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Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland Council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nairn enters the Moray Firth. It is the traditional county town of Nairnshire.
At the 2022 census, Nairn had a population of 9,394, making it the third-largest settlement in the Highland Council area, behind Inverness and Fort William. Nairn is best known as a seaside resort, with two golf courses, beaches, a community centre and arts venue, a small theatre (called The Little Theatre) and one small museum, providing information on the local area and incorporating the collection of the former Fishertown museum.
The town itself is predominantly flat rising from sea level to 40 ft in Fishertown and the majority of the town sitting at 65 ft above sea level. Sections of Nairn do reach as high as 95 ft near Balblair. The low ground near the coast is fertile and the soil rich free loam over sand or gravel. In the town thin, rather acidic soils are present throughout. The alluvial plain has shown Permo-Triassic sandstones, thick accumulations of Jurassic sandstones and dark shales, and erosion by ice sheets. Excavation can reveal dark, muddy glacial deposits, with occasional fossils and shells.
As the land rises south we see Conifer forests and on the higher slopes we see heather moorland and montane vegetation. The wider Nairnshire and Moray area is 28% woodland, one of the most-wooded areas in Britain.
Nairn is predominantly surrounded gently rolling mounds and hills of mixed-used agricultural and forestry usage upon a glacial landscape. The surrounding areas reaching a height of 620 ft at the Hill of Urchany 3.7 mils south of the town. The land remains fertile and primarily consisting of granite below. The Hydrology of the surrounding area directs water to drain northwards into the River Nairn leaving it prone to flooding. As such the embankments are strengthened in inhabited areas.
| 1841 | 2672 |
| 1851 | 3407 |
| 1861 | 3835 |
| 1871 | 3751 |
| 1881 | 4165 |
| 1891 | 4014 |
| 1901 | 4487 |
| 1911 | 4661 |
| 1921 | 4458 |
| 1931 | 4201 |
| 1971 | 5929 |
| 2011 | 9773 |
One link to Nairn's agricultural cultural roots is the Nairn Farmer's Show, better known locally as just the Nairn Show is hosted by the Nairnshire Farming Society as it has been since 1798. The show features livestock competitions of cattle, sheep and horses with trade stands as well as craft and food fairs. Locals produce baked goods, honey, jams and handicrafts such as knitting to be pitted against each other in contest. Many of the people of Nairn have a passion for cooking and this passion is shown in the three day long Taste of Nairn food and drink festival event hosting the World Tattie Scone Championship.
Nairn is home to the Little Theatre, run by the Nairn Drama Club, which was established in 1946. Each year the club produces a number of shows, of varying genres, with the annual Christmas panto being the largest production of all. The Theatre began in dilapidated premises but was rebuilt and reopened in 2004. In 2007 Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton, who lives in Nairn, created a film festival entitled "Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams", which was held in the Nairn Public Hall. It generated worldwide press about the festival and Nairn.
The people of Nairn also appreciate the written arts and is the host for the annual Nairn Book & Arts festival which takes place every year in September at the Nairn Community & Arts Centre. Guests have included authors such as Helen Sedgwick, journalist John Sergeant and royal guest Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The events have included speakers, performers, cinema and readings of local poet Olive Fraser.
In 1818 we are offered insight into the status of the school facilities by the parish minister.
In 2021 Nairn Academy has been ranked as 204 out of 340 schools based on the percentage of pupils attaining five Highers at 35%. Higher than nearby Inverness High School with 13% and below Inverness Royal Academy with 41% and Charleston Academy Highland with 45%.
In 1708 following the Acts of Union, 1707, Parliament of Scotland constituency Nairnshire was replaced by a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1708 to 1918 Nairn was part of the county constituency of Inverness-shire.
The constituency was abolished in 1918 and the Forres and Nairn components were merged into the then new constituency of Moray and Nairn. Moray and Nairn was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1983. This was split for the 1983 general election and incorporated into Moray and Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber.
Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005 represented by Labour's David Stewart.
Nairn was part of the constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey from 2005 to 2024, represented first by Danny Alexander (Lib Dem) and then Drew Hendry (SNP).
Nairn is currently residing in the Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Nairn has been represented by SNP MP Graham Leadbitter in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 4 July 2024.
Boundaries were redrawn before the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, dividing the area between Inverness and Nairn and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. Fergus Ewing was once again elected in the 2011 election and continues to serve.
Formed in 1973 the community council is the lowest tier of local government in Scotland. Nairn District Council, was replaced by a larger authority, Highland Council in 1996 and community councils were formed to represent local interests. Nairn is represented by two local community councils. The Nairn West & Suburban Community Council and the Nairn River Community Council.
| 3,625 |
| 607 |
| 887 |
| 35 |
| 82 |
| 3,791 |
There are two Church of Scotland congregations in the town. The Old Parish Church, commonly known as Nairn Old Parish Church, is on Academy Street in Nairn erected in 1811, and containing 902 sittings. A second working building is on the High Street. Nairn St Ninians was opened in 1881 as a Free Church of Scotland and is of an Early French Gothic design, costing £7000 and containing 1200 sittings. In 1900 The Free Church and The United Presbyterian Church united, when it became Nairn High Church. In 1974 The High Church united with The Rosebank Church, and the new congregation appropriately took the name Ninian's, the Patron Saint of the Burgh and one pre-eminent in bringing the Gospel to the people of Scotland. This parish extends across most of the town and out towards Auldearn.
St Columba's Episcopal Church is on Queen Street; the church was built of sandstone with a slate roof in 1857 and is still in use. There is also St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Academy Street, founded as a result of Gaelic-speaking Roman Catholics who moved from the island of Barra to Nairn in the second half of the 19th. century.
Other worshipping communities include Nairn Baptist Church, Nairn Free Church, and The Pentecostal Church of God.
The number of Muslims noted in the 2011 Census of Scotland is reflective of the lack of Mosque in the town of Nairn. The nearest Mosque being Inverness Mosque, 16 miles west and the next Elgin Mosque 21miles east. In the north of Scotland prayers times can start as early as 2am for Fajr and as 11am for Isha.
In 1662 a woman living in nearby Auldearn just two miles from Nairn named Isobel Gowdie was accused and confessed to four counts of Witchcraft and is immortalised in The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, an orchestra piece by composer James MacMillan.
Practices continued into 1848, as a corps creagh was discovered on the bank of the River Nairn near the town itself. A life-sized clay figure filled with needles, placed in such a way that water dipped over its heart. It was said that on the clay dissolving, the man the clay represented would die.
Modern day pagans have formed online groups such as the Scottish Pagan Federation, Highland Pagan Open Circle and East Scotland Heathen Moot which hold Nairnshire residents within their members.
Most notable of the sporting activities of Nairn is the Nairn Highland Games, a yearly event taking place since 1867, it attracts large crowds of tourists and locals to the town. Events include the more modern half-marathon and traditional Highland games events, the tug-of-war, shot put, highland dancing and Caber toss. These are the only completely free entry games in Scotland.
Another major entry in the Nairn calendar is the Nairn 10k race. Starting in Nairn High Street and ending back there below the clock tower the course leaves the boundaries of the town and takes runners out into the rural landscape of Nairnshire via its roads. The event also hosts a fun run which is untimed and can be entered by children as young as nine. The event is hosted by the Nairn Road Runners, another of Nairn's athletics clubs. They practice cross country, road running, hill running and ultra distance races. So they can compete themselves staffing of the event is often run by ex-members and volunteers.
The oldest recorded sporting club of Nairn is the Nairn Curling Club established before 1854 as members of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, the club still hold a complete members' list from 1907 to 2007.
Nairn has three local football teams Nairn County of Station Park on Balblair Road, who play in the Highland Football League established in 1914 and Nairn St. Ninian, who are members of the Scottish Junior Football Association and are based at Showfield Park. The Nairn St Ninian Women's team was established in 2016 play in the Scottish Women's Football league.
The Nairn County Cricket Club have been members of the North of Scotland Cricket Association since it was founded in 1893. The club plays and hosts at the pavilion in Nairn links and holds a yearly Kwik Cricket Competition for all the schools in the Nairn area with an aim for junior development and encouragement of young people joining the sport.
Nairn is known as a golfing destination, with two 18 hole Championship golf courses. One of these, The Nairn Golf Club was established in 1887. Its designers include Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris and James Braid. It has hosted many tournaments culminating in the 1999 Walker Cup and was the venue for the 2012 Curtis Cup. The second is Nairn Dunbar Golf Club established in 1899 host of the World One-Arm Golfers Championship, British Seniors Amateur Championship and The 91st Boys Amateur Championship.
Nairn is home to the Nairn St Ninian Bowls club on Viewfield Drive established in May 1961 and a second Nairn Bowling Club, Bowls Scotland Silver Mark accredited club, on Albert Street.
Being on the coast Nairn enjoys easy access to the North sea and as such has had a sailing club since 1968. It has a membership club house at Nairn harbour but that is not the only seafaring club in Nairn. Nairn Coastal Rowing Club organised under The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association was established in 2017 and merged with the Ardersier Boat Club in November 2018 hosting two 22 ft (6.5m) long by 5 ft 8in (1.7m) beam (width) boats. Another modern addition to Nairn's sporting landscape is the Nairn Boxing Club established in 2019 hosting professional boxer Adian Williamson in the High Street gym.
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