# Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper

> From Inverness via Culloden, Findhorn and Elgin to the harbour villages of Cullen, Portsoy and Crovie, then round the Buchan corner to Fraserburgh…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-515-scotland-moray-firth-aberdeenshire-coast/

**At a glance:** 8-day road trip of about 274 km (170 mi) with 14 stops, from Inverness to Aberdeen. About 3 h 47 min of driving in total. Best time to go: May–September. No motorway tolls or vignettes expected for a car. From Inverness via Culloden, Findhorn and Elgin to the harbour villages of Cullen, Portsoy and Crovie, then round the Buchan corner to Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen: around 340 kilometres of Scotland without high mountains, but with sandy bays, sea cliffs and seabirds.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 274 km (170 mi) |
| Driving | 3 h 47 min |
| Suggested days | 8 |
| Stops | 14 |
| Route | Inverness → Aberdeen |
| Countries | United Kingdom |
| Best time to go | May–September |
| Tolls and vignettes | None expected |
| Updated | October 1, 2026 |

[Download GPX file](https://camping-spirit.com/gpx/rf-515-scotland-moray-firth-aberdeenshire-coast.gpx)

Practical guides for this route: [By motorhome to Britain and Ireland: entry, driving on the left, tolls and overnighting](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/eu-uk-ireland-by-motorhome/)

*From Inverness via Culloden, Findhorn and Elgin to the harbour villages of Cullen, Portsoy and Crovie, then round the Buchan corner to Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen: around 340 kilometres of Scotland without high mountains, but with sandy bays, sea cliffs and seabirds.*

## The spirit of the route

The north-east coast is the other Scotland: fewer mountains, more horizon. Beyond Inverness the land turns flat and bright, barley fields run right up to the dunes, and the clouds over the Moray Firth often sit further apart than in the west. From the sliding door you see pine forest on the beach at Findhorn, the slipways of a harbour, gannets on the cliffs of Troup Head. It smells of seaweed, peat smoke and smoked haddock; in Cullen it comes to the table as soup. The villages cling to the foot of the cliffs, and the roads down are so steep that the motorhome stays at the top. In between lie sombre places such as the moor at Culloden and ruins such as Elgin Cathedral. If you are lucky, you will see bottlenose dolphins hunting from the shore – and if you are unlucky, you will be standing in the haar, the cold sea fog of the east coast.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: Inverness to Nairn (via Culloden, Clava Cairns and Fort George) (approx. 50 km)

- **The drive:** Out of Inverness on the B9006 up to Culloden Moor (around 10 km), then on narrow minor roads down into the valley of the Nairn to the Clava Cairns – the last few kilometres are single-track with passing places, and the bridge over the river is narrow. Back to the B9006, north via Croy to the B9039 and through Ardersier to the headland of Fort George. From there along the coast to Nairn. Flat throughout, a good two hours of pure driving time; keep Inverness itself brief, as the centre is cramped and has little space for large vehicles.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Culloden Battlefield (National Trust for Scotland): the last Jacobite rising ended here in 1746. Visitor centre, flag lines marking the two armies, memorial cairn and the clan graves in the heather – a place for silence, not for selfies.
  - Clava Cairns (Historic Environment Scotland, free access): passage graves and ring cairns around 4,000 years old with stone circles in a beech grove, a few hundred metres from the great railway viaduct over the Nairn valley.
  - Fort George: the mighty 18th-century fortress, still a barracks today, with a rampart walk above the Moray Firth and the Highlanders’ Museum; from the bastions you look across to Chanonry Point.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park on the eastern edge of Nairn, a few steps from the East Beach and the harbour: large holiday park with a touring area, electricity and toilet blocks; check the season and waste disposal in advance. Quieter and closer to Culloden is the Culloden Moor Caravan and Motorhome Club Site right by the viaduct over the Nairn (electricity, toilet blocks, service point, club site – clarify terms for non-members in advance).
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Wild overnighting in a motorhome is not a right in Scotland (see Practicalities). Under the Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme, Highland Council allows holders of a paid membership to stay overnight in designated car parks – including the harbour car park in Nairn – from 10pm to 8am, without booking and without a guaranteed space; everything stays inside the vehicle, and you may only return to the same car park after 72 hours. Check the conditions on the council’s website beforehand; signs on site take precedence. Overnighting is not intended at the Clava Cairns car park or at the Culloden visitor centre.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Inverness has no Low Emission Zone – unlike Aberdeen at the end of the route. Fill up and stock up in Inverness first; Torvean and Bught, by the Caledonian Canal and the Ness respectively, are the sites closest to town. Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, known for watching dolphins from the shore, is only a detour from the route (via the Kessock Bridge and Fortrose): the small car park at the lighthouse is often overcrowded, so motorhomes are better parked in Fortrose or Rosemarkie, continuing on foot. Your best chances are on a rising tide, with no guarantees – from the ramparts of Fort George you look out over the same stretch of sea.

