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INTRODUCTION

This guide focuses on the Speyside Way, one of Scotland's official Long Distance Routes, which follows the course of the beautiful River Spey from the edge of the mighty Cairngorm mountains at Aviemore, many miles downstream from its source, to Buckie on the Moray Firth. At only 66 miles in length, the main route of the Speyside Way is feasible for most walkers, even those of modest ability and ambition. But the guide also describes several other trails in Speyside and Moray that can be walked in their own right or linked to the Speyside Way to create longer and very varied routes through some of the region's best countryside. Together, the trails take walkers from the rugged mountain landscape near the source of the Spey to Spey Bay, where the mighty river empties into the ocean, and the guide is unique in describing a route along the Spey from ‘source to sea’.

The source of the Spey lies in the heart of a mountain and moorland wilderness in the huge upland range of the Monadhliath, to the west-south-west of Newtonmore. Wayfarers for centuries have been following routes through the remote upland glens of these mountains and over connecting passes. Although these documented trails, by their very nature and location, are not part of the official Speyside Way, they do allow the experienced modern-day long distance hiker inroads into these hills and to the very source of the Spey itself.

The track winds through desolate Upper Glen Roy (Prologue)

The guide also includes the Dava Way and Moray Coast Trail, so describing all the major and linking long distance routes in this region of Scotland. The three trails are each quite different in character and complement each other well – a valley and riverside walk, a ramble along a famous disused railway line and finally a coastal walk on one of the finest stretches of coast in the UK.

The trails in Speyside and Moray have something for all types of rambler, from the seasoned long distance walker to the day stroller in the countryside, from the complete novice and those of limited walking ability to the experienced hillwalker and fit backpacker. Moreover, cyclists and horse riders can also use many sections of these trails, which provide safe, traffic-free routes. And this guide describes it all!

The Official Trails of Speyside and Moray

Badenoch Way	Kingussie to Dalraddy	12½ miles/20km
Speyside Way: new route	Kincraig to Aviemore	6½ miles/10.4km
Speyside Way: main route	Aviemore to Buckie	66 miles/106km
Speyside Way: via Tomintoul Spur	Tomintoul to Buckie	50 miles/80km
Dava Way	Grantown-on-Spey to Forres	25 miles/40km
Moray Coast Trail	Forres to Cullen	47 miles/76km
Moray Way	Grantown-on-Spey via Forres, Garmouth and Aberlour, using the DW and sections of the SW and MCT	95 miles/153km

The Speyside Way

The Speyside Way is one of the four official Long Distance Routes (LDRs) in Scotland, which are equivalent to the National Trails of England and Wales. Being so designated, it is waymarked throughout its length with a distinctive white Scottish thistle, as are the other three such trails in Scotland – the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and the Southern Upland Way. Unlike many of the official long distance paths in Britain, the Speyside Way offers relatively easy walking, mainly on well-surfaced and easily graded tracks and paths, with relatively little total ascent and descent.

An official Speyside Way sign

A couple of branch routes of the Speyside Way allow optional starting points for the trail, as well as providing walks of quite a different character to that of the main route along the Spey valley. Hillwalkers will enjoy the Tomintoul Spur, 15 miles on good paths across the hills from the highest village in the Highlands to join the main route of the Speyside Way at Ballindalloch station, a route that also allows a visit to the famous Glenlivet Distillery along the way. Possibly the most well known of all the Speyside distilleries, Glenfiddich, is visited on the Dufftown Loop, a detour of the Speyside Way via Glen Fiddich and the whisky town of Dufftown.

Beautiful landscape, nature and wildlife, history both recent and ancient, and whisky combine to make The Speyside Way such a splendid trail. Speyside is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful areas of Scotland, a diverse landscape of mountain, heath and moorland, mixed deciduous woodland, conifer plantations, wide river valley and rich alluvial farmland. The neighbouring Moray coast, the southern boundary of the Moray Firth, exhibits a variety of coastal landscapes, from wide sandy beaches and extensive sand dunes backed by mixed coastal forest, to sandstone cliffs and dramatic rocky headlands, rock arches and sea stacks.

The meandering River Calder in Glen Banchor, north-west of Newtonmore (Prologue)

It is not surprising, therefore, that the region has a rich and varied wild-life. It is the place to come to see some of Britain's rarest but most endearing creatures, notably otters, pine martens, red squirrels and ospreys. Herds of red deer roam the mountains and glens, whilst the smaller roe deer make their home in the lowlands. Because the habitat is so mixed, so too is the birdlife. Raptors such as buzzards and falcons are common in the skies, and the lucky and observant may spot the iconic golden eagle, riding the high thermals above desolate moorland. Heron lift gracefully from burns and wetlands, dippers bob along on the waterways, and songbirds aplenty are seen and heard in the many hedgerows that line the trails and in the abundant mixed woodlands. Along the Moray coast are found all manner of seabirds – ful-mars, cormorants, shags, guillemots, gulls and more – and plenty of marine mammals, including large colonies of seals, and whale and dolphin pods.

Speyside and Moray are areas steeped in history, the land of the ancient Picts, a Celtic race that vanished in the ninth century AD, but who left behind evidence of their lives in a number of archaeological remains, from Pictish forts to elaborately decorated standing stones. The Jacobite campaigns of the 17th and 18th centuries have also left their mark on the landscape in the form of battlefields, old troop barracks and expertly constructed roads to aid military troop and supply movements.

In more recent times the great Victorian railway network penetrated the region, its lines connecting remote communities and bringing the first tourists from far afield to discover and delight in the beauties of this corner of Scotland. Today, the majority of these railways have closed, but fortunately many miles of trackbed have been rescued and converted into excellent pathways for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. There are probably few other areas of the UK where so many miles of disused railway tracks have been opened up for recreational use. Both the Speyside Way and Dava Way explore many miles of these old lines, and the Speyside Way even gives an opportunity to visit one of the country's most popular steam railways, the Strathspey Railway between Aviemore and Boat of Garten.

The peaty terrain over which the River Spey and its tributaries flow gives a character to their waters which is perfect for the production of whisky. The ‘water of life’ has been distilled in these valleys, often illicitly, for many centuries, long before the commercial distilleries made Speyside famous throughout the world for its single malt whisky. The Speyside distilleries are perhaps the best known of the Scottish whisky distilleries, with such household names as Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. Both of these celebrated distilleries and many others can be visited for their tours and tastings whilst walking the Speyside Way and its associated trails (see Appendix D).

It has long been the hope that the Speyside Way would be extended upriver from Aviemore back to Newtonmore. In 2009 the Scottish Government approved such an extension in principle. Some progress has been made, but it is likely to be at least 2017 before this section is fully opened. However an important small section was officially opened in the autumn of 2015 providing a new, safe and easy to follow route from Kincraig to Aviemore. The extension back to Newtonmore is eagerly awaited, not only by long distance walkers, but also by many in Newtonmore where arrival of the official trail is likely to boost the local economy.

