Nairn Area Guide

There aren’t many places in Scotland where you can sit on a sandy beach and watch dolphins splash about in the sea, but Nairn is one of them. Set on the Moray Firth Coast, this seaside town is a charming and rather lively place to live. Its main pull is the sheer beauty that surrounds it, but there’s plenty to see and do here too – whether you enjoy a spot of golf, or love to windsurf.

Simply put, Nairn is a beautiful place that anyone would be happy to call home.

Things to see and do

If you like nothing more than playing a round of golf at the weekends, Nairn is the perfect place to live. The town is home to not one, but two championship 18-hole golf courses – Nairn Golf Club and Nairn Dunbar Gold Club. If you want even more variety than that, there are 40 courses in total within a 60-mile radius of Nairn – that’s a lot of choice.

Perhaps you prefer to spend your time frolicking about in the salty sea. If that’s the case, you’ll end up spending most of your weekends at Nairn Harbour, as it’s home to an active sailing club. During windy days, the sandy beach is also full of windsurfers trying to stay upright, if that’s more your thing.

If you like spending time in the water but prefer something a bit warmer than the sea, there’s always Nairn Swimming Pool. The pool is 25m in length and there’s even a steam room to enjoy after your swim. Outside is Nairn Leisure Park, where you can play croquette or crazy golf.

History-buffs who want to find out more about Nairn’s past as a herring fishing port will want to pay a visit or two to Nairn Museum. It has several exhibits with a wide variety of relics on display, including fossils, boomerangs, paintings, battle weapons and compasses.

Local environment

Moray Firth is home to one of only two dolphin colonies in the UK and the people of Nairn are often lucky enough to be able to see them from the harbour and shoreline. Dolphins aren’t the only wildlife that can be found in Nairn though; Culbin Forest is home to a rich variety of wildlife. On any given day, expect to see red squirrels, badgers, pine martins, roe deer and even seals. It’s a wonderful place to go for a gentle walk, but it’s also popular with cyclists and horse-riders. We recommend heading up to the Hill 99 tower to see the breath-taking panoramic views.

Cawdor Castle is another spectacular place which easily deserves more than one visit. Dating back to the late 14th century, this fairy-tale castle has three different gardens to enjoy. Inside the castle are portraits, stunning tapestries and exquisite furniture. Nearby is the River Findhorn, a beautiful salmon-fishing location. Surrounded by mountainous moorland and rocky gorges, it’s the perfect place to spend a few quiet hours trying to get a bite.

Schools and shopping

There are two schools in the town: Nairn Academy – a six-year comprehensive school – and Rosebank Primary School. Both have fantastic facilities – Rosebank in particular has several great spaces the kids can play during breaks and lunchtime, plus a garden to grow plants and herbs in.

The high street has a nice variety of shops, providing everything you could possibly need. For big food shops there’s a Sainsbury’s superstore, but if you just fancy a spot of cake there’s a tasty ice cream parlour and café in town too.