In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Culbin like this:
Culbin, a sandy desert on the southern coast of the Moray Firth, extending across the entire breadth of Dyke and Moy parish, Elginshire, into Kinloss parish, Elginshire, and Anldearn parish, Nairnshire. Comprising some 9500 acres of what was once the very-garden of Moray, it began to be overwhelmed with sand as far back as 1100, according to Boece; but the barony itself of Culbin was not destroyed till 1670-95, ` the which was mainly occasioned by the pulling up by the roots of bent, juniper, and broom bushes, which did loose and break the surface and scroof of the sand-hills.' Now all is covered with sand or sand-hills, to a depth in places of 100 feet. ...
The worst parts lie immediately west of the lagoon and mouth of the Findhorn river, and these underwent so great a change as to shift the river's month nearly 2 miles eastward, and to overwhelm the ancient town and harbour of Findhorn.—Ord. Sur., shs. 84, 94, 1876-78. See vol. iii., pp. 119, 120, of Chambers's -Domestic Annals of Scotland (1861).
Culbin through time
Culbin is now part of Moray district. Click here for graphs and data of how Moray has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Culbin itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Culbin in Moray | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/27028
Date accessed: 20th April 2024
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