Ruthven Barracks complex near Kingussie (Badenoch Way)

The Badenoch Way

The Badenoch Way is an excellent 12½ mile trail that stretches along Strathspey from near Ruthven Barracks outside Kingussie, through the internationally renowned Insh Marshes National Nature Reserve, passing picturesque Loch Insh and following the River Spey for a short distance before crossing Dalraddy Moor to terminate on the B9152 just under 4 miles from Aviemore.

The Dava Way

In recent years, the long distance path network in Scotland has developed considerably. Perhaps this is nowhere better seen than in the Moray region, where a couple of excellent initiatives have led to the establishment of two quite different medium-length trails, the Dava Way and the Moray Coast Trail (below), that perfectly complement the Speyside Way and allow a number of walking routes to be devised to suit walkers' differing interests and landscape preferences. The Dava Way (25 miles/40km) leaves the Speyside Way at Grantown-on-Spey to travel northwards on a disused railway line all the way to the elegant little Moray town of Forres. This trail is not only a mecca for railway buffs, but also offers a tranquil and easy walk through charming countryside and, for cyclists, offers the best and longest stretch of off-road biking in the district.

The Moray Coast Trail

Forres, where the Dava Way ends, is also the starting point of the Moray Coast Trail (MCT). The MCT heads first along the huge bay at Findhorn, home to a massive colony of seabirds. From Findhorn it heads eastwards along the southern coast of the Moray Firth, on a route that links all the coastal settlements of Moray district, through a rich variety of coastal landscapes to finish, after nearly 50 miles, at the village of Cullen. On this journey it crosses the Speyside Way near Spey Bay.

Coastal caves near Covesea (Moray Coast Trail)

Thus it is possible to undertake a walking route of just under 100 miles on a ‘triangular’ route using parts of the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT, this route being known as the Moray Way.

The Moray Way

The Moray Way (95 miles/153km) is a new circular, long distance route that uses sections of the three long distance trails in the Moray region – the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT. Signposting with a distinctive Moray Way waymark should be complete by 2011, and a good schematic map of the route was produced in 2010. Developed by the Moray Way Association, this circular trail can be started at the most convenient point and followed in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction.

From Grantown-on-Spey the Moray Way follows the Dava Way in its entirety, northwards to Forres, and then the MCT eastwards along the southern shore of the Moray Firth until the Speyside Way is encountered at Garmouth Junction, just after the viaduct over the River Spey near Spey Bay. The main route of the Speyside Way is then followed south-westwards back to Grantown.

The Routes in this Guidebook

This guidebook features all the official trails in Speyside and Moray, as outlined above, and in addition describes other linking routes that together can be used to create a trail from the source of the River Spey to the sea on the Moray Firth. The major part of this trail is comprised of the Speyside Way from Aviemore to Buckie, but the sections further from the coast make use of a number of unofficial routes, many of which have been used for centuries by drovers, armies and others making their way through these Highland glens and over the region's remote and windswept mountain country. The major difference between these routes and the official trails is that the former are largely unwaymarked, so experience with a map and compass is essential for anyone using them. The source of the River Spey lies in the heart of a mountain wilderness, far from permanent habitation, and getting there requires considerable effort and some experience in trekking in such country.

Three alternative routes are described to the source in the Prologue – two from the west, from Roybridge (Stage 1) and from Spean Bridge (Stage 1A), and one from Fort Augustus in the north (Stage 1B). All of them are long and more suited to the hardy backpacker than to the inexperienced day rambler. But a short side trip, a 14-mile ‘there and back’ walk from the end of a public road at Garva Bridge, is also included in the Prologue for those who would like to visit the source but who don't wish to make a long trek across the mountains to reach it (transport may be required to Garva Bridge). All these upland trails converge at Garva Bridge and continue as one to the small village of Laggan in Upper Speyside, where accommodation is available. From Laggan two possible routes are described to Newtonmore – one to the north of the Spey valley (Stage 2) and the other to the south (Stage 2A). The latter requires no experience of mountain walking as it follows largely the line of one of General Wade's Military Roads, built in the 18th century to police the Highlands after the '45 Jacobite rebellion.

The footbridge over Conglass Water soon after leaving Tomintoul (Tomintoul Spur)

There is currently a gap between Newtonmore and the start of the Speyside Way at Aviemore. Plans are afoot to extend the official trail upriver from Aviemore back via Kingussie to Newtonmore, but it will be some considerable time before this route is finalised and opened. In the meantime the excellent waymarked Badenoch Way fills in much of the gap, running from near Kingussie to the B9152 road at Dalraddy, about 3½ miles short of Aviemore. At the south-western end, a link route from Newtonmore to Kingussie takes walkers to the start of the Badenoch Way, making use of a cycle trail. At the north-eastern end of the Way walkers have no alternative but to follow the B9152 into Aviemore. An alternative route for reaching Aviemore is also outlined, but as this is unwaymarked it is recommended mainly to more experienced walkers.

From Aviemore walkers can take the main route of the Speyside Way (Stages 1–10) to complete a walk from source to sea. An alternative route is also described that runs along the Speyside Way to Grantown-on-Spey (Stage 3) then branches off on the Dava Way to Forres. From here taking the Moray Coast Trail to Cullen makes a fine end to a long trek over the hills, passing through the glens and along the rugged coastline of this exceptional part of Scotland.

Another option for those walking the Speyside Way is to take the Dufftown Loop at Aberlour (Stage 6), either as a day walk (round trip from Aberlour) or as an alternative to the official trail between Aberlour and Craigellachie.

Other walkers may prefer to start their route in the upland village of Tomintoul and follow the official Tomintoul Spur of the Speyside Way that joins the main Speyside Way route at Ballindalloch after 15 miles of delightful upland walking.

All these trails, described in the guide, allow numerous walking itineraries of varying length to be planned. Many walkers will be content to walk only the Speyside Way or one of the other official waymarked trails in one visit, so this book will offer inspiration and guidance for several walking excursions to Speyside and Moray.

Summary of ascent on the Speyside Way and associated trails
Route/Stage	Feet	Metres
Badenoch Way	490	150
Speyside Way
Stage 1 Aviemore to Boat of Garten	130	40
Stages 2–4 Boat of Garten to Cromdale	230	70
Stage 5 Cromdale to Ballindalloch station	1050	320
Stage 6 Ballindalloch station to Aberlour	0	0
Stages 7–8 Aberlour to Fochabers	1150	350
Stages 9–10 Fochabers to Buckie	0	0
Dufftown Loop	655	200
Tomintoul Spur	1800	550
TOTAL Speyside Way – Aviemore to Buckie (main route)	2560	780
TOTAL Speyside Way – Tomintoul to Buckie	2950	900

The River Spey

Ptolemy tells us that the Romans called the Spey the ‘Tuessis’. The river's modern name is Celtic in origin, possibly meaning ‘hawthorn stream’ or describing its frothing swiftness. The 12th-century manuscript De Situ Albaniae describes it as ‘Magnum et miserabile flumen, quod vocatur Spe’ (‘the large and dangerous river, which is called Spey’). In the early period of Scottish history it provided the boundary between the provinces of Moray and Scotia. FH Groome, in his Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland published in the 1880s, stated that the Spey had little commercial significance – very different from the Spey of today with its important tourist, fly-fishing and whisky industries, not to mention the importance of walking to the present economy.

The River Spey seen from Speybank Walk near Kincraig (Badenoch Way)

At 98 miles long the Spey is the second longest river in Scotland and has three main tributaries, the Fiddich, the Avon and the Feshie. It is the fastest flowing river in Britain, dropping around 600ft (180m) in its last 35 miles to the sea, its force constantly changing the layout of its estuary. Over 400 million years ago the Grampian mountains were formed, but erosion over aeons of time has resulted in the rounded shapes of the Monadhliath, where the very first waters of the Spey flow into Loch Spey, 1150ft (457m) above sea level. During the past couple of million years the great strath (‘broad valley’ in Gaelic) of the Spey was formed by massive glaciers scraping away rock and leaving gravel and sand in its place. The middle section of the valley between Newtonmore and Grantown is today known as Strathspey. Finally, near the sea the Spey passes over sandstone and terminates on the coastal shingle ridges of the wide Spey Bay.

A fisherman in the River Spey on the approach to Tugnet (Beryl Castle) (Speyside Way)

Until the 18th and 19th centuries the river was either forded or crossed by ferry at various points along its length. Then the great bridge builders took over. Craigellachie Bridge over the Spey, the oldest surviving bridge in Scotland, was designed by Thomas Telford and built between 1812 and 1814. The longest bridge over the river is the large Garmouth viaduct built in 1886 – the force and changing course of the Spey being the reasons for its great width. Timber-floating began on the river in the middle of the 16th century, but during the 18th and 19th centuries there was massive log-floating activity from Strathspey to service the extensive shipbuilding industry at Kingston, with Speymouth becoming one of the major exporters of timber in Britain. Today most craft on the river are recreational canoes.

The Spey is one of the most important rivers for Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Western Europe. On average over 7500 salmon and 3500 sea trout are rod-caught each year, generating over £8 million per annum for the local economy. The Spey Fishery Board was established in the 1860s under Salmon Fisheries legislation and is still today responsible for the management, protection, enhancement and conservation of salmon and sea trout stocks in the river. A team of bailiffs patrols the river and coastline, as poaching is a serious problem, and the bailiffs are also responsible for the Board's hatchery, where up to a million River Spey salmon are hatched and distributed to rebuild stocks in depleted areas. The Spey Research Trust is another responsibility of the Board; it both monitors stocks and promotes awareness of the Board's work to locals and tourists. Sea lamprey, freshwater pearl and otter, which are endangered or rare, also survive in the clean waters of the Spey. This has resulted in the river being designated both as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Fishing

Fly-fishing, the premier sport on the Spey, has been practised for thousands of years. One of the earliest descriptions of fly-fishing appeared over 2000 years ago in De Animalium Natura, where Claudius Aelianus reported that ‘fishermen wind red wool around their hooks and fasten to the wool two feathers that grow under a cock's wattles’. The first British book on fly-fishing was written by Dame Juliana Berners in 1496: Treatise of Fishing with an Angle.

The young salmon spend a few years in the river in which they were born before swimming out to the salt-water feeding ground of the Atlantic. Only a tiny percentage of those hatched survive to return up-stream to the waters of their birth to breed, but it is these that provide the sport for fly-fishing. Keen fishermen and women will spend many hours in waders, standing in the deep waters of the Spey and hoping that the salmon will rise to take the fly at the end of their rod and line. The season on the Spey opens on 11th February and closes on 30th September. The cost of fishing on the Spey varies from moderately reasonable to extremely expensive, depending on the time in the season and the location of the beat.

Whisky production

Speyside has been inextricably linked with whisky production, both illicit and legal, for several hundred years. The first written reference to its production in Scotland appears in the 1494 Exchequer Rolls, which record the granting ‘To Friar John Cor, by order of the King to make aqua vitae, VIII bols of malt’. Friar John was based at Lindores Abbey in north-west Fife; as eight bols is equivalent to over 94 stone in weight, it would suggest that the abbey was involved in large-scale distilling. Aqua vitae in Latin translates as ‘water of life’, which became uisge beatha in the Gaelic, which was eventually anglicised to ‘whisky’. The raw spirit produced from early stills was probably very rough, and so would have been flavoured with berries and herbs. The earliest records show that malt has always been a key ingredient in Scottish whisky.

In 1644 the first duty on whisky was introduced by an act of the Scottish Parliament, and this drove ‘underground’ much whisky production which, at that time, was predominantly a cottage industry. In 1823 the licensing of distilleries was introduced, which ensured both the quality and safety of the whisky produced; much of the illegally produced spirit may well have been poisonous! George Smith, founder of the Glenlivet Distillery, was the first to take out a licence under the 1823 act of Parliament, and so started the legal production of whisky on Speyside, where today nearly half of the distilleries in Scotland are located. The export of whisky is an important source of revenue for the Scottish economy, contributing over £2.5 billion per annum and providing over 40,000 jobs.

Many whisky distilleries are passed on, or are within walking distance of, the Speyside Way and the other trails (see Appendix D). The principal ones from south to north are: Tormore*, Cragganmore, Tamdhu*, Knockando*, Cardhu (off-route), Dailuaine*, Aberlour, Glenallachie* (off-route), Craigellachie, Macallan (off-route), Speyside cooperage (off-route – not a distillery), Glen Grant (off-route in Rothes, but visible from the Speyside Way), Glenfiddich (Dufftown Loop), The Glenlivet (Tomintoul Spur), Dallas Dhu (Dava Way) and Benromach (MCT). Those marked with an asterisk* are closed to the public, but all the others offer tours to visitors, most only between Easter and October.

Several of the Speyside distilleries offer tours to visitors in which the production process (see Appendix D) is explained in detail, and there are also many books available on the subject.

The old railways

The disused railway lines of the region provide routes for considerable sections of the Speyside Way (for example from Ballindalloch to Craigellachie) and most of the Dava Way. Steam-rail enthusiasts flock to travel on the Strathspey Steam Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill, on the longest heritage railway in Scotland, and tourists can also enjoy weekend trips on the Keith and Dufftown Heritage Railway (see ‘Dufftown Loop’). However, the economic importance of the railways in Speyside and Moray predates the current tourism industry by over 150 years.

During the Highland railway-building boom of the mid-1800s several small railway companies were involved in building sections of railway to link Perth to Inverness. The original line followed a long route around the Moray coast, as the shorter cross-country route was deemed too difficult to construct economically. However, such a route was eventually opened up by the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway. The first turf was cut in 1861 for the 103-mile section from Dunkeld to Forres, and after less than two years the 36 miles from Forres to Aviemore opened. It had required 8 viaducts, 126 bridges and 119 road bridges!

