Spectacular sights and unknown secrets of ruined buildings are about to be revealed as part of a festival celebrating the great outdoors.
For nine years, the Moray Way Association has been attracting enthusiasts to the region during midsummer to make the most of the long daylight hours.
Now the largest ever programme for the group’s Walking and Outdoor Festival has been revealed amid hopes it will promote the area to a wider audience.
Running tours have been included for the first time, at sites including the historic grounds of Gordon Castle in Fochabers and the stunning coastline near Cullen.
Popular events such as a walk through “ghost towns” of deserted settlements in Strathavon will return to reveal the bustling history of the rural area before the early 19th Century.
For the first time, the festival will feature an opening event with writer and natural history television presenter, Mike Dilger, to share stories from his trips across Scotland at Findhorn’s Universal Hall.
Project manager Diane Smith explained that organisers had teamed up with Kendal Mountain Festival for the first time for the appearance, to increase the event’s appeal.
She said: “That is probably the biggest outdoor festival in the UK and we were really interested in partnering up with them to attract some big speakers.
“We have really grown over the years. We don’t just do walking anymore, we do mountain biking, water sports, art and heritage rambles.
“It goes from the coast all the way up to the hills in Moray and the slopes of the Cairngorms. The best part about this part of the country is that all these places are easily accessible and reasonably close.”
Other highlights of this year’s programme include a midsummer trip to the summit of Ben Rinnes for sunrise, a guided walk from Dufftown’s town centre to a demolished distillery and the local fairy village and secrets from Pluscarden Abbey.
Mike Dilger will appear at the at the Universal Hall in Findhorn on Thursday, June 13 at 7pm. The Moray Walking and Outdoor Festival will run from June 14 to June 23 at sites across the region.
