Ardersier

The first time we went to Ardersier we simply drove through.

We were looking for a beach to let the kids play on, and on various maps Ardersier is always shown as having a long stretch of beach.

But when we drove past all we saw was a high tide that left no room for any beach and detoured out to Nairn.

The second time we visited it looked like we’d be disappointed again – there was a narrow stony beach, but the kids said they didn’t mind so we got out and explored.

When we actually got down onto the stones, though, we were in for a surprise.

There is a sandy beach at the foot of the stones, and it travels out into the Moray Firth at a very slight angle.

This means that the water is clear and shallow and you can paddle out for quite some way and only get up to your knees.

In fact, we were all wearing wellies expecting the sea to be too cold to step into it, but the lovely clear water was just too inviting and we ended up taking off our wellies and wading in anyway.

It was a magical experience – I was wading through very clear water past small clumps of seaweed. Shrimps swam gently between them and periwinkles and hermit crabs crawled along the sand by my feet.

Every now and then small fish would accidentally swim into my ankles, and even a large flatfish took flight from practically beneath my feet.

There were no waves at Ardersier – the sea just gently flows with barely a ripple, leaving the waters still and silvery beneath the sky.

With the Autumn sun low against the highland mountains surrounding, the view above water made for a stunning – and tranquil – surrounding.

The only downer about Ardersier is that the village itself does look somewhat neglected, with a fair number of the few houses there boarded up and disused. There are also some council houses with the weirdest front porches that all look like airport metal-detectors set around the front doors, as if saying “Big Brother loves here”.

This coupled with some glass among the stones on the beach where someone had smashed a TV on the stones says that here’s a traditionally little Scottish village that could do with some investment.

Despite this, it’s fair to say we all enjoyed it there, and we definitely plan to visit Ardersier again on a warmer day – and at low tide – so we can explore more of the beach and the sea again.

Next time we’ll bring sandals with us, though, so the stony beach is easier for the kids to walk on, and also ensure that no one stands on any broken glass that may happen to be among the stones.