Explore Moray

As Mormaer, Macbeth's power in Moray was based on the agricultural richness of this northern province and its strategic location.

There is evidence of human settlement in the area from the earliest times, small groups of hunters and gatherers followed by the earliest farmers. The enigmatic Picts placed carved stones in the landscape, established some of the earliest Celtic monasteries and built an impressive fortress on a cliff-top at Burghead. In the 9th and 10th centuries the twin threats of the Scots and the Vikings swallowed up the Picts and a new Kingdom - Alba - emerged.

Apart from Macbeth's success in gaining the kingship of Alba, the province was more often independent of mind rather than dominant in Alba and the kings of what became Scotland tried hard to subdue Moray.

The history and landscape of this turbulent province is well worth exploring at leisure, as are the produce of its fertile fields and clean, pure waters.
The Greater Speyside web site is your gateway to more information.