a wide range sourced from local farms. Delicious.

Watersports:

There are plenty of options to get out on the water in and around Findhorn.

Sailing school, equipment hire and watertaxis: Findhorn Watersports is located on the bay just beyond the marina. They run sailing courses, hire out equipment (paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and dinghies) and run a water taxi across the bay to the Culbin Forest. . Jane, Niall and their crew are great.

Wind sports lessons: Moray Firth Wind Sports run kite surfing and wing surfing lessons in Findhorn or Ardersier. Great fun and well worth booking with Murray in advance.

Wildlife tours: If you fancy getting out on the Moray Firth, take a trip with North 58. They are based at the marina and have a range of trips that take you to see the wildlife and scenery of the Firth. enjoy the birdlife, seals, dolpins and possibly basking sharks.

Yoga, Pilates & Sauna (plus cold water swimming!):

The Vibe Movement run regular yoga sessions in and around Findhorn. Chelle offers fab yoga, pilates and wellbeing experiences. A morning yoga session in the sun by the beach followed by a cold water swim in the ocean is a great start to the day!

The Watershed Sauna is one of a kind. Experience the sauna overlooking the beach and combine it with a dip in the water - and there’s a reasonable chance you’ll see dolphins swim past. Book early as spots go like hotcakes.

Walks and Hikes:

There are many walks and hikes in and around Findhorn. Closest in is the walk along Findhorn beach. We’ll never tire of this, in any season, any weather, any tide, any time of day (or night). Then there are walks along the River Findhorn at Logie Steading and Sluie Walks. Across the bay from Findhorn is the Culbin Forest - a great place for a walk or overnight camp. Findhorn Watersports run a water taxi service from the Findhorn Marina to get there. And slightly further afield are some munros to bag. Try Ben Wyvis - it's a fantastic walk with amazing views.

Dolphin watching:

Our girls love a trip to Chanonry Point to watch the dolphins. Get there an hour after low tide to have the best chance of seeing them. For more info go to http://www.moraydolphins.co.uk/ It's about 1hr 20 from Findhorn but worth the travel time. You could always combine it with a trip to the Black Isle Brewery or the village of Cromarty.

Golf:

If you love golf, you are in for a treat. Within short distance there are some world class links golf courses and hidden gems. Check out Nairn, Castle Stuart, Moray (Old and New), Cullen, Hopeman, Boat of Garten, Granton-on-Spey, Kingussie, Royal Dornoch, Brora, Tain and Golspie…. to name but a few.

The Arts:

Knitting / crochet (and arm knitting!): Sophie at Forest & Dot runs workshops and will come to the cottage. The Nairn wool shop is also a treasure trove for knitters.

Art & Literature: The Moray Art Centre runs workshops and art exhibitions and is worth dropping into on any visit to the Findhorn Foundation. The Findhorn Bay Arts festival runs in September and hosts a large number of events. The Nairn Book and Art Festival also runs in early September each year.

Music and Film: The Universal Hall at the Findhorn Foundation runs various music and film events - well worth checking out what’s on the itinerary.

Woodworking: Learn some new skills on a woodworking course run by Arron Sterritt at Logie Steading. Arron teaches green woodworking which is a traditional practice using fresh wood still full of sap allowing the tools to split, slice, shave and cleave through the wood with ease. Courses are very popular, so book early!

Tennis and Bowls

The Findhorn tennis and bowls clubs are both available to non-members. The tennis club even has a resident pro (Carl Gavine) who is available for coaching and lessons.

Fun for the little ones:

The Kinloss Farm shop has a great indoor play area and cafe for those slightly more inclement days. Brodie Castle has recently opened its Playful Garden with loads of outdoor fun to be had, a cafe and soft play area. Morayvia is a hands-on aviation museum in Kinloss. Its only small, but there is plenty to do for young and old - especially if you like aircraft. Opening times vary dependent on the time of year. Its run by ex-RAF volunteers and is a fabulous way to spend a few hours. And lets not forget the ritual of crabbing by the piers. The world record haul is 106 crabs, so grab a net and some bacon and let us know how you get on.

Distillery visits:

Findhorn is in a short hop from the distilleries of Speyside. Most of them do visits that provide a fabulous insight into the art of the distillers and give you a chance to sample a tot or two. Benromach is the closest to Findhorn, but there are many more worth a visit - The Glenlivet, Cardhu, The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Glen Moray are just a few…..