Reeds by the one of Culbin forest's ponds / a visitor sits on one of the carved benches. Culbin forest, Morayshire.

Gravelpit Ponds

For less able visitors, or for visitors with very young children, the gravelpit ponds are an easy walk from the main car park at Wellhill.

Redds in the foreground with a mixture of trees on the bank behind at the Gravelpit Ponds, Culbin forest, Moray. The path is well surfaced for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and there are two comfortable seats to sit on and rest when you get there.

This is a big, open area of ponds and marsh, ideal for looking for flowering plants such as yellow flag iris and chickweed wintergreen which enjoy the damp, boggy ground.

You can often see herons fishing here. These tall, grey birds stand stock still until a frog or minnow comes into range, then stab rapidly downwards with a beak like a dagger: all part of the life cycle of this pond and of Culbin as a whole.

Even in winter, this pond is well worth walking to, as it freezes over and the reeds and other plants around it look magical edged with frost.

Why gravelpits?

Maritime shingle is commercially extracted at many sites along this coastline. It is used for surfacing tracks and driveways. The gravel pits here would have provided tons of valuable stone for forest tracks before they were transformed into the attractive ponds you can see today.

Find out more about Culbin's pondlife.

Back to 12 places to see at Culbin.

Culbin homepage Things to do How to get there 12 places to see Forest and shore Culbin's history Plants and wildlife Culbin for schools Contact us	Gravelpit Ponds For less able visitors, or for visitors with very young children, the gravelpit ponds are an easy walk from the main car park at Wellhill. The path is well surfaced for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and there are two comfortable seats to sit on and rest when you get there. This is a big, open area of ponds and marsh, ideal for looking for flowering plants such as yellow flag iris and chickweed wintergreen which enjoy the damp, boggy ground. You can often see herons fishing here. These tall, grey birds stand stock still until a frog or minnow comes into range, then stab rapidly downwards with a beak like a dagger: all part of the life cycle of this pond and of Culbin as a whole. Even in winter, this pond is well worth walking to, as it freezes over and the reeds and other plants around it look magical edged with frost. Why gravelpits? Maritime shingle is commercially extracted at many sites along this coastline. It is used for surfacing tracks and driveways. The gravel pits here would have provided tons of valuable stone for forest tracks before they were transformed into the attractive ponds you can see today. Find out more about Culbin's pondlife. Back to 12 places to see at Culbin.