Lossiemouth Harbour © Copyright (Christopher Gillan) / CC BY-SA 2.0
Known to the locals as simply 'Lossie', Lossiemouth is a busy town benefiting from beautiful beaches, mild weather and stunning countryside. If you long to live by the sea and spend your weekends frolicking on sandy beaches, Lossiemouth is where you should call your next home.
Keen golfers simply must join the Moray Golf Club, as it's known for having one of the finest links courses in Scotland. It offers players two very different courses, as well as a four-hole baby course and practice areas. If you're new to the sport, there is tuition available, a range of membership options and the club is welcoming to players of all abilities. Those wanting to perfect their drive should head to the Golf Dedication Centre instead.
If you're a fan of all things cultural, The Warehouse Theatre is the perfect place to spend a cold Saturday night. It's one of very few venues in the North East of Scotland which offers visitors comedy, music and theatrical events. You can enjoy the exciting atmosphere whilst keeping toasty by the wood-burning stove.
West Beach © Copyright (Anne Burgess) / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Moray area is great for walking, and Lossiemouth is particularly good for beach walks. West beach is around three miles long and passes by landmark Covesea Lighthouse. It's also a great place for sea angling and watersports, if walking isn't your bag. You can even take the kids rockpooling, as plenty form on this part of the beach. As it's located on the RAF Lossiemouth flight path, some days you'll be able to see planes flying overhead.
East beach, on the other hand, is very popular with surfers. At the start of your walk, you'll notice the beach is quite pebbly, but as you head further west it becomes sandier. Nature lovers can enjoy bird and dolphin watching, as it's fairly likely you'll be able to see a couple of bottlenose dolphins on your travels.
On the beach at Lossiemouth © Copyright (Walter Baxter) / CC BY-SA 2.0
If you have older children, you'll probably want to send them to Lossiemouth High School, which has some great facilities including a swimming pool and library with 7,000 books. The 700 pupils that attend are encouraged to abide by the school's values, which are: humour, respect, teamwork and excellence. There are also a number of clubs covering a wide range of interests, such as chess, debating and library clubs.
St Gerardine School caters towards younger pupils between the ages of three and 12. The school has a couple of open-plan areas which pupils share, such as an arts and crafts space, plus some extensive play areas. Students can play basketball on the large tarmac or dangle from the climbing frame. Alternatively, football can be played on the playing field, which also has wooden play apparatus. The school makes use of the local area too, so students can do orienteering, shelter building and cycling.
Another great primary school is Hythehill, which has less than 300 students. There's plenty of great facilities on offer here too, as the school boasts a football pitch, athletic field, basketball court, wildlife garden, greenhouse and a couple of play areas. The wide-variety of after school clubs will keep the kids busy too; they can learn how to do traditional Scottish country dancing, look after a garden and keep fit by going jogging.
Shopping wise, the town centre has everything you could need for your day to day living. As well as well-known high street chains, you'll find local independent stores, including a DIY shop, butchers and bakers. When the kids have had a particularly good week at school, there's always Miele's of Forress, a hugely popular ice cream parlour. There are 34 flavours to choose from and the parlour even makes ice cream cakes for special occassions - yum!
Lossiemouth Aerial Shot © Copyright (Craig Williams) / CC BY-SA 2.0