### Stage 2: Nairn to Findhorn (via Brodie Castle and Forres) (approx. 35 km)

- **The drive:** East on the A96, turning right for Brodie just past Auldearn, then on to Forres. The A96 is single-carriageway and busy with lorries; overtake only on the few long straights. From Forres take the B9011 via Kinloss to Findhorn Bay, a shallow tidal bay with salt marshes. A short stage, just under an hour’s driving – time for garden, town and beach.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Brodie Castle (National Trust for Scotland): tower house of the Brodie family with a library and paintings, a large daffodil collection in the grounds in spring, plus a playful garden for children. House tours seasonal.
  - Sueno’s Stone on the eastern edge of Forres: a Pictish carved stone more than six metres tall with battle scenes, kept under glass to protect it from weathering.
  - Findhorn: on the way into the village, the ecovillage The Park (formerly the Findhorn Foundation) with houses built from old whisky barrels and grass roofs, behind it dunes and a long sandy beach on the Moray Firth; grey seals often lie on the sandbanks of the bay.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Findhorn Bay Holiday Park on the edge of the bay between Kinloss and Findhorn: electricity, toilet blocks, service point, shop nearby, beach and ecovillage within reach on foot or by bike. Book early in high season.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Findhorn has pay-and-display beach and village car parks; whether overnighting in a motorhome is allowed there is set by signs and the car park operator – do not rely on assumptions. In Culbin Forest west of the bay (Forestry and Land Scotland), forest car parks are intended for day visitors; check the FLS website to see whether one is listed in the “Stay the Night” programme (one night, only with your own toilet).
- **Insider tip for campers:** The ecovillage is a place where people live, not an open-air museum: respect private property and check what is offered to visitors (tours, café, shop) on the community’s website beforehand – the Findhorn Foundation now operates as The Park Ecovillage, and what is on offer has changed. In Forres, Benromach is a distillery right on the route – but distilleries are the subject of the CampingSpirit guide to the Cairngorms, Speyside and Royal Deeside; you will find the Whisky Trail covered in detail there.

### Stage 3: Findhorn to Lossiemouth (via Burghead and Elgin) (approx. 40 km)

- **The drive:** Back to Kinloss and on the B9089 past the RAF station to Burghead, a fishing village on a headland with dead-straight streets. Continue via Hopeman (B9012) and Duffus to Elgin, the capital of Moray, then north on the A941 to the coast at Lossiemouth. Flat farmland, hardly any bends; in Elgin, park on the edge of the centre.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Burghead: remains of a large Pictish fort on the headland, the enigmatic Burghead Well (a water basin cut into the rock) and the small visitor centre in the old coastguard lookout with views over the firth.
  - Elgin Cathedral (Historic Environment Scotland): the ruin of the “Lantern of the North”, burned down in 1390 by the “Wolf of Badenoch”, with its west front, towers and octagonal chapter house.
  - Lossiemouth: the footbridge over the Lossie to the East Beach with dunes and sandbank, and to the west Covesea lighthouse above the cliffs.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Silver Sands Leisure Park at Covesea west of Lossiemouth, close to the beach and lighthouse: large holiday park with touring pitches, electricity, toilet blocks, shop; check the season and waste disposal in advance. Smaller and quieter: the camping area in the walled garden of the Duffus Estate near Duffus.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** No-overnight-parking signs are common on beach and harbour car parks along the Moray coast. Where nothing is signed: park only, no camping behaviour, move on after one night, no emptying – and if in doubt, use one of the many sites instead.
- **Insider tip for campers:** With patience you can also see dolphins from Burghead harbour and from the Covesea path. Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force base: fighter jets and maritime patrol aircraft take off loudly during the day – if you want quiet at night, check where the site lies in relation to the runway. In Elgin, large supermarkets and filling stations are on the A96 on the edge of town; stock up there before moving on.

