Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth (known by locals as 'Lossie') is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. It lies on the north coast, at the mouth of the River Lossie. Originally a port linked to Elgin, the town is now popular for its beaches[1] and golf courses, and has a small museum.
Lossiemouth is twinned with Hersbruck in Bavaria (Germany). It was also home to St. Gerardine who, legend has it, warned passing ships off the rocks with a lantern. One of the local primary schools and one of the town's churches carry his name.
The town was the birthplace of Ramsay MacDonald, Britain's first Labour Party prime minister. MacDonald was born in 1866 in a small cottage near the railway line. In later life he lived in the 'Hillocks' - a house he built in Lossie.
The present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of the old quarter, known as Seatown - a small area between the river and the canal consisting of 51 fisher cottages - and the 18th Century planned town on a grid system known as Branderburgh. The harbour was formerly the base of a substantial fishing fleet and was served by a railway built in 1852 to Elgin. The railway was closed in 1964 (passengers) and 1966 (to fish traffic). The fishing industry has virtually disappeared and the harbour is used for leisure craft.
Stotfield is a suburb to the north west of the town and is the home of the Stotfield Hotel and the Moray Golf Club, which asked MacDonald to resign from its ranks in objection to his pacifist views during World War I.
To the west of the town is the RAF Lossiemouth air base. Until 1972 this was a Naval Air Station. The base is currently home to a number of Tornado squadrons including the famous 617 'Dambuster' Squadron.
The town's premier football club is Lossiemouth_F.C., and they play in the Scot-Ads Highland League. The club play their home games at Grant Park, and the club's website is www.lossiemouthfc.co.uk. The club has a history of finishing down the bottom end of the league, but have won several trophies in recent seasons, including the Highland League Cup and several North of Scotland Cups.
The town can be reached by road by the A941 from Elgin, about 6 miles away. A regular bus service links the towns. Elgin is the nearest railway station, Inverness (about 30 miles) the nearest airport.