Ticket office at the former cromdale station (Speyside Way)

The railway allowed local farmers much easier access to their markets. Cattle and sheep that had taken six weeks to reach the south could make the journey now in one or two days. Dunphail Sidings (now on the Dava Way) reputedly had the longest platform in the country, so that sheep could be loaded speedily into awaiting railway trucks. The whisky industry on the River Spey benefited both from large quantities of coal being delivered by rail and by its finished product being moved to distributors by the railways. Cragganmore on Speyside was the first distillery to be built to take advantage of the adjacent railway. The railways brought tourists into the Speyside and Moray regions in ever greater numbers. Large Victorian hotels in towns such as Aviemore bear witness to the facilities that were developed to service these new visitors.

When to Walk

The three trails can be walked at any time of the year, as they are predominantly in low-lying country, with the exception of the Tomintoul Spur. However, the region is one of the coldest in Britain, and severe, cold weather is not unusual in winter-time, making a walk along the trails at best very unpleasant, but a dangerous venture for the ill-prepared. If it is planned to walk the routes during the winter months then the best option is to do them as a series of day walks, preferably in good weather, and walking only short sections at a time in order to reduce the risk of becoming benighted on the trail. This option, of course, is really feasible only for those living in or close to the area. Others would need to organise accommodation in B&Bs or hotels, but bear in mind that many of these are not open during the winter months. Similarly, public transport services operate reduced winter timetables, and many of the tourist attractions of the area, such as Distillery Tours, are closed until the spring.

It hardly needs stating that good quality waterproof, windproof and warm winter clothing, including hats and gloves, must be worn. The Tomintoul Spur reaches a height of nearly 2000ft (610m), and consequently the temperatures on these hills in winter is much lower than in the valley, and the amount of snow often significant. The possibility of severe winter weather, coupled with short daylight hours from the end of October until the beginning of March at these northerly latitudes, makes winter walking along these trails only suitable for the well equipped and well prepared.

Daffodils line the Spey by the old bridge at Nethy Bridge (Beryl Castle) (Speyside Way)

Flooding of the Spey and other rivers, particularly during the wet autumn months and in the springtime, when the winter snows melt from the surrounding mountains, is not uncommon and can make the trails extremely wet underfoot in some areas, if not actually impassable or dangerous (heavy rains and flooding at Fochabers in the autumn of 2009 caused a major diversion to the Speyside Way in the area). Violent storms with heavy rain and gale-force winds can occur at any time of the year, but are more common in the late autumn and winter months. The Moray Coast is particularly prone to very strong winds, often blustering.

The trail in springtime north of Glenfiddich Distillery (Dufftown Loop)

Walking the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT is best reserved for the spring, summer and early autumn months, when weather conditions are generally more suitable. Daylight hours are long at these high latitudes, 16–18 hours from May to July, so there is plenty of time for the longest or the slowest of walks. Summer has the advantage of generally warmer days, but as this is the period when the majority of people take their holidays, there will be more competition for the available bed space in the area.

Spring and autumn are therefore the best seasons. High pressure is perhaps more common during the spring in Scotland, and days during May and June often (but not always!) present ideal walking conditions – bright, sunny and not overly warm. The general freshness and rebirth of life is stimulating during springtime, birds can be heard singing everywhere and wild flower displays are a particular joy. The bright yellow flowers of the many broom bushes in the area are especially striking. Autumn is a charming time of the year in northern Scotland, with its mellow colours and general feeling of seasonal contentment. The abundance of deciduous trees in Speyside and Moray means that the displays of autumn tints are among the finest in the UK. The heather moorland is a blaze of purple, and the landscape is at its driest of the year after the warmth of the summer sun before the winter rains arrive. The romantic roar of stags can sometimes be heard during the annual rutting season in October. Accommodation tends to be less fully booked than in July and August, and days in early autumn are still of an adequate length for walking relatively long distances.

The wilderness mountain areas near the source of the Spey suffer from much more severe weather conditions than the valleys, even though the walks in these areas (see Prologue section) do not go much over 1000ft (300m) in altitude. Winter comes earlier in these regions and spring later, and their very inaccessibility and remoteness mean that the walker cannot easily vacate the area if weather conditions suddenly and rapidly deteriorate. The long nature of the walks, with little possibility of finding shelter apart from the occasional bothy, mean that a walk that could easily be completed in two days during the period between spring to early autumn would require at least an extra day in wintertime, with its very limited amount of daylight. Very long, dark and bitterly cold nights would have to be tolerated in tent or bothy, and more food, equipment and warm clothing carried. Hence these traverses during the wintertime are only for the very experienced and very well equipped.

Snow, torrential or persistent rain, very high winds and low temperatures can occur in this environment at any time of the year, so all who venture there must be prepared for the worst. Never attempt these sections in periods of very unsettled weather; always check the weather forecast before venturing out. If rain has been heavy in the preceding days then the necessary river crossings may be dangerous or impassable.

The late summer and early autumn months, from August to October, are not ideal for the Stage 1 or 1A walks of the Prologue, nor the Glen Banchor route in Stage 2. This is the period when deer stalking takes place in the Highland estates, and not only can it be dangerous to walk in areas where a stalk is taking place, but the presence of walkers can disrupt the sport, which is a vital part of the Highland economy. Be sure to first contact the relevant estate if considering walking these routes during this period (the ‘Hillphones’ service, see Appendix B, is the easiest way to make contact with the keepers and learn the whereabouts and dates of the stalking activities in the area).

A pest in these mountain areas is the notorious Highland midge, whose frenzied biting has to be experienced to be fully appreciated! Fortunately, they are less of a problem in the eastern Highlands than in western areas; and far fewer will be encountered in the valley and low-lying areas through which the three main trails pass than in the mountain country of the Prologue walks. It is a good idea to carry a midge repellent. The first frosts of autumn kill off this pest until the following spring. They are most active between early June and late September and on overcast, calm days.

Sueno's Stone (Beryl Castle) (Moray Coast Trail)

Which Direction to Walk

The trails in this guidebook start from the west and follow a generally north-eastern direction, but can, of course, be walked the opposite way. The Speyside Way has been described from Buckie to Aviemore in other guides, but strangely never before in the more natural and obvious direction, downriver from source to sea. This downstream direction is the better one, as it gives a definite goal or end-point of the walk, at the coast, and is the direction that most walkers travel when following long distance river trails. The other advantage of walking in a north-easterly direction, towards the sea, is that you should have the wind at your back, rather than directly blowing into your face. If nothing else, by walking downriver there is less ascent than walking up from the coast, even if this is quite small over such a distance!

In 1990 a major official spur of the Speyside Way was opened from the upland village of Tomintoul to Ballindalloch. Many may wish to start their Speyside Way journey at Tomintoul, and in the author's opinion the walk from Tomintoul to Ballindalloch is better than that from Aviemore. The main description in this book of the Spur is from south to north, heading towards the Moray coast. Some may wish to follow a ‘horseshoe walk’ north-easterly from Newtonmore/Aviemore to Ballindalloch and then southwards up to Tomintoul; so the Spur is also described in the opposite direction, from Ballindalloch to Tomintoul.

