Speyside Way

Buckie – Newtonmore   4 – 8^th April 2018

Wednesday 4^th April 2018    Buckie – Fochabers

The Mouth of a Great River

It was surely too early to be going this far north. A blizzard was raging on the hills between Stirling and Perth and the world was a total whiteout. I should have cancelled, I thought. But I needed the miles in my legs and, as we were spending Easter with my daughter’s family in Scotland, one of the Scottish National Trails seemed appropriate.  I had left Ayr before 7am on a train to Glasgow. The rain had set in as I trailed over to Queen Street and the Aberdeen train. But lo and behold, it was better in Dundee and dry in Aberdeen and Elgin. As I waited in the icy cold for the bus to Buckie, it was clear. The bus dropped me in East Church Street and, as it was now nearly 3pm, I set off straight away. I found the new start to the Speyside Way, two stones each side of a path. There was no way-marking in the streets so I dropped down to Buckpool by the shortest route and got to the original terminus and the start of the waymarked route.

After travelling for so long, it was good to be striding out into the cold wind with the sea lashing the shore on my right. I walked between the road and the sea on grass and pebbly tracks that ran behind the houses. At Portgordon, the waves were spilling over onto the promenade and I had to cross the road and then turn sharply inland to gain the old railway that had run along the Moray Coast. It was lovely and grassy underfoot until I reached woodland where a narrow trod led through to Spey Bay. Here is situated the Scottish Dolphin Centre on a point overlooking the mouth of the river. Just passed the ice houses, at the shoreline, I picked up a track beside the river that took me five miles up to Fochabers. Underfoot conditions were mixed, generally good walking but with some wet and waterlogged sections. And it was not raining or snowing. Just after the old bridge, the route swung inland to bypass the far side of the town and here I cut back in the main square and my hotel.

Buckie dep. 14.51, Fochabers arr. 18.10  

GPS 11.08 miles in 3hrs 20mins 52secs.

I stayed in the Gordon Arms Hotel, High Street, Fochabers. I had turkey and ham pie and chips followed by treacle sponge and custard. I was introduced to Windswept Blonde (4%) from the Lossiemouth brewery.

 

Thursday 5^th April 2018       Fochabers - Aberlour

Boats or Bridges

An 8am breakfast got me out and walking by just after 9am. It was a bright but bitter morning. High cloud and the promise of patchy sunshine. I reversed my last night’s route into town and continue on the footpath around the southern extremities of the town. This led out onto a very quiet lane that I was to follow for almost 5 miles. I broke the monotony of tarmac by taking a loop into woodland at the Earth Pillars to take in the spectacular view of a bend in the river from high on a cliff. Then it was a long plod along the road to Boat o’Brig. From there I initially turned onto the riverside track before looking more carefully at the map. The official Way climbed up the hillside and then joined a wide farm track to a shooting range. Red flags were flying, red lights were flashing and the sound of gun shots echoed all around. A sign assured me that if I stuck to the waymarked route, I was not in danger but it was hard not to crouch and run through the site.

As I gained height on the forest tracks, I was in several centimetres of snow and I was confined to walking in a deep rut made by a vehicle. I was above the snowline for several miles but gradually the track descended back to a lane at Arndilly and a magnificent house set in a wooded estate. Soon I entered Craigellachie where the original ferry boat had been replaced by a Thomas Telford bridge, one of the first across to Spey. A new bridge now takes the busy main road across the river. The old railway started from here and its track is now the next section of the Speyside Way which goes through cuttings and a tunnel along to Aberlour where a museum to the path is situated in the old station buildings. I first located my b&b, had a quick shower, and went along to the museum where the staff stayed late to allow me a viewing of some historic film of the operational railway. Then it was time for more serious issues, beer and food. 

Fochabers dep. 09.04, Aberlour arr. 15.00 

GPS 16.80 miles in 5hrs 57mins 36secs.

I stayed at Norlaggin B&B, High Street, Aberlour. Rose, my host, made a reservation for me at the Mash Tun where I tried the venison stroganoff with wild rice. A lovely dessert followed, pear crumble and custard. I found another beer from Lossiemouth, APA (5%).