### Stage 4: Lossiemouth to Cullen (via Spey Bay and Portknockie) (approx. 50 km)

- **The drive:** Via Lhanbryde to the A96 and over the Spey at Fochabers, then on the B9104 down the estuary to Spey Bay. Continue via Portgordon along the coast to Buckie and on small roads via Findochty and Portknockie to Cullen. From Buckie on, the villages become more compact and the lanes by the harbours narrow; park above and walk down. Around 1.5 hours’ driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay (Whale and Dolphin Conservation): exhibition in the old salmon fishing station, next to it the large Tugnet Ice House, a shingle beach at the mouth of the Spey, ospreys in summer. Seasonal opening.
  - Bow Fiddle Rock near Portknockie: a quartzite sea arch rising from the water like the bow of a fiddle, visible from the cliff path by the village.
  - Cullen: the disused railway viaducts above the town, now open to walkers, the sandy beach with the “Three Kings” rocks – and Cullen skink, the soup of smoked haddock, potatoes and milk that takes its name from here.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Cullen Bay Holiday Park on the hill east above the town, with views over the bay and golf course; touring pitches with electricity and toilet blocks, check the season. Alternatively Strathlene Holiday Park near Buckie or Findochty Caravan Park right by the sea. Burnside Caravan Park near Fochabers lies inland in woodland.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The car parks at the Dolphin Centre and the harbours of Findochty and Portknockie are for daytime parking; sleep in the vehicle only where it is not prohibited, and never with camping behaviour. The seafront streets of the villages are residential – do not stay there overnight.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The spot with the widest view of the Spey estuary is the shore next to the Dolphin Centre; the animals appear irregularly, most likely on a rising tide. The old Garmouth railway viaduct over the Spey is part of a cycle and footpath – with a bike on the back, a ride is worthwhile. In Cullen the main street is steep and parked up at weekends; there is more space at the beach car park down in the town, but the access is narrow.

### Stage 5: Cullen to Banff (via Sandend and Portsoy) (approx. 25 km)

- **The drive:** East on the A98, with short turn-offs to the coastal villages: Sandend lies in a small sandy bay, Portsoy around two harbour basins. The A98 runs hilly a little inland, well built but with lorries and farm traffic. A short stage – time for cliff paths and Duff House in the afternoon.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Findlater Castle: castle ruin on a rocky promontory between Cullen and Sandend, reached on foot from Barnyards farm; unfenced, and the edges are crumbling.
  - Portsoy: the old harbour from the late 17th century, stone warehouses and merchants’ houses, a workshop shop for the green-veined Portsoy marble (serpentinite).
  - Duff House in Banff: baroque mansion by William Adam with paintings from the National Galleries of Scotland, and behind it a parkland path along the Deveron. Open only on some days of the week (Thursday to Sunday in the summer half of the year), considerably reduced in the winter half and closed over Christmas – check with Historic Environment Scotland beforehand.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Banff Links Caravan Park on the sandy beach west of Banff: electricity, toilet blocks, views over the bay; check the season. On the way are Sandend Caravan Park right behind the beach and Portsoy Links Caravan Park by the sea. East of Macduff, Myrus Holiday Park offers an alternative.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Harbour car parks in Portsoy and Banff are intended for day visitors. Where Aberdeenshire Council prohibits overnighting, signs say so; without a sign the Scottish principle applies – the landowner’s permission or a site. The sites on this coast are close together, so an alternative night is easy to find.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Do not drive the motorhome down to Portsoy harbour: the lanes are narrow and there is nowhere to turn; park up on the main street. The car park at Duff House is small and gravelled – with a large vehicle, better park in town and walk over. Opposite in Macduff, the Macduff Marine Aquarium shows the underwater world of the Moray Firth.

