The Moray Firth (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuan Moireach) is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncansby Head in Caithness in the north, to Fraserburgh in Banff and Buchan in the east, to the Beauly Firth and Inverness in the west. It has more than 800 kilometres (about 500 miles) of coastline, much of which is cliffs.
A number of rivers flow into the Moray Firth, including the River Spey, and various smaller firths and bays are inlets of the Moray Firth, including the Cromarty Firth, the Dornoch Firth and the Beauly Firth. The Pentland Firth also has its eastern mouth at its boundary.
The Moray Firth is effectively two firths, the Inner Moray Firth, which was traditionally known as the Firth of Inverness, and the Outer Moray Firth which is more open North Sea water. The name "Firth of Inverness" is rarely found on modern maps, but extended from the Beauly Firth in the west, to Chanonry Point in the east.
Conservation and economy
The Moray Firth is one of the most important places on the U.K. coast for observing dolphins and whales. The most common species are the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Harbour Porpoise. The popular wildlife watching point located at Chanonry_Point host some specacular displays of dolphins within the inner Moray Firth.
It is also an important oil field and fishing grounds. The Beatrice oil field in the Outer Moray Firth is the closest of the North Sea oil fields; it is also the (as of 2004) planned home for a 200-turbine deep-water wind farm. Much of the fishing industry focuses on scallops and Norway lobsters.
The Inner Moray Firth is a designated as a Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation purposes.
Map references
External links
- UK governent website re its status as a protected site
- Scottish government press release about seal management in the firth
- The Moray Firth Wildlife Centre
- The Moray Firth Partnership
- WDCS
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