Do also bear in mind the weather, Scotland can have all four seasons in one day
If your new year resolution (remember those?) was to get more exercise (and let’s face it not many of us don’t need more exercise) and you love the Scottish countryside (who doesn’t?) particularly in Moray and you have holidays coming up, then the Speyside Way www.speysideway.org could be the answer.
It’s a fair walk to do the whole route – 65 miles in all, following the river Spey, but the route is described as easy to moderate and you can do it over as many days as you like. We at Ace Tours are available to take your heavy luggage and if time is limited and where the route allows, can always drive you a bit of the way. I could say to avoid the boring stretches but of course there are none!
How you wish to tackle the route and how long you wish to make each walking route is entirely up to you as it is all self-guided. You can tackle 20 miles a day or you can take time to explore the towns and places of interest along the route and do it over five days to a week or longer.
Do bear in mind however that there are stretches when you are some distance from towns, not great distances by car but certainly on foot, and we recommend that you plan your route in advance. Do book accommodation and make sure you know where you are going to stop for lunch along the route or ask your accommodation provider for a packed lunch. Accommodation is good and in some very smart hotels and bed and breakfasts (b&bs) along the route, but they are very popular and it is un imaginable to think that having arrived weary and footsore and ready for a hot bath and hot meal to find no room at any of the inns.
Do also bear in mind the weather, Scotland can have all four seasons in one day and whilst we will transfer your luggage from accommodation to accommodation do heed the advice of Mountaineering Scotland www.mountaineering.scot – always remember to take appropriate clothing for the day, a map and compass, enough food and drink for the day, and check the weather forecast before you set out even if it looks a fine day.
If you wish to do the whole route, the Speyside Way begins in Buckie with a five mile flat walk to Spey Bay where you may want to take time to visit the https://dolphincentre.whales.org, before the next five mile stretch to Fochabers, home of the famous Baxter brand. You can opt to stay here in any of several good hotels and b&bs. Or if you are fit and used to walking long routes you can then tackle the next 13 miles from Fochabers to Craigellachie. Craigellachie is close to www.themacallan.com, and passes close to the Speyside Cooperage if you fancy an interesting diversion as is the Glen Grant distillery is in Rothes not far from here and definitely worth a visit www.glengrant.com. There are a few hotels in Rothes, including the 4 star Station Hotel www.stationhotelspeyside.com; and in Craigellachie, the www.craigellachiehotel.co.uk; the Whisky Inn www.whiskyinn.com as well as some good b&bs; and in Aberlour a few miles along the road (easy for me to say sat in my office) the Dowan’s Hotel www.dowanshotel.com; and Mashtun www.mashtun-aberlour.com and several good b&bs too – although some are in the countryside around the area so best call us to transport you!
The next stretch, Craigellachie to Ballindalloch, 12 miles, has good paths (although they may be muddy in wet weather). This area is a bit remote so unless you are prepared to walk the next 15 miles, take time instead to visit Ballindalloch Castle www.ballindallochcastle.co.uk or the Knockando Woollen mill www.kwc.co.uk all close to the area or any of the many attractions.
Ballindalloch to Grantown on Spey, 13 miles, is perhaps the toughest stretch as the terrain climbs, you can diver to Tomintoul and the Glenlivet distillery www.theglenlivet.com/en-UK but this is a long diversion (check the route) so again suggest Ace Tours helps you out here.
Grantown on Spey (population of around 2,500) has many good places to stay and after Grantown you can take it easy with a six mile walk to Nethy Bridge or carry on another five miles to Boat of Garten but do try to