 

Friday 6^th April 2018            Aberlour – Cromdale

Whisky Galore

This was a day of two halves, a morning along the old railway track and an afternoon scrambling over agricultural land. The grassy track ran alongside the river up to Carron Bridge where it crosses the river. I followed the road into Carron village and turned left to the large and new distillery. At Tamdhu Station there was much activity at a kayaking centre and more distilleries. Passing stacks of whisky barrels at Knockando, the railway continued round some long bends before the river swung south on a long reach to Blacksboat and Ballindalloch. I had made good progress completing the first 10 miles of the day in little over 3 hours. Little did I know that this rate of progress was not going to continue.

The afternoon section began calmly enough with another mile and a half down the railway line. But then the character of the walking changed significantly. The way-markers took me left straight up the river bank and through light woodland to come out on a wet and rough grassy plateau. The route crosses the field between wire fences which restrict the path to a marshy passage along which a line of huge stones have been laid like giant stepping stones across the mire. The crossing ends with a squeeze stile where two metal and chain wicket gates are pulled apart. I was to see many of these before the day was done. The farmland was a mess, ankle deep mud around the gates and a slippery rutted drive. This led out onto the A95, a road with fast-moving lorries and lunatic car drivers overtaking at high speeds. After ten minutes beside this racetrack, I had not seen any way-markers for the expected left-hand turn. I was at the bottom of the drive up to Airdbeg and a woman was walking down towards me. So I approach her for some help and she indicated that I should have been in the next field but kindly showed me how to get back on route.

A steep climb through the woods brought me onto a wide forest track, completed covered with snow and ice. I followed this to its highest point before coming to a figure post pointing down to the right and then plunging down the hillside through a forest fire-break. More mud awaited me in the valley bottom where a waterlogged track led to a narrow footbridge across a raging stream. Steps, field paths and endless squeeze stiles led up to the Woods of Knockfrink where a beautiful track contoured round the hill and descended towards more farmland. I met two ladies who were walking this section of the Speyside Way as an out-and-back from the layby near Airdbeg.

The next part of the route departed significantly from the line on the map.  The way-markers took the route left and high into the forest then down from the highest point alongside the forest boundary. The rough pasture at the bottom was another wet section crossed by another set of giant stepping stones. The squeeze stiles were countless and led between narrow spaced fences across farmland to a muddy farm track, and then left beside this farm track in a long and tiresome circumnavigation of the farm. After what seemed an age of scrambling on a narrow and rocky trod between fences and walls, we descended beside a stream to the line marked on map and in guidebook. It was a relief to cross the tarmac lane and climb into the woods. I still had time for a navigation error. A post at the top of a steep climb indicated a right turn and it took a few minutes to realise that this could not be correct so I returned to the misleading post and went straight on, back onto route.  A long and undulating tramp on a track coated in pine needles led me thought a large wood and down to the main road. Rather dispiritingly, I was turned away from Cromdale but this was necessary to gain access to the old railway which I had not seen for some hours, and had sorely missed. The grassy track was very welcome for the last two miles into the village. The hotel was to my left and the only problem I now had to solve was how to get through the football field and up to it. It had been a real battle since leaving Ballindalloch, the last 12 miles taking almost 5 hours. Thank goodness the hotel had real ale.

Aberlour dep. 09.02, Cromdale arr. 16.57

GPS 22.32 in 7hrs 55mins 08secs.

I stayed in the Haugh Hotel in Cromdale where I ate steak and kidney pie and chips, and then syrup sponge and custard. Windswept Blonde (4%) was the house real ale.

Saturday 7^th April 2018        Cromdale – Aviemore

Serendipity or Fate
 

The first 3½ miles, through a forest of Caledonian Pines, was the highlight of the whole trip. After finding my way back across the football pitch and onto the old railway, the route crossed the river and entered this delightful forest. Dog walkers abounded and the place was full of life and light. The day had a good promise to it. At the entrance to Grantown-on-Spey, the Way turned left and bypassed the town. Speybridge is a lovely old bridge at the far end of town and led me once again to the A95 near a smokehouse. Here the line of the old railway is picked up and it was the most attractive of sections, grassy and tree-lined. I was making excellent progress again with this easy walking and I was soon bouncing into Nethy Bridge when I was brought to a standstill by a vision, that of a lovely coffee shop. After 60 miles of walking, this was the first midday café on-route.