An option for those walking northwards from Aviemore is to leave the Speyside Way at Grantown-on-Spey and instead follow the other main trail towards the Moray Coast, the Dava Way, which is also described from south to north in this book. The Dava Way terminates at Forres where the MCT starts. This is described from west to east, Forres to Cullen, the reason again being that when walking in this direction the predominant westerly winds will be at the rear.

Suggested Longer Routes

The three official trails constitute a considerable network of long distance pathways in the north-central and north-eastern areas of Scotland and can be used to devise a variety of multi-stage walks of varying length, type and grade. The following are the main options to consider:

1 The standard route of the Speyside Way, starting from either Aviemore or from Newtonmore and walking to the Moray coast at Buckie, a walk of either 66 miles (from Aviemore) or 85 miles (from Newtonmore).

2 The Tomintoul route of the Speyside Way, starting from Tomintoul and walking the hill route over to Ballindalloch, from where the standard way is followed to Buckie. This is a shorter trek (50 miles) than that along the standard route, but the first 15 miles are of a somewhat more strenuous nature. Options 1 and 2 can both be extended, and indeed improved, by following the Dufftown Loop from Aberlour to Dufftown and on to Craigellachie, adding about 7 miles to the length of the walk.

3 A walk along the Speyside Way, starting at Dufftown and finishing at Buckie (27½ miles or 30 miles if via Aberlour).

4 The Speyside Way from Aviemore or Newtonmore to Ballindalloch and then from there northwards along the Tomintoul Spur to finish in the village of Tomintoul. 46 miles from Aviemore or 65 miles from Newtonmore.

5 The Dava Way from Grantown-on-Spey to Forres (25 miles).

6 The Moray Coast Trail from Forres to Cullen (47 miles).

7 From Grantown-on-Spey to Cullen on the Moray Coast by following the full length of the Dava Way to Forres and then continuing along the Moray Coast Trail all the way to its termination at Cullen. This combined Dava Way and MCT trek is 72 miles in length.

8 Commencing at either Newtonmore or Aviemore and following the Badenoch Way and Speyside Way to Grantown, and then taking Option No. 7 to Forres and on to Cullen. This would make a walking route of either 88½ miles (from Aviemore) or 107½ miles (from Newtonmore).

9 Experienced hillwalkers can make a self-supported trek from Lochaber to Speyside across mountains and moorland, either from Roybridge or from Spean Bridge to Laggan and then on via Glen Banchor to Newtonmore (39 miles from Roybridge or 44½ miles from Spean Bridge). Alternatively, the walk could be commenced at Fort Augustus (41 miles to Newtonmore).

10 Less experienced walkers who wish to include a visit to the source of the Spey at Loch Spey can commence at Garva Bridge, provided transport can be arranged, visit Loch Spey (Prologue, Side trip), walking to Laggan and then to Newtonmore via General Wade's Military Road, a total distance of 36 miles.

11 As Option No. 9 or 10 but continuing along the Badenoch Way and the Speyside Way to Buckie or from Grantown to Forres and Cullen on the Dava Way and MCT. Distances for the various main long distance options are listed in the box below.

12 The Moray Way (see page 14). The total distance is about 95 miles.

Therefore, this marvellous network of long distance routes in this part of Scotland can be used to create walking trails from 25 to 146 miles in length – from a weekend break to a full fortnight's holiday – and from walks on a flat railway line to wilderness treks over mountain passes.

Roybridge > Laggan > Glen Banchor > Newtonmore > Aviemore > Buckie = 124 miles

Spean Bridge > Laggan > Glen Banchor > Newtonmore > Aviemore > Buckie = 130 miles

Fort Augustus > Loch Spey > Laggan > Glen Banchor > Newtonmore > Aviemore > Buckie = 126 miles

Roybridge > Laggan > Glen Banchor > Newtonmore > Aviemore > Grantown-on-Spey > Forres > Cullen = 146 miles

Obviously by ‘mixing and matching’ various route options, even more combinations are possible. These can all be walked with the aid of this guidebook.

Suggested Day Walks

The Speyside Way and the other trails are not the sole preserve of the long distance walker, and not everyone will have the ambition to walk every foot of the Way. For walkers living or staying in the area, who can travel to the routes either by car or by public transport, the Speyside Way and the other trails may be used for just part of a day walk or longer expedition across the region. Simply walk the stages in any order as takes your fancy or is most convenient, until all the route has been covered. There are three main variations of the ‘day walks method’ – use just one or a mixture of all three.

1 Walk one section at a time in a ‘there and back’ manner. Drive or take public transport to the start of the trail. Walk along the Way to a village, town or point on a road where a car can be safely and responsibly parked, or public transport taken at a later date. Walk back along the trail to your starting point. On your second visit drive or take public transport to the point you reached at the end of the first day of the trail. Repeat this technique for as long as it takes to walk the whole of the Speyside Way or one of the other routes.

2 Plan to walk sections of the route with friends taking two cars. Park one car at the end of the section you intend to walk, and drive together to the start of your day walk, leaving the second car there. On reaching the end of your walk, drive back to your starting point in the second car. A variation of this is to split the group into two, one parking a car at one end of the section and the other at the other end, and each group walking in opposite directions. Swap car keys on meeting halfway through your day. This can only go wrong if one or both groups stray from the line of the Way! Bear in mind that reception for mobile phones can be unreliable in some of the areas through which these trails pass. A safer option is for each driver to carry keys for the other car.

3 Use the Speyside Way or other trail as part of a large number of circular walks. Continue these, ‘filling in the blanks’ in the Way until eventually an entire trail has been covered.

Railway station in Aviemore (Speyside Way)

Mountain Biking and Horse Riding

This book is primarily intended as a guide for walkers, but many sections of these three trails are also suitable for cyclists. Gradients are generally gentle ones, with no long strenuous stages. Mountain bikes or at least ‘on-road/off-road’ hybrids are recommended, and road bikes with thin tyres are not advised. The Dava Way, which follows the course of an old railway line for most of its 25 miles, is the most suitable of the three routes for cycling and makes an ideal day out for cyclists; fit riders could even ride from Grantown to Forres and back in one day. There are few hazards other than the sharp needles from gorse and hawthorn bushes that line several sections of the trails, which are ideal for acquiring punctures (the author writes from experience!). Cyclists must take special care when close to pedestrians – always be considerate and give way to them.

Horse riders are welcomed on some sections of the Speyside Way, notably the railway line between Ballindalloch station and Aberlour (contact the Moray Council Ranger Service for the current situation, see Appendix B). The Dava Way railway line is also suitable for horse riders and is described in a leaflet entitled ‘Horse Riding Routes in Moray’, produced by the Moray Equestrian Access Group and available at local tourist offices.