### Stage 6: Banff to Fraserburgh (via Troup Head, Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan) (approx. 45 km)

- **The drive:** Over the Deveron bridge to Macduff and on to the B9031, the coast road to Fraserburgh. It runs across a high plateau but drops into steep dips with tight bends at the burns – the sections at Gardenstown and Pennan are demanding for motorhomes and unsuitable for caravans. To avoid them, take the A98 inland and make only out-and-back trips to the coast. The roads down to Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan are steep, narrow and have nowhere to turn at the bottom: leave the vehicle at the top.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Troup Head (RSPB): Scotland’s largest mainland gannet colony on cliffs more than 90 metres high, plus kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and puffins in the breeding season; access via the narrow Northfield Road to a car park with around 20 spaces, then just under a kilometre on foot along a gravel path with steps. No toilets.
  - Crovie: a single row of houses at the foot of the cliff, so narrow that there is no road – only a footpath. From the viewpoint car park above you see the whole village; a shore path links it with Gardenstown (check the state of the path, landslips occur).
  - Pennan: harbour village beneath the cliff, known from the 1983 film “Local Hero”, red telephone box included.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Fraserburgh Caravan Park on the Esplanade, on the beach between harbour and dunes: electricity, toilet blocks, chemical toilet disposal; season usually April to October, check facilities in advance. If you want to stop earlier: Wester Bonnyton Caravan & Camping Site between Macduff and Gardenstown lies quietly in the hinterland.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The small car parks above Crovie, Gardenstown and Pennan have no room for overnighting; they are intended for day visitors and residents. Passing places and farm entrances on the B9031 are off limits.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Gardenstown and Crovie cannot be driven in a motorhome: in Gardenstown hairpin bends with steep gradients lead down to the harbour, and in Crovie there is no road at the bottom at all. Park at the upper edge of Gardenstown or in the viewpoint car park above Crovie and walk – even with a small panel van. The same applies to Pennan. On the B9031, take climbs in a low gear and stop early in dips when there is oncoming traffic.

### Stage 7: Fraserburgh to Peterhead (via Rattray Head and Loch of Strathbeg) (approx. 40 km)

- **The drive:** Out of Fraserburgh via Inverallochy and Crimond into the flat Buchan landscape: dunes, fields, flocks of geese in winter. The turn-offs to Loch of Strathbeg and Rattray Head lighthouse are narrow; the last section to Rattray is an unsurfaced track, unsuitable for large vehicles. Then on the A90 to Peterhead. Around an hour’s driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh: at Kinnaird Head, where the Northern Lighthouse Board’s first lighthouse was built into a castle tower; guided tours up the tower with lenses and clockwork.
  - Loch of Strathbeg (RSPB): Britain’s largest dune lake, a resting place for tens of thousands of pink-footed geese in the winter half of the year; hides at the visitor centre.
  - Peterhead Prison Museum: the former high-security prison with cell blocks and the history of hard labour in the granite quarry, now a museum.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** The Lido Caravan Park in Peterhead by the marina basin, with views of the bay and a short walk into town: electricity, toilet blocks, service point; check the season. In the hinterland, Aden Country Park near Mintlaw has a caravan park in the woods.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Buchan, car parks at beaches and nature reserves are for day use. Rattray Head with its dunes is a habitat for birds and seals; overnighting in a vehicle on the track is not intended and is risky because of the sand.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Fraserburgh and Peterhead are working harbours: lots of lorry traffic to the fish markets early in the morning, so do not park in the way near the harbour. In Peterhead, large supermarkets and filling stations are on the A90 on the edge of town – the last convenient opportunity before Aberdeen. For Rattray Head, leave the vehicle where the tarmac ends and continue on foot.

### Stage 8: Peterhead to Aberdeen (via Bullers of Buchan, Slains Castle and Newburgh) (approx. 55 km)

- **The drive:** Briefly south on the A90, then on to the A975 along the coast via Boddam to the Bullers of Buchan and Cruden Bay. Continue past the turn-off to Collieston to Newburgh at the mouth of the Ythan and back onto the A90, which runs as an expressway to Aberdeen. The A975 is two-lane but narrow and winding; the rest is easy. A good hour of pure driving time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Bullers of Buchan: a collapsed sea cave around 30 metres deep, into which the sea surges through a rock arch; in early summer puffins, kittiwakes and razorbills breed on the walls. The path runs round the rim without railings.
  - Slains Castle near Cruden Bay: the roofless ruin of a mansion on the cliff, said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”; footpath from the village, keep off walls and edges.
  - Ythan estuary at Newburgh: hundreds of grey and common seals lie on the sandbank opposite; watch from the south bank and do not go any closer. Behind it, the shifting dunes of the Sands of Forvie.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** For the last night, stay outside the Low Emission Zone: south-west of the city on the Dee is Deeside Holiday Park near Maryculter (open all year, electricity, toilet blocks, waste disposal; check conditions in advance). If you are heading further south, you will find coastal sites in Stonehaven – the route there, Dunnottar Castle and the way into the mountains are covered in the CampingSpirit guide to the Cairngorms, Speyside and Royal Deeside.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Bullers of Buchan car park on the A975 and Cruden Bay have space for day visitors, not for the night. Around Aberdeen, free overnighting is not an option: beach and city car parks are regulated, and most motorhomes drive out of town for the night.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Aberdeen is only the end point: a camera-enforced Low Emission Zone applies in the city centre – diesels need Euro 6, petrol vehicles Euro 4, foreign vehicles included. Many older motorhomes do not comply. Check your emissions standard beforehand and, for a city visit, use Park & Ride on the edge of town (for example Bridge of Don in the north; check suitability for large vehicles in advance) or one of the city-centre car parks outside the zone – Chapel Street, Ship Row, Queen Street and Justice Mill Lane are inside it. The ferry port for Orkney and Shetland is right in the middle of the city: coming from the terminal at Commercial Quay, turn left into Market Street – turning right takes you straight into the zone.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- The Scottish Outdoor Access Code (Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003) allows camping on unenclosed land for people on foot, by bike or by boat. It does not apply to motorhomes, campervans or rooftop tents: if you sleep in your vehicle, you need the landowner’s permission or a site. Parking overnight is only tolerated where parking is allowed and no sign prohibits it.
- Conduct when sleeping in your vehicle: everything inside, no awning, chairs, tables or barbecue; one night, then move on; never stop in passing places, farm and field entrances or on grass verges. No fires on beaches and cliffs, and do not disturb seal and bird colonies.
- Local rules: Highland Council (Inverness to Nairn) allows members of the Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme to stay overnight in designated car parks; Moray and Aberdeenshire regulate overnighting through signs at their car parks. Forestry and Land Scotland allows one night with your own toilet at selected forest car parks under “Stay the Night”. Brit Stops arranges overnight stays at farms and pubs. Check recent experiences on park4night and Campercontact – signs on site take precedence.
- The coast is densely packed with campsites, many of them council or family-run sites right by the beach. Book in July and August and on bank holiday weekends; many sites close in late autumn, a few are open all year.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- Waste disposal is called an “Elsan point” or “Chemical Disposal Point”; it is almost always at campsites, and public stations are rare. When passing through, ask about disposal for a fee. Never empty cassettes or grey water into public toilets, drains or the countryside.
- Drinking water: tap water is drinkable. British taps have different threads from continental ones – a universal hose connector helps. Electric hook-ups use blue CEE plugs.
- Gas: Calor Gas and Campingaz cylinders are standard; German cylinders are neither exchanged nor refilled. Autogas (LPG) is available at some filling stations, mainly in Inverness, Elgin and Aberdeen; refillable cylinders need the right adapter. Arrive with full cylinders and declare gas on the ferry or Eurotunnel.
- Shopping and fuel: Inverness, Elgin, Buckie, Fraserburgh and Peterhead have large supermarkets and filling stations; in the fishing villages in between there are only small shops with short opening hours.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Entry: the United Kingdom is not in the EU. EU citizens need a passport and an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), fee £20, usually valid for two years. Carry your registration document, driving licence and proof of insurance, and check with your insurer that cover is valid for the UK. Meat and dairy products from the EU may not be brought in; dogs need a microchip, rabies vaccination, EU pet passport and tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival.
- Driving on the left: roundabouts clockwise, priority to traffic from the right. Adjust or tape your headlights. On single-track roads with passing places (Clava, Troup Head, Rattray): use passing places on your left yourself, wait opposite those on your right, never park in them, and let following traffic pass.
- Speed limits in mph (cross-check figures on gov.uk beforehand): motorhomes up to 3.05 t unladen weight 60 mph on single carriageways, 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways; heavier motorhomes 50 mph, 60 mph and 70 mph; vehicles towing caravans 50 mph and 60 mph. In built-up areas usually 30 mph, increasingly 20 mph in residential areas. UK-registered motorhomes may be at most 12 m long and 2.55 m wide; above 3 m in height, a height notice in the cab is mandatory.
- Low Emission Zones: Aberdeen (city centre, since June 2024), Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow have camera-enforced low emission zones – diesels from Euro 6, petrol vehicles from Euro 4, foreign vehicles included; penalty £60 (halved if paid within 14 days), doubled for repeat offences. Inverness has no LEZ. There are no tolls on the route.
- Alcohol and phones: Scotland’s limit is 0.5 per mille (50 mg per 100 ml of blood), stricter than in England; zero is best. Phones only hands-free. Visitor levy: Aberdeen City will charge 7% on overnight stays from 1 April 2027; Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire are considering a levy. Ask your site whether campsites are affected.
- Weather and insects: the Moray Firth is one of the drier, sunnier parts of Scotland, but the east coast knows the haar – cold sea fog that hangs over the coast for hours in summer. Wind and rain change quickly. Thanks to the wind, midges here are usually less of a problem than in the west, but on still evenings near woods and rivers they are a nuisance from June to September. Winter tyres are not compulsory.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Binoculars with good light-gathering power – for dolphins off Spey Bay and Chanonry Point, gannets at Troup Head and seals at the Ythan estuary.
- Midge net and repellent (for example picaridin-based) for still evenings by woods and rivers.
- Sturdy walking boots and a rain jacket: the paths to Crovie, Findlater Castle and around the Bullers of Buchan are steep, wet and without railings.
- Universal water connector and a long hook-up cable with CEE plug for British sites.
- Emissions documents (registration certificate showing the Euro class) for the LEZ check in Aberdeen.
- Warm layers and a hat: in the haar, temperatures on the coast can quickly drop below 12 °C even in summer.

_As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Sources

- [Aberdeen City Council – Low Emission Zone](https://aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/roads-transport-and-parking/low-emission-zone)
- [Transport Scotland / Traffic Scotland – What are Low Emission Zones](https://www.traffic.gov.scot/greener-travel/what-are-low-emission-zones)
- [The Highland Council – Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme](https://www.highland.gov.uk/tourism-visitor-attractions/highland-campervan-motorhome-scheme/4)
- [VisitScotland Business Support – Approved visitor levy schemes](https://support.visitscotland.org/advice-support/start-your-business/legislation/visitor-levy)
- [Historic Environment Scotland – Duff House: Opening times](https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/duff-house/getting-there/)
- [RSPB – Troup Head](https://www.rspb.org.uk/trouphead)
- [Visit Forres – The Park Ecovillage (formerly Findhorn Foundation)](https://visitforres.scot/listing/findhorn-foundation/)
- [VisitAberdeenshire – Fraserburgh Caravan Park](https://visitabdn.com/listing/fraserburgh-caravan-park-ltd)
- [UK Campsite – Fraserburgh Caravan Park (The Esplanade)](https://ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=4837)
- [UK Campsite – Deeside Holiday Park, Maryculter](https://ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=6154)

## Which stops are on the route from Inverness to Aberdeen?

1. **Inverness** (United Kingdom)
2. **Culloden** (United Kingdom)
3. **Fort George** (United Kingdom)
4. **Nairn** (United Kingdom)
5. **Findhorn** (United Kingdom)
6. **Elgin** (United Kingdom)
7. **Lossiemouth** (United Kingdom)
8. **Cullen** (United Kingdom)
9. **Portsoy** (United Kingdom)
10. **Banff** (United Kingdom)
11. **Gardenstown** (United Kingdom)
12. **Fraserburgh** (United Kingdom)
13. **Peterhead** (United Kingdom)
14. **Aberdeen** (United Kingdom)

## When is the best time for the route from Inverness to Aberdeen?

No month is ideal everywhere on this route; the most pleasant are usually May–September. Cold, short days in January. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## What should you know before driving the route from Inverness to Aberdeen?

No motorway tolls or vignettes expected for a car.

- **United Kingdom: Tolls on some roads, bridges or tunnels.** Drive on the left. Some bridges and tunnels charge tolls.
- **Inverness → Culloden.** Channel crossing: ferry or Eurotunnel
- **Peterhead → Aberdeen.** Channel crossing: ferry or Eurotunnel

## FAQs

**How long is Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper?**
8-day road trip of about 274 km (170 mi) with 14 stops, from Inverness to Aberdeen. About 3 h 47 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper?**
We suggest 8 days: about 3 h 47 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper start and end?**
It starts in Inverness and ends in Aberdeen.

**Which countries does Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper pass through?**
United Kingdom.

**Where can you camp along Dolphins, fishing villages and clifftop castles – the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coast by camper?**
OpenStreetMap lists 63 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 20 km of the stops on this route. For example: Kessock Caravan Park, Ardtower Caravan Park and Bunchrew Caravan Park.