The beauty of empty sand dunes is complemented by the call of ducks, layers of history have come and gone, revealing the half buried remains of a twelfth century church. Bird life is plentiful and you can watch the summer acrobatics of diving terns

The haunting dunes of Forvie stretch along the North Sea coast, a towering sandy desert. In some places tenacious marram grass has tamed the moving sand and the dunes have been anchored into patches of dune heath.

Lapping against the sand, the Ythan estuary runs along the edge of the Reserve and is home to the largest colony of breeding eider ducks in the UK.

People have been using this beautiful area for over 8000 years, but it has always been a battle with the sand. The ancient church at Forvie was smothered during a massive sand storm in the 15th century.