The most suitable and appropriate areas for cycling or mountain biking on the three official trails are as follows:

Speyside Way	Aviemore to Boat of Garten
	Ballindalloch to Fochabers
	Do not cycle on the sections between Cromdale and Ballindalloch or on the Tomintoul Spur.*
Dava Way	The whole of the trail between Grantown and Forres, although in some small areas cyclists must avoid paths designated only for walkers; alternative trails suitable for cyclists and mountain bikers are signposted.
Moray Coast Trail	Forres to Findhorn
	Portgordon to Portessie
	Findochty to Portknockie

* Cyclists who want to cycle a modified Speyside Way from Aviemore to Buckie can do so by linking the rideable sections of the official Way with a number of public roads, most of which carry only light traffic: the B970 between Boat of Garten, Nethy Bridge and Grantown, the B9102 followed by a minor road to Cromdale, another minor road via Wester and Easter Rynaballoch to Millton and the Mains of Dalvey, the A95 (take care) and the B9137 to Ballindalloch station, the B9104 from Fochabers to Spey Bay and a minor road via Nether Dallachy to Portgordon. Cyclists starting at Tomintoul can make use of either the B9008 via Tomnavoulin or the B9136 down Glen Avon, which meets with the B9008 about 3½ miles before the latter reaches the A95 near the Bridge of Avon, and hence to Ballindalloch and the railway line heading north along the Spey valley.

Getting There

Aviemore, Newtonmore and Kingussie can be reached easily by train, using either the direct service from Glasgow and Inverness or that from Edinburgh (change at Perth). Apart from the five or so Glasgow trains a day, there is also the daily overnight sleeper direct from London.

Fort William, Spean Bridge and Roybridge are all on the Glasgow to Mallaig line, which has about four trains a day. From Edinburgh there is only one direct slow train a day.

Forres and Elgin can be reached by train from Edinburgh via Inverness. These stations are both on the Inverness to Aberdeen line.

There are also direct coaches (Citylink) from both Glasgow and Edinburgh to Newtonmore, Kingussie and Aviemore en route to Inverness. Grantown-on-Spey can be reached by a frequent local bus service from either Aviemore or Inverness, or alternatively the Strathspey Steam Railway can be used from Aviemore to Boat of Garten and on to Broomhill, where a bus connects to Grantown-on-Spey. Citylink also operates the services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Fort William, from where the Fort William to Inverness service, which stops at Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus, can be taken.

Dufftown can be reached from Forres on the very frequent Whisky Trail bus service operated by Stagecoach Bluebird, which travels through Findhorn, Craigellachie and Aberlour.

Reaching Tomintoul by public transport is more difficult. There is a once-a-day, school days only bus service from Aberlour, and a service three times a week from Dufftown. When funding is available, a Heather Hooper bus service is operated daily in the tourist season between Newtonmore and Ballater.

The frequent bus service between Inverness and Aberdeen stops at Cullen, Buckie and Elgin. From Elgin, a bus or train can be used to return to Aviemore.

Many of the transport providers have websites (see Appendix B).

If a car is used for reaching the area then arrangements for safe parking will have to be made for the duration of the walk. One option is to ask the proprietors of your B&B or hotel at the start of the walk whether it is possible to park there (it would be polite to offer to stay there for a second night before picking up your car for the drive home). Two cars are useful for small groups planning to walk the trails as a series of day walks (see ‘Suggested Day Walks’ above).

Public Transport

The official Speyside Way website (see Appendix B) has a Guide to Public Transport which provides an excellent map and contact details for all the relevant services in the area covered by the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT. Also very useful is ‘Cairngorms Explorer, Travel without a Car’, published annually by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and available at local Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and National Park offices. This booklet contains timetables and other information on the bus and train services within an area from Grantown-on-Spey in the north to Dalwhinnie in the south, and from Laggan in the west to Ballater in the east. Using these two sources of information it is possible to plan public transport along the three official trails.

Luib-chonnal Bothy in Upper Glen Roy (Prologue)

Accommodation

There is little shortage of B&B and hotel accommodation in the Spey valley, from Newtonmore downriver to Fochabers. Similarly on the Moray coast from Forres to Cullen, there are plenty of places to stay. Booking accommodation in advance is advisable, particularly during the main summer season and on bank holiday weekends. The internet is ideal for finding and booking accommodation, otherwise local TICs have lists of accommodation and will be pleased to recommend and, if necessary, book B&Bs or hotels on your behalf.

An annual leaflet of accommodation along the Speyside Way is available from the Moray Council Ranger Service (see Appendix B), and a searchable database of accommodation is maintained on the official Speyside Way website (Appendix B). The MCT website (Appendix B) does not contain a list of accommodation along the trail, but there are links to all relevant community websites, which contain details of local accommodation. Note that there is no accommodation along or even close to the Dava Way (see advice on this potential problem under ‘Refreshments’ below). However, the Dava Way website contains an extensive list of accommodation options in both Grantown and Forres, the start and end points of the Way.

There is a Scottish Youth Hostel Association hostel at Aviemore (Speyside Way). There are also independent hostels or bunkhouses at Laggan and two at Newtonmore (Prologue); on the Badenoch Way at Kingussie and Kincraig; on the Speyside Way at Aviemore, Boat of Garten, Nethy Bridge and Grantown-on-Spey; on the Tomintoul Spur at Tomintoul, and on the MCT at Cullen.

There are no places of accommodation in the wilderness areas that the walks in the Prologue pass through, other than at the starting locations of Roybridge, Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus and at the end of Stages 1 and 1A at, and near, Laggan. Walkers will need to carry a tent and/or make use of the bothies passed en route (see Prologue for full details).

Campsites and Wild Camping

The Speyside Way, Dava Way and the MCT are all suitable for backpacking, using campsites along the trails for overnight accommodation.

Most campsites cater primarily for caravans, campervans and large family tents, but all will take small backpacking tents. On most occasions a place will be found for you for one overnight stay, without prior reservation, but it is nevertheless worth checking for availability by phone before arriving. Reservations are advisable during the main summer season and particularly over bank holiday periods. It is always worth asking for a discount for a small tent and for the fact that you are not bringing a car onto the site. Most commercial campsites are closed during the winter months. Campsites come and go, like other types of accommodation, so do check at the planning stage of your trip that the sites that you intend to use are still open, and check for possible new sites along the trails by contacting a local Tourist Information Centre.

The three main trails are generally not suitable for wild camping, as they are for the most part in lowland areas where farming and other commercial interests make such activity inappropriate, the possible exception being on the more upland sections of the Tomintoul Spur. However, the walks described in the Prologue, in the wild mountain and moorland areas of the Monadhliath mountains of the Central Highlands, offer ideal opportunity for wild camping. Campers must act responsibly, follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, locate their tent well away from any habitation, stay in each location for one night only (unless the situation is an emergency), not pollute water sources in any way and leave no evidence whatsoever of their passing. Even if a tent is carried it is a good idea to make full use of the bothies that are passed on these walks (see Prologue and Appendix B).

Speyside Way

Backpackers are particularly well provided for along the Speyside Way with a number of simple, basic but free sites along the trail, intended solely for use by Speyside Way walkers and cyclists. There are three of these camping areas situated on the main Aviemore–Buckie trail at the following locations:

 Ballindalloch station – toilet facilities April to October only

 Blacksboat station – water tap only

 Fiddich Park in Craigellachie – toilet facilities April to October only.

Unfortunately these are not well spaced along the Way, all being in the central section of the route, so it is not possible to use them exclusively when walking the trail.

In addition there is a free Speyside Way campsite at Tomintoul. This is provided courtesy of the Glenlivet Estate, and is situated by the Estate Visitor Centre at the south-east end of the village, with toilet facilities in the village car park. These four free Speyside Way campsites cannot be reserved in advance – simply arrive and pitch your tent. If you are not walking the Speyside Way, then please do not use these free campsites, which are reserved solely for Speyside Way backpackers.

At the time of research there were commercial campsites at Aviemore (tel. 01479 810636), Boat of Garten (tel. 01479 831652), Nethy Bridge (tel. 01479 821092), Grantown-on-Spey (tel. 01479 872474), Aberlour (tel. 01340 871586) and Fochabers (tel. 01343 820511). Note that the campsite shown on some maps at Spey Bay is now closed. There is also a large campsite in Newtonmore (at Spey Bridge, south of the village, tel. 01540 673275). On the Prologue walks there are campsites only at the start points of Roybridge (2 sites: tel. 01397 712332 and 01397 712275) and Fort Augustus (tel. 01320 366618).

Dava Way

There is a campsite at Grantown-on-Spey (tel. 01479 872474) at the southern terminus of the trail, but no other on or near the Way.

Moray Coast Trail

There are several campsites along the Moray coastline which are of use to the walker, but note that there is a large gap with no sites between Lossiemouth and Portessie, east of Buckie. There are campsites at Kinloss (tel. 01343 850111), Findhorn Bay (tel. 01309 690203), Burghead (tel. 01343 830084), Hopeman (tel. 01343 830880), Lossiemouth (tel. 01343 813262), Portessie (tel. 01224 696679), Findochty (tel. 01542 835303) and Cullen (tel. 01542 840766). Note that there is no longer a campsite at Spey Bay.

Refreshments

Both the Speyside Way and the MCT pass through many villages and small towns, and consequently are well served with grocery shops, small supermarkets, pubs offering meals, cafés, teashops and restaurants. In some areas the distances between facilities are much longer than in others (for example there is no shop between Grantown and Aberlour on the Speyside Way), but careful planning should avoid lengthy detours to find refreshment. The facilities that you can expect to find in the villages and towns along these trails are given in this guidebook. Apart from Co-op stores, most food shops tend to close on Sundays. If you intend to walk the trails during the winter months, then remember that some establishments, particularly cafés and teashops, close during this period, or have more limited opening hours.

The Fiddichside Inn on outskirts of Craigellachie (Speyside Way)

Those walking the Dava Way should be aware that there are no facilities of any sort after leaving Grantown, until the town of Forres is reached at the very end of the trail. Very fit and fast walkers would be able to complete the trail in one day during the spring and summer months, when the days are long, and all but the slowest and inexperienced of cyclists should be able to cover this modest cycling distance within one day. Slower or less fit ramblers will have to carry adequate food and drink and (as wild camping is not appropriate) arrange for a vehicle to meet them at the end of the day to drive them to overnight accommodation and refreshment.

The only places of refreshment on the wilderness walks in the Prologue are at the starting points of Roybridge, Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus, and at Laggan at the end of Stages 1 and 1A. All food and drink must be carried for the duration of these walks, although there is abundant water to drink in the many burns (you may wish to treat this water with a purifying agent before drinking).

Tourist Information

The Spey Valley has several Tourist Information Centres (TICs) often operated in partnership with the local community. There are offices at Kingussie, Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey and Aberlour There is a TIC at Tomintoul on the Spur route. Only Aviemore is open all year, the others being closed from October to Easter. There is a seasonal TIC at Forres, where the Dava Way ends and the MCT begins, and elsewhere in Moray there is a tourist office open all year at Elgin. Two of the starting locations for the treks described in the Prologue, Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus, both have seasonal TICs. Scotland's Tourist Board, known as Visit Scotland, has an informative website at www.visitscotland.com.

One of the joys of walking the Speyside Way and the trails of Moray is that there are so many interesting things to do and places to visit either on route or with a short detour from the trail. The most obvious attractions are the numerous whisky distilleries, many of which offer free guided tours during the spring and summer months (see Appendix D). But there are also castles to visit, archaeological sites to examine, steam railways to ride, wildlife reserves to enjoy and many more places of interest along the way. The area is a magnet for birdwatchers. Golfers and anglers can even stop walking for a half-day or more to enjoy their sport before continuing on the Way. Further details of the various visitor attractions will be found in the relevant sections of this guide.

What to Take

The amount and type of equipment to take depends on whether you intend to hike these trails over a number of consecutive days, staying at accommodation each night, or as a series of day walks. The day walker needs only a very light pack, containing map, guidebook, food and drink for the day, and perhaps a camera. But you should always take waterproof, windproof and warm clothing, even in summertime, as weather conditions can change rapidly in these northern latitudes, even at relatively low altitudes.

Crossing a footbridge in the rain just before Aberlour (Speyside Way)

The quantity of equipment needed by the walker using B&B, hotel or hostel accommodation is much less that that of the backpacker camping out each night. The most important consideration, always, is to ensure that the pack is as light as possible; do not take unnecessary items. Nothing spoils a walking holiday more than having to endure the excessive weight of an overloaded rucksack. Assemble your equipment and then go through it carefully to see what may safely be left behind.

If staying at a B&B, hotel or hostel it should not be necessary to carry more than 15–20lbs (6.5–9kg), even including food and drink. Take clothing made from lightweight wicking material and do not carry large amounts of spare clothes (follow the ‘wear one/wash one’ philosophy). Backpackers should aim for under 30lbs (13.5kg) and certainly never more than 35lbs (16kg) on a route of this nature, where food can be bought from shops, cafés and pubs at regular intervals along the trails (except on the Dava Way). People who want to take a heavy rucksack, but not to carry it, should contact a taxi company in the region that will transport baggage from place to place along these trails on a daily basis (see Appendix B).

The rucksack, the size of which will depend on whether or not camping equipment is to be carried, is possibly the most important item of gear. Make sure that it offers a comfortable carry before you set out on your holiday. A dustbin liner for the rucksack and a supply of plastic bags should keep the contents dry in heavy rain. Make sure you pack:

 a good pair of lightweight boots – heavier mountaineering boots are not necessary on the main trails in the summer months – and sufficient clothing to keep you warm, dry and safe

 maps, guidebook, compass

 a basic first-aid kit plus any personal medicines

 a small washing kit (no towel needed if using B&B or hotel accommodation)

 sufficient food and drink

 a mobile phone, but be aware that you may not always get a signal in the areas covered by these trails.

Most other items will be superfluous. My luxuries consist only of a camera and a small exercise book to be used as a travel journal.

