Firth among equals for sheer beauty

IT'S GOT BEACHES, dolphins, spectacular scenery and the odd Hollywood movie star although it's never been ranked as one of the globe's top destinations. Until now.

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• The Moray Firth coast has been ranked among the world's most breathtaking coastlines by the highly-regarded National Geographic Traveller magazine

The stretch of seafront from Inverness to Peterhead has been placed alongside Namibia's Skeleton Coast and the Chilean Fjords in the magazine's "top rated" category, which the publication defines as "in excellent shape, relatively unspoiled, and likely to remain so".

Newfoundland's remote Avalon peninsula, New Zealand's Tutukaka Coast, British Columbia's Gulf Islands and Argentina's Valdes Peninsula also scored highly among its top-rated coastal destinations.

A panel of 340 global experts in sustainable tourism were asked to rate different locations using criteria such as environmental quality, social and cultural integrity, the condition of historic sites, aesthetic appeal and outlook for the future. Only 18 made the "top-rated" cut, and the Moray Firth coast was one of only two UK spots to secure the accolade, the other being Pembrokeshire in Wales.

By contrast, some of the coastlines that would be expected to get top marks fall into the magazine's "bottom-rated" category. Mexico's Acapulco coast is described as "unsightly development" while the Gambian coast in West Africa suffers from "overzealous salespeople and an overabundance of beachside litter".

Meanwhile, Hawaii's world-famous Waikiki Beach is a "high-rise concrete jungle with polluted water" and Jamaica's Montego Bay is blighted by "bauxite mining, cruise ship traffic, and unsustainable levels of snorkelling that are all hurting the region's ecology."

Although the judging panel remained anonymous, the magazine published some of their comments on the Moray Firth coastline.

One said: "A wonderful region of Scotland. Beaches are fantastic, and the area welcomes visitors as one of their own. People work together for the greater good - fishermen tolerate canoeists; farmers allow walkers to pass over their land on footpaths."

Another said: "An undiscovered gem with pretty coastal villages, excellent beaches, and outstanding cliff scenery."

The Moray Firth has long been known as a hidden gem in Scottish tourism terms. It is home to a population of around 130 dolphins - one of only two pods in the UK - and in recent years a number of small eco-tourism firms specialising in dolphin watching and sustainable ecology have sprung up in the area.

Deborah Benham, a marine biologist who now runs Wild at Heart eco-holidays, centred around Findhorn Bay, said: "We've got so much unspoilt coastline here, there really isn't much development at all. The town and communities here are quite traditional, very pretty and we've got fantastic bays and the last dolphin population in the whole of the North Sea. That's totally unique. "There is also a wide range of eco habitats, from great sandy beaches to these lovely bays on the river mouth."

The area is also famous for being home to the Findhorn Foundation - the 47-year-old ecovillage which describes itself as the "lowest carbon community" in Europe.

Academy Award winning actress Tilda Swinton, who lives on the banks of the Moray Firth near Nairn, has long been an advocate of the area, singing the praises of its "balmy micro-climate" and in 2008 running a film festival entitled Cinema of Dreams in the town which helped bring tourists into the area and developed into her charitable film foundation. Although she spends much of her time filming abroad, she says her heart is in the town and that she loves returning to the Moray Firth coastal area.

"When I get to Inverness airport, I get off the plane and I want to kiss the tarmac," she said, recently.

Benham said: "It used to be known as the Riviera of the north, but really it's very quiet here compared to other parts of Scotland. I think it's a shame people are going to places in Europe on holiday when they could go somewhere as wonderful as this."

VisitScotland's chairman, Mike Cantlay, said: "It's always exciting to see Scotland showcased on an international stage, but it should come as no surprise. I am passionate about Scotland, its scenery and natural beauty - and so are our visitors - more than 15 million people can't be wrong.

"Tourism is the sustainable bedrock of the Scottish economy and truly a tonic for the recession. This sort of global recognition, alongside the wealth of marketing activity VisitScotland already undertakes, is invaluable."

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