Walk: Hill 99 - squirrel's-eye view

Moray | Kintessack | Short walk | ★★

[View out to sea from Hill 99's tower]

Culbin Forest sprawls for several miles along the southern shore of the Moray Firth between Findhorn and Nairn. A maze of tracks and paths criss-cross this vast forest overlying sand dunes, intersections marked by junction numbers which often serve only to make you feel even more lost. Luckily the Forestry Commission have devised a number of circular walks (print off a map: link below), with the Hill 99 Viewpoint Trail probably the best introduction to the area. Hill 99 (named after its height in feet) is topped with a "squirrel's-eye" wooden tower: steps access this excellent viewpoint above the tree tops. Man-made ponds elsewhere on the walk are a good place to spot dragonflies in summer, attracted by the fresh water that's otherwise scarce amongst these coastal dunes.

[Dragonfly Pool]

📌 Walk: Hill 99 - squirrel's-eye view ★★
Start / finish at car park (with charge) at minor road end 1 mi north of Kintessack, G.R.: NH 998615 ///summer.sapping.cautious

▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 40 m | ⌚ Short | ⬤ Easy
Features: Gravel-pit Ponds; △ Hill 99 (29 m); Dragonfly Pool
Terrain: Straightforward track and paths, mostly flat.

Route & map

Car park - Gravel-pit Ponds - Hill 99 - Dragonfly Pool - start. Map of route here (no. 1). Hill 99 tower is undergoing repairs at time of update in December 2020. The route is still walkable.

Route credit: Forestry and Land Scotland
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On our visit

Wildlife: A few birds... no red squirrel!
Weather: Evening sunshine with large areas of cloud; little wind.

[View over Culbin Forest to a cloud-covered Ben Rinnes from Hill 99]