Backpackers will also need a good lightweight tent, sleeping bag (not a heavy five-season one if walking during the summer months), a lightweight insulating mat/air bed and a lightweight travel towel. If you intend to cook your own food then obviously a cooking stove, utensils and fuel will be required. As food shops, pubs, restaurants, and fish and chip shops are frequently encountered on the main trails, the backpacker should decide before setting out whether to make use of these and leave the stove at home. Only backpackers can sensibly consider the walks described in the Prologue through the remote mountain and moorland areas of the Grampians. If venturing into these regions then it is necessary to think more carefully about what is taken on the trek and what left behind – certainly take extra emergency food, a torch and an emergency blanket.

Remember that, with the exceptions of the treks outlined in the Prologue and the Tomintoul Spur of the Speyside Way, most sections of the trails described in this book offer easy-grade, relatively low-level walking on good paths and tracks, rarely far from most modern facilities. Therefore for these trips it is not necessary to spend large sums of money on the sort of high-tech mountain equipment that is more appropriate to remote and high mountain areas of the world. The mantra ‘think safe, think sensible, think warm and dry, think light, think economical’ is not a bad one.

Maps

This guidebook contains Ordnance Survey mapping of the entire Speyside Way, the Dava Way, the Moray Coast Trail and the other described trails, with the route of each clearly overlaid. Provided no serious navigational errors are made en route, or long detours from the Way are envisaged, then this is the only mapping that is required to walk the trails. However, many walkers will want to carry some general maps of the area in order to identify interesting landscape features along the way and to locate off-route places of interest. They will also be useful if you have to divert from the line of the trail to secure a night's accommodation.

Cyclist on Dava Way alongside Dallas Dhu Distillery (Beryl Castle)

Speyside Way

For the Speyside Way the best strip map (showing at least a mile either side of the route) is the excellent one published by Footprint (see Appendix C). The route of the Speyside Way from Aviemore to Buckie, as well as the spur from Tomintoul, the Dufftown routes and the Badenoch Way, are all included on one sheet at a scale of 1:45,000. An alternative strip map is published by Harvey Maps at a scale of 1:40,000. This is a metric map printed on tough waterproof material and is GPS compatible (but does not mark the Dufftown routes or the Badenoch Way). This map, updated in 2015, includes the recently opened extension from Kincraig to Aviemore.

If more area either side of the trail is required, then the relevant OS maps are the ones to acquire, either at 1:50,000 scale (the Landranger series) or at 1:25,000 scale (Explorer maps).

 Landranger (covers all the official Speyside Way route, including the Tomintoul Spur): sheets 36 (Grantown & Aviemore) and 28 (Elgin & Dufftown)

 Explorer (whole route): sheets 403 (Cairn Gorm & Aviemore), 419 (Grantown-on-Spey & Hills of Cromdale) and 424 (Buckie & Keith). Note: all but the first ½ mile from Tomintoul village of the Tomintoul Spur is covered by Explorer sheet 419.

For those who wish to follow an unofficial route from the source of the Spey to the official start of the Speyside Way at Aviemore, additional maps will be required, either Landranger 34 (Fort Augustus) and 35 (Kingussie & Monadhliath Mountains) (the latter map also covers the Badenoch Way), or Explorer maps 401 (Loch Laggan & Creag Meagaidh) and 402 (Badenoch & Upper Strathspey), and possibly, depending on exact route, Explorer sheet 400 (Loch Lochy & Glen Roy).

Dava Way

Landranger maps 36 (Grantown & Aviemore) and 27 (Nairn & Forres) are required to cover the entire length of the Dava Way, but all but the first mile of the route from Grantown-on-Spey is covered by sheet 27. The corresponding Explorer maps for the Dava Way are sheets 419 (Grantown-on-Spey & Hills of Cromdale) and 423 (Elgin, Forres & Lossiemouth). (An appreciable length of the Way is also shown on Explorer sheet 418 (Lochindorb, Grantown-on-Spey & Carrbridge), although there is no part of it that is not also covered by sheet 419.)

Moray Coast Trail

The Moray Coast Trail laps over three Landranger maps, 27 (Nairn & Forres), 28 (Elgin & Dufftown) and 29 (Banff & Huntly). Over three quarters of the trail is covered by Sheet 28, which overlaps Sheet 29, such that the latter is only necessary for the last ½ mile into Cullen at the eastern end of the route. The Explorer alternatives are 423 (Elgin, Forres & Lossiemouth), 424 (Buckie & Keith) and 425 (Huntly & Cullen).

The Moray Way

The Moray Way requires either Landranger maps 36 (Grantown & Aviemore), 27 (Nairn & Forres) and 28 (Elgin & Dufftown) or Explorer maps 419 (Grantown-on-Spey & Hills of Cromdale), 423 (Elgin, Forres & Lossiemouth) and 424 (Buckie & Keith). The Moray Way Association has produced a comprehensive map at 1:80,000 scale that covers the entire Moray Way in significant detail (see Appendix C).

Navigation and Waymarking

No special navigational skills are required to walk the official routes of the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT. The trails are generally well waymarked, and by following the routes and maps in this guidebook you should have few problems in finding your way along them. The landscape through which most of these routes pass is relatively low lying, and the walker is rarely very far from public roads, villages or towns where help could be sought in cases of emergency. So even if the walker or cyclist does mislay the route, he or she is unlikely to come to any serious grief. The one exception to this is on the Tomintoul Spur, which heads into the hills for several miles, to a height just a little below 2000ft (610m), and where getting lost could have more serious consequences, so a familiarity with map and compass work is strongly advisable. However, the route is well waymarked in this section too, and in normal weather conditions and good visibility most people would be able to negotiate the section safely. The walks described in the Prologue require a much higher level of navigational skill and experience (see below).

The Speyside Way is waymarked with a white Scottish thistle, identical to that used on all the other official Long Distance Routes in Scotland (West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Southern Upland Way). These waymarks appear most often on wooden posts. The Tomintoul Spur is similarly waymarked, but the trails of the Dufftown Loop between Aberlour, Dufftown and Craigellachie do not carry the thistle waymarking. Where the Way crosses public roads and at other important junctions along the route, special Speyside Way signposts have been erected, often indicating the distance to the next village along the route. The Speyside Way has its official logo, and this appears on Speyside Way waymarks, signposts and information boards.

The Dava Way, MCT and Moray Way are all waymarked with distinctive logos (see above). The Dava Way carries a triangular logo, depicting a railway viaduct and a bootprint, and the MCT has a distinctive fulmar logo. The sections of the Speyside Way, Dava Way and the MCT that make up the circular Moray Way carry, in addition to their individual trail waymarks and signposts, a special Moray Way logo, which consists of an inverted triangle, with a hiking man symbol, plus a wheel and horseshoe design, within it. The Badenoch Way has simple circular waymarks showing a directional arrow with the words ‘Badenoch Way’ around the perimeter. There are also numerous signposts or fingerposts on all four trails carrying the trail name and/or logo, reassuring the walker or cyclist that he or she is on the line of the named Way, and usually indicating a distance to the next village, town or amenity.