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Culbin Nature Reserve

The Culbin Forest and Culbin Sands Nature Reserve extends east from Nairn nine miles along the coast to Findhorn. It's an area of outstanding beauty for walkers and nature lovers with way-marked trails through the forests. There are many species of indigenous flora and fauna as well as large numbers of visiting birds and migratory flocks.

The sprawling Culbin Forest, immediately to the east of the Lochloy caravan site, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Culbin Sands is a recognised nature reserve of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). An area of outstanding natural beauty, Culbin is a unique landscape of sand bars, mud flats, salt marshes, sand dunes and coniferous forest.

In the Middle Ages, much of the area now covered by forest was prized grazing. Overgrazing, and the removal of marram grass from the dunes for use as thatching, left the dunes unstable and over many years they encroached on the land. Storms of 1694 saw fields and farmhouses buried and, in subsequent years, there were reports of trees and even a church spire peaking through the sand.

Between 1922 and 1931, the Forestry Commission purchased the dunes and embarked on a massive tree planting programme to halt the drifting sands. Planting continued for over 40 years. As the forest matured, a plethora of animal, bird and plant life made the forest their home, culminating in the area receiving SSSI status in 1973.

The sands are best visited in winter, when they provide a safe haven for sea ducks and waders. Species to be seen include long-tailed ducks, shelduck, eider, common and velvet scoters, redshank, red-throated diver, black-throated diver, snow bunting and the occasional peregrine hunting along the edge of the forest.

Visitors should take care, both when crossing the salt marshes and when venturing out to the sand bars where the incoming tide can leave the unwary stranded.

Visit the new viewing tour at hill 99  -    www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/CulbinForestTrailGuidereduced.pdf/$FILE/CulbinForestTrailGuidereduced.pdf

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