Moray
Moray Moireabh | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Elgin | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Forres • Grantown on Spey • Tomintoul | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
Highland Council • Moray Council | |||
Borders | |||
Banffshire • Inverness-shire • Nairnshire | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
A95 • A96 | |||
For the Highway Authority, see Moray Council.
The historic county of Moray lies in the north east of Scotland, along the coast of the Moray Firth. In the past it was also known as Elginshire, although this was an anglicisation. The county takes its name from an ancient Kingdom or Lordship in the area, and survives in the modern Moray Council, although the boundaries have changed repeatedly over the centuries. In the reorganisation of the 1970's, the county largely became part of Grampian Region, with a small area around Grantown on Spey coming under Highland Region. Moray District Council was created at the same time as the lower tier authority, taking in a sizeable part of historic Banffshire as well as the old county of Moray (except for the part transferred to Highland). Moray Council, created in 1996, covers the same area as the former District Council, except for a minor change to rationalise the responsibilities for the A939 and A940 near Dava.
Geography & Economy
The north of the county is very fertile, with rich farmland along the Moray Firth coast. This has led to a number of large food producers being based in the county, including Baxters and Walkers. The eastern border of Moray often follows the River Spey, and this sees a large number of industrial sites along its banks, in the form of the famous Speyside Distilleries. By value, Whisky must be the counties largest business, but it is no longer a labour intensive one.
The middle of the county, between the lush coastal lands and the Spey valley is a sparsely populated upland area, hardly the mountains of the Cairngorms which lie further south, but an often barren land of grouse moors and forestry. The county town of Elgin lies a few miles from the coast on the River Lossie and is the commercial centre of the whole area, being the largest settlement in the north east between Aberdeen and Inverness. It is also a fast growing town (former Cathedral City), with vast new housing estates to the south and more planned. To the north, the RAF base at Lossiemouth and military base at Kinloss are steady employers boosting the local economy.
Roads
Moray is crossed by two important east-west routes, the A96 which passes along the fertile plain, through the county town of Elgin and Fochabers and Forres to either side, and the A95 which follows the Spey Valley along the southern edge of the county. The A96 is currently in the process of being upgraded between Aberdeen and Inverness, and consultations on a series of options for an Elgin bypass are currently (2016) underway. Whilst the north of the county has a dense network of B and unclassified roads serving the coastal towns and villages and the farming communities in land, the geography further south limits the need and opportunity for many roads. The B9102 mirrors the A95 on the north bank of the Spey, and the A940 and A941 provide north-south routes at either end of the county.
The presence of the Spey has led to a series of spectacular bridges over the centuries, none more so than Thomas Telfords famous Craigellachie Bridge in the south east corner of the county. The Findhorn and Lossie also have some fine bridges across them around Forres and Elgin. Most of the non trunk routes in the county are managed by Moray Council, with those in the southwest corner around Grantown on Spey being managed by Highland Council. The A95 and A96 Trunk Roads are managed by Transport Scotland.
Route | From | To | Length |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
A9 | Polmont, Stirlingshire (M9) | Scrabster, Caithness | 279 miles | View |
A95 | Aviemore (N) | Boyndie (SW) | 63 miles | View |
A96 | Inverness | Aberdeen | 101.5 miles | View |
A97 | Dinnet | Banff | 56.1 miles | View |
A98 | Fraserburgh | Fochabers | 51.1 miles | View |
A938 | Carrbridge | Dulnain Bridge | 9 miles | View |
A939 | Nairn | Ballater | 59.6 miles | View |
A939 | Grantown on Spey | Cock Bridge | 21.5 miles | View |
A939 | Nairn | Grantown on Spey | 23.5 miles | View |
A939 | Nairn | Ballater | 59.6 miles | View |
A940 | Forres Bypass | Dava | 14.0 miles | View |
A941 | Lossiemouth | Rhynie | 41 miles | View |
B9007 | Duthil | Logie | 18.5 miles | View |
B9008 | Tomintoul | Bridge of Avon | 13.4 miles | View |
B9010 | Forres | Elgin | 17.0 miles | View |
B9011 | Forres By Pass | Findhorn | 5.7 miles | View |
B9012 | Hopeman | Bishopmill | 5.7 miles | View |
B9013 | Newton | Burghead | 4.7 miles | View |
B9015 | Rothes | Kingston | 12.9 miles | View |
B9016 | Aultmore | Broadley | 6.8 miles | View |
B9040 | Burghead | Lossiemouth | 6.7 miles | View |
B9089 | Kinloss | St Aethans | 6.2 miles | View |
B9102 | Dandaleith | Grantown on Spey | 24.6 miles | View |
B9103 | Lossiemouth | Mulben | 16.2 miles | View |
B9104 | Fochabers | Spey Bay | 5.3 miles | View |
B9135 | Windyridge | Stotfield | 1.9 miles | View |
B9138 | Marypark | Scootmore Forest | 1.0 mile | View |
B9178 | Easter Curr | Dulnain Bridge | 0.5 miles | View |
T30 | Perth | Inverness | View | |
T100 | Aberdeen | Fochabers | 55.3 miles | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings