Culbin Forest (Findhorn to west point of Moray) – 15 miles
Trail Date: November 28, 2022
Method of travel: Bicycle
Culbin forest makes up over 7,000 acres of land just north of Forres. This densely packed pine forest contains a maze of forest trails and has a fascinating history which I’ll explain later. Today’s journey would take me 15 miles through this beautiful woodland and as usual was nothing short of an interesting adventure!
It’s been almost 3 months since I’ve been on the trail. That was due to my foot injury which I mentioned in the last post, travelling to America for 3 weeks, and catching covid. But the wait finally ended yesterday as I stepped into Culbin Forest for the first time.
In my desperation to continue my coastal journey, I fought my internal demons who told me “I have to hike on my feet to make it count.” But where were those voices coming from? With my foot and a knee injury taking its sweet time to heal, it was as good a time as any to test the theory that cycling is much easier on the joints.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline or the excitement and freedom of wandering in the forest after a hiatus, or the cold crisp fresh air filling my lungs, but the theory proved true. Even after today’s 15 mile journey, my knee only has the faintest hint of pain. That’s promising.
Let’s talk about the trail!
Starting in the Culbin Forest car park and heading east towards Findhorn, I quickly became aware of several issues with my bike. I suppose that is only natural on my maiden voyage onto the trails with my new-used bike. But minor issues were solved as quickly as they arose, and it didn’t damper my spirits. It was a beautiful sunny day without a hint of breeze. Cold air filled my lungs – it was around 3°C/37.4°F as I set off, but soon it would warm to around 8°C/46.4°F.
Cycling is different to hiking in many obvious ways, but as an artist I noticed it also provides opportunity to see things in a new way, much like flying my drone. I’m used to the very (very) slow pace of walking. This is almost like watching the world pass by in slow motion. Taking in every tiny detail. Every rock, root and lichen. When hiking, I have time to contemplate how I would draw or paint everything I pass by. My mind is flooded with thoughts and a hike can be as mentally exhausting as it is physical. But on a bike, I notice the effect of light more than details. Light flickering through the trees as my wheels glide along the path at a leisurely pace. Long shadows flowing everywhere around me. Light beams glittering and sparkling on every surface. It’s a very freeing way of traveling and seeing. I take in the bigger picture.
On wheels I can go slow or fast, I’m in control of the pace and can stop as needed. Spoiler: I stopped a lot! I think it will be fun to have a balance of cycling and hiking as I make my way around the coast of Scotland. And who knows – maybe I’ll even kayak part of it!
It wasn’t long before I arrived at the northeast corner of Culbin Forest, and with a short detour through the tree-covered-dunes I was staring at the Moray Firth and out to the North Sea.
Below the cliff, seals were drifting in the gentle waves.
To the east there was a clear view to the iconic colourful beach huts of Findhorn that I had visited last time.
My real challenge was pacing myself to finish the trail before sunset. At the end of November in Moray, Scotland, the sun sets at 3:30-4:00pm, but goes behind the trees and hills much sooner. This limits daylight hours drastically and one must decide one’s course based on how long they want to be outside in Daylight vs. Darkness.
Knowing the sun would be setting early was the only thing that stopped me from spending the entire day sitting on the cliffs watching the seals. After a quick snack, I navigated my way back through the tree-covered-dunes to the main trail. Speaking of dunes…
Hundreds of years ago this region was completely made up of huge sand dunes, like a little desert. Settlers built homes on the dunes and harvested the dune grass to make thatch roofs. This increased the erosion of the dunes and in the 1960’s, a huge storm moved through and the sands supposedly swallowed the old village of Culbin. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the forestry commission began planting trees to stabilize the region, resulting in the huge forest you see today.
It felt strange to ride through the dunes knowing that not far below could be remnants of an old homestead.
I continued west along the trail hugging the coast. I couldn’t hear the waves, but I knew it was just through the trees. A few miles later there was a slight detour towards the water, and I jumped at the chance. The sun was just about to set behind the trees, and it cast a warm glow over the serene waters. Large tidal sands protect this inlet and create a natural shelter for wildlife.
As the tides recede, tidal mud flats emerge and large swathes of mossy grass appear and offer a tempting pathway. Unwary visitors are sure to end up with a boot full of mud.
I sat here and painted for about 20 minutes, ever aware that the sun would soon dip below the horizon, but aching to embrace the incredible serenity of my situation. How bittersweet!
With each passing minute it seemed to grow colder and soon my breath was visible – a stark reminder of the morning’s frost and a kick in the butt to return to the trail.
I continued along the boggy shore until the western-most point of Moray, thus completing Chapter 1: Moray County.
From here, I was single minded: make it back to the car before dark! I pedalled with a revived fury that only someone scared of the dark could muster.
It was a few miles back to the car, and the trail was flat but bumpy. By then, my bum was sore and I would have given anything for a paved road…until I got it. I forgot how scary it is to have cars whizzing past at 60 mph only inches away from your shoulder. Single track roads in Scotland are…cozy.
I had missed a turn somewhere and ended up on one of the roads just outside of Culbin Forest. Thankfully it wasn’t rush hour, and I only had a couple death defying moments. I made it back to the car park just as the darkness set in.
After a few moments acclimating to solid ground and shaking the jello out of my legs, I reflected on the perfect day I had just experienced.
I would recommend this forest to anyone looking for an escape.
I stuffed my bike into the Volvo and away I went.
Thank you for reading!
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