Lossiemouth to Hopeman
Trail date: August 17, 2022
Method of travel: hike
This is probably my favorite section of the Moray Coast Trail. It’s got everything – beaches, dunes, cliffs, sea stacks, caves, lighthouses, rock pools, and more. It’s also a hot spot for dolphin sightings, much like Cullen Bay. I saw my first wild dolphins at Cove Bay (near Covesea) a few years ago and it has always held a special place in my heart.
I started my morning with a beautiful coffee at Harbour Lights in Lossiemouth along with some eggs and beans on toast. After fueling up, I headed to the East Beach and stepped onto the sand, having sudden flashbacks from the previous hike. But this was a much better day. Cooler, cloudy, and when the tide is out you have a massive expanse of compacted damp sand to walk on. I found that easier than the dry sand/dune trails.
Already the white beacon known as Covesea Lighthouse is visible in the distance, towering above the dunes. Walking this section of the beach was a bit tricky as it was littered with thousands of small jellyfish. As I avoided the squishy landmines, the clouds rolled quickly overhead creating a beautiful speckled light pattern on the sand.
I was walking quickly, so the lighthouse was soon towered over me. I was immediately distracted by the large caves beneath it. Is there a phobia for being deep inside a cave? If so I think I have a mild version of that. I always get an overwhelming destructive vision that the cave will suddenly collapse while I’m inside. I walked in a little bit before the fear got me, then quickly moved on.
After another mile, I reached another section of large cliffs. Instead of turning up the path onto the high road, I walked around the base of the cliffs to explore the abstract shapes. Then things got really interesting!
Large walls of (sandstone?) rose above me, with beautiful swirling grey and yellow patterns. I navigated my way through a labyrinth of rock pools until I came to a large sea arch. While passing under it, I could hear the waves echoing off the walls around me. The sun made an appearance, casting deep shadows across the rocks.
It was around this time that I had my first break, sipping water and snacking while watching the waves crash against the rocks. The tide was coming in, slowly filling the rock pools with gentle swirls and splashes.
After my break I continued along the base of the cliffs, stepping carefully to avoid all the little creatures.
One of the most interesting parts of walking along the water are the rock pools. Deep pools carved into the rocks over the centuries by moving water. Within each pool is a world of its own full of life.
Soon navigating the slippery and jagged rocks and piles of loose stones became too exhausting, so I moved onto the upper trail. This provided a nice perspective down onto the cliffs and water.
But somehow I missed a turn, and ended up at this secluded overlook. It would be a wonderful camping spot if it wasn’t too windy!
I had to back-track about 1/2 mile until I found the footpath that climbs above the cliffs.
And boy did it climb!
I was rewarded with views down into Covesea bay, featuring this magnificent sea stack which was home to many sea birds.
The views only got better as I continued walking. At low tide, you can walk at the base of the cliff, but you have to be really careful about timing – if the tide comes in you can get trapped in certain sections with no way to climb up. You’d have to wait until the next low tide to return to civilization.
Eventually I made it to a viewpoint overlooking Primrose Bay, which is not only a spectacular view but also home to some of the larger caves, the most famous being Sculptor’s Cave. I was really bummed I couldn’t get down to it. If you do happen to arrive at low tide, it’s worth the effort to visit the cave and see the Pictish carvings. In the past the caves were excavated to discover Late Bronze Age metalwork, Roman Iron Age artefacts and human bone, and now only the carvings remain.
See more carving images here. Detailed guide to accessing the cove here.
But rather than risk being trapped by the rising tide, I stayed up high and had a beautifully relaxing painting session.
I’ll definitely be returning again to explore the caves and beautiful beach at Primrose Bay.
After my rest, I rejoined the path which now began climbing even more towards Hopeman. The path is flanked by fields of wheat and grazing sheep on the left and heavy gorse bushes on the right which often obscure your view of the ocean. However there are small areas that open up and offer views of the turquoise waters below.
The sun was beginning to sizzle my skin, so I hurried onwards towards my favorite place, Cove Bay (also known as Covesea Bay and Clashach Cove). It’s just past the Clashach quarry, where you can also see dinosaur footprints.
This beach is often completely empty, but sometimes you see others especially at the height of summer. There are plenty of cool caves, tunnels and arches to explore here. At low tide you can walk from this beach to Sculptor’s Cave.
Admittedly I was pretty tired by this point, though inspiration was overflowing! I sketched a little but I ended up watching the waves for about 20 minutes, letting them almost lull me to sleep.
In my opinion watching waves roll in over the sand is one of the most relaxing things in the world. But I was aware of the time and needed to get moving in order to make it to Hopeman by 6pm. The waves would still be there for my next visit!
The rest of the walk to Hopeman bobs up and down along the rocky coast, with plenty of inspiring views. I was tempted to stop for another sketch, but the wind had grown INTENSE and urged me onward. Waves splashed up over the rocks creating showers of mist.
After a mile and a half I reached Hopeman beach with it’s iconic row of colorful beach huts.
After a long day, I enjoyed some hot coffee at Hopeman Harbour which helped remove the chill from the wind. It was a perfect day on the coast.
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