With its 50 miles of marvellous landscapes from rugged cliffs, caves and sheltered coves to fishertown harbours and sweeping stretches of sand, Moray has a coastline alive with wildlife that would be the envy of many other regions in Britain. Many visitors are drawn by the resident bottlenose dolphin population, or to watch birds by the sea.

Shifting shingle shores at Spey Bay, the tidal flats of Findhorn Bay Local Nature Reserve and Lossie river mouth all provide sheltered waters and fast food for a vast array of wildfowl and waders.

The 18th century salmon-curing factory at Spey Bay is home to the Spey Bay Wildlife Centre. The firth’s resident bottlenose dolphins are studied from here by the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society.  As well as being famed for the dolphins, the Centres location is within a wildlife haven that is home to ospreys, grey and harbour seals, otters, wildfowl and waders. It is part of a 450ha nature reserve which forms part of the largest vegetated shingle habitat in Scotland.

The photographs on the left kindly supplied by and copyright of Charlie Philips - www.charliephillipsimages.co.uk and not to be reproduced without prior permission.