A great introductory exploration of Culbin Forest, visiting a high wooden tower with views over the dunes and the Moray Firth. Children will particularly like the tower and other points of interest.
Excellent, waymarked paths and tracks, suitable for all terrain baby buggies.
None.
Wellhill car park (charge), Culbin Forest.
At Wellhill car park (charge for parking) there are toilets, a stone sculpture and an information board where you can pick up a map. Although the Culbin forest and dune system is large and riddled with tracks, each major junction is numbered so if you do lose the trail it is easy to find your way back. Start by going up the track next to the board, passing a tree planted by the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson in 1969.
The Hill 99 trail is marked with black arrows. Ignore the path to the left which is the return route and at the next junction keep straight on until a sign for the gravel pits indicates a right turn. These ponds were dug to extract the gravel and pebbles that have been driven ashore and lie under the layer of sand. Today they are home to coots and other birds, as well as yellow flag iris and some rare mosses. The path works its way around the first pond with a couple of well placed benches and then follows the straight track until a crossroads.
Turn right here (junction 41). Keep on the main path, following the waymarkers, as the route undulates over the fir covered dunes. At a crossroads (44) go straight ahead. Bear left at a signed bend to stay on the main path and soon the route starts to climb gently up to Culbin's highest hill. Named Hill 99 by the foresters who planted the trees the summit is marked by a trig point surrounded by seats.
You can get higher and see the view above the tree tops by climbing the wooden tower. From here there is a superb view over the pines - with the long shadow of the tower cast across them on sunny days - to the salt marsh and sand banks that make up the Culbin RSPB nature reserve. View indicators show the hills on the far side of the Moray Firth and also inland towards the Cairngorms.
After enjoying the view, descend the tower and take the path passing the trig point which winds through the trees until junction 45. Go straight on here and at the next junction (40) bear right onto a narrower path which emerges at another junction.
Detour straight ahead here to visit the dragonfly pool, where brightly-coloured dragonflies can be seen skimming above the water during the summer months.
Afterwards turn left (waymarker) to follow a wide straight track through the younger pines in this section of forest. Look for a turn to the right which eventually leads to junction 42, turn left here and follow the track through more mixed woodland before a signed right turn leads onto a narrower path. Follow the path as it bears left over the sandy soil to rejoin the main track just near the gate. Turn right here to reach the car park at the start.
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