The carrot cake was magnificent and I was beginning to find the strength to continue when my text messenger sounded. My great friends Gillian and Walter were skiing nearby in the Cairngorms and wanted to join them for a meal that very evening. As I resumed my walk, my phone rang and arrangements were made for a pick up from my motel in Aviemore. All I had to do is finish my day’s walk and be showered and changed. I tramped on with renewed enthusiasm and good flat tracks through woods and beside roads into Boat of Garten. Then on easy cycle routes for the final 6 miles into Aviemore, so easy in fact that I missed a right-hand turn and did an extra mile.

 
The official route entered Aviemore on the orbital path which dropped me on the road about a mile north of the town centre. All the coffee shops had closed by this time so I went straight to my motel at the far end of town, showered and changed and went for a pint.

Cromdale dep. 09.10,  Aviemore arr. 17.00

GPS 22.84 miles in 7hrs 21mins 23secs walking time plus a 35 min (11.15 – 11.50) break in the Nethy Café at Nethy Bridge.

I stayed at High Range Motel, Grampian Road, Aviemore. I had a quick pint of Fyne Jarl (3.8%) in the Old Bridge Inn. Gillian picked me up and drove me to their hotel, the Muckrach at Dulnain Bridge, where we have a wonderful meal, starting with haggis bon-bons and steak & ale pie. The beer was Cairngorm Gold (4.5%) and the wine was Malbec.

Post-script:  When I was picked up, United were 2-0 down in the evening kick-off and City had started their championship celebrations. A text from home during the meal alerted me to happenings back in Manchester and the evening ended on very high note.

Sunday 8^th April 2018           Aviemore – Newtownmore

The Wolf of Badenoch

No breakfast was included in my night’s stay at the motel so I was able to pack my bags carefully and get away without any pressure. I was right on-route and was out of Aviemore as soon as I turned onto the road south. A wide pavement kept me away from the traffic and a left-hand turn at the water works was clearly signed. A track led under the mainline railway and onto a beautifully smooth walkway of cycle standard. This I followed for two hours of so to Kincraig, passing the gates that had caused concern to some walkers/cyclists. These were open and the direct route is not affected so I could not understand what all the fuss has been about.

At Kincraig, I was in need of some breakfast but a village centre looked non-existent so I turned left on a lane and joined the Badenoch Way. After a mile or so, I came to a water sport centre and there, wonder of wonders, was a café/restaurant which made me a bacon bap. So rather later than usual I was fortified by food and got into a good stride along the road passed Insh House and up into the forest. The Badenoch Way signs were not as easy to follow as the Speyside Way posts that bore the Scottish National Trail logo. The route initially followed some power lines then climbed steeply on a track before a wet and slippery trod descended through the trees on a curving line down again to the lane. And at the exact moment tarmac was reached there was a right of way sign taking me left on a gently undulating path through various settlements before emerging onto open moorland.

Back into the trees, I came quickly into Drumguish and Tromsie Bridge where I was directed down the fields alongside the river until the path took to a ridge line to the left. This eventually came out at the lookout platform above the Insh Marshes, a great birdwatching area. From then on, it was tarmac all the way passing the Ruthven Barracks, an imposing ruin on top of a roadside hill. A shinty match was being played as I passed the Dell, the home of Kingussie, the local team. I turned onto the main road at Kingussie and followed the pavement and cycle paths into Newtonmore where the Speyside Way will eventually terminate. Even thought it was deep into a Sunday afternoon, the Tuckshop Café was still open so I made up for a lack of food with lots of coffee and scones. I then continued to the station where I terminated my own 5-day walk. Then I returned to the town for a meal before boarding the train south.

Aviemore dep. 09.00, Newtonmore Station arr.17.30

GPS 19.79 miles in 7hrs 15mins 32secs walking time and had a 20min stop at the Loch Insh water sport centre (11.40-12.00) and a further hour (16.15-17.15) in the Tuckshop in Newtonmore.

I ate in the Glen Hotel, fish, chips and peas then cherry Bakewell sponge. The beers were Orkney Corncrake (4.1%) and Backlash (4.2%) from Stewart Brewery in Perth. My journey home went the plan, a train to Perth, a bus replacement to Glasgow, a Megabus through the night to Manchester and first train to Macclesfield where Jill picked me up from the station on Monday morning. My decision not to cancel was a good one.