Moray has the driest and sunniest climate in Scotland thanks to the shelter of the Cairngorm Mountains to the south, which block most of the prevailing Atlantic weather. The coast gets less annual rainfall than parts of southern England, and the phrase "Moray Firth sun trap" is not just tourism copy — summer days here can be genuinely warm.
May is a particularly good time: the Speyside Whisky Festival runs across the region, distilleries open their doors wider than usual, and the landscape is at its freshest before summer crowds arrive. June and July bring the longest days — in late June it barely gets dark — and the dolphins are active in the firth. Autumn (September and October) is quieter, the landscape turns golden, and the rivers run with salmon.
Winter is quiet but rarely unpleasant. Distillery tours are less crowded, the coast is dramatic in the low light, and a handful of ski days on the nearby Lecht slope are not impossible. The main festivals and outdoor activities are concentrated between May and September.