Nairnshire is a wee shire on the Moray Firth, to the east of Inverness. Half of the county is moorland, the other half concentrated on the coast. Nairn is its only substantial town; a popular seaside resort boasting the longest sandy beach in Europe. The Links by Nairn is one of the finest golf courses in Scotland.
The villages of Nairnshire crowd around Nairn and the coast while southward the county stretches just 18 miles from the coast, into the hills. The River Findhorn runs through Strath Dearn in Nairnshire’s hill districts, on its way to Findhorn Bay in neighbouring Morayshire.
County Town: Nairn
Main Towns: Auldearn, Cawdor, Ferness, Nairn.
Main Rivers: Nairn, Findhorn.
Highlights: Calva Cairns ancient monument; Cawdor Castle; Culbin Sands RSPB reserve.
Highest Point: Carn-Glas-Choire, 2,162 feet.
Area: 200 sq miles
County Flower: Chickweed Wintergreen