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About Us
Moray is situated in the northeast of Scotland, bordered by Inverness and the Highlands to the west and Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to the east. It covers an area of 864 square miles, making it the eighth largest council area in Scotland.
The majority of Moray’s population of 96,000 reside in and around the towns of Elgin, Forres, Keith, Buckie, Dufftown, and Lossiemouth, each with its distinct local identity. The presence of Army and RAF personnel stationed at Kinloss Barracks and RAF Lossiemouth significantly impacts the local economy and culture.
Moray benefits from good transport links, with Inverness approximately an hour away (via the A96), Aberdeen around 90 minutes away (via the A96), and Glasgow and Edinburgh about three and a half hours away (via the A9). The nearest airports for domestic and international travel are Inverness Airport (around 45 minutes away) and Aberdeen Airport (a little over an hour’s drive). Moray also has several railway stations on the Inverness to Aberdeen line.
Known as Scotland’s Sunshine Coast, Moray shines with a unique micro-climate, enjoying around 60% less rainfall than the national average thanks to the shelter of the Grampian Mountains. Long summer days and a welcoming community make it a fantastic place to live, work and explore year-round. From the stunning Cairngorms National Park to the dramatic North Sea coastline, Moray offers breathtaking scenery and endless outdoor adventure. It’s also a place of rich flavours from the authentic Cullen Skink to Moray Speyside’s world-famous whisky distilleries, The area blends natural beauty with warm hospitality and vibrant local culture.
Moray faces pockets of inequality and deprivation, and its rural profile can create difficulties in accessing services and economic opportunities, as well as isolation. Considering Moray’s higher-than-average proportion of older people, particularly in rural and coastal areas, providing high-quality public services can be complex and more expensive. Health and Social Care Moray and Moray Council’s Corporate Plan sets the strategic priorities between now and 2029.
The vision is for Moray to be a place where people prosper, free from poverty and inequality, which means our:
- Young people grow up safe, well-educated and reach their full potential
- People lead healthy lives and have access to quality care when needed
- Businesses and communities prosper
- Natural environment thrives for the betterment of all
Moray Integrated Joint Board brings together Moray Council and NHS Grampian staff to jointly deliver a wide range of community health and social care services under the direction of the integration joint board, formally established in April 2016. The Council and NHS Grampian have delegated statutory functions to MIJB through an Integration Scheme approved by the Scottish Government. Functions delegated by the Council are social care services, fostering and adoption services, child protection, and justice services.
To make this vision a reality, three core strategic priorities have been identified on which the Council, and Moray Integration Joint Board, work to tackle poverty and inequality, build a stronger, greener, vibrant economy, and build thriving, resilient, empowered communities.
There has been improved or strong performance against most of the national health and wellbeing indicators, demonstrating progress in core areas of community health and care. An example of this being in October 2024, a joint progress review led by the Care Inspectorate assessed how the Moray Adult Support and Protection partnership has progressed since the 2022 inspection. The review concluded that improvement activity in Moray has been timely, rigorous, and effective, with notable progress in all of the seven previously identified priority areas for improvement. Moray’s partnership has rigorously implemented its ASP improvement plan and strengthened governance structures.
Overall, there is strong recognition of the dedication and resilience of staff, volunteers, carers and partners who support health and social care across Moray. Excitingly because of the scale of the region and the collaborative support from the Council and MIJB, there are opportunities for the region to be sector leading in some services.
See documents below for further information.