Place record MHG55366 - Culbin Sands

Culbin Sands is an area along the coast of Highland and Moray that is known for its rich archaeological and cultural heritage. Culbin Sands has been described by antiquarians and archaeologists as ‘one of the richest archaeological fields in Scotland (Callander 1916).’ The area has been visited by many generations of antiquarians and collectors from as early as the medieval period.
Culbin is a complex of coastal sandbars, sand dunes and modern forestry plantation to the east of Nairn, stretching to Findhorn and beyond. The site in early prehistory would have been a fertile location and has attracted human activity throughout prehistory up to the later 1600s when the landscape was eventually engulfed in sand. Even now Culbin is a popular place, with diverse flora and fauna. It is regularly used by locals and tourists alike, for coastal and forest walks through the modern plantation.
A variety of archaeological sites and finds have been discovered at Culbin over the years, including shell middens, flint tools and burial evidence from earlier prehistory, evidence of metal working and bead manufacture from later prehistory, not to mention many different metal objects from medieval through to modern times. This record does not pinpoint the location of any individual site, instead it aims to highlight the importance of Culbin as a wide and diverse archaeologial landscape spanning many time periods.
Further information on Culbin heritage can be found on the Forestry Commission website and on the HER Community Pages: Display the Past ARCH page where the Nairn Museum Culbin Sands Exhibition Display panels can be viewed. A visit to Nairn and Elgin Museums to view Culbin finds on display is also recommended.

Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH), 2011, ARCH Display the Past: Culbin Sands from Prehistory to Present (Collection/Project Archive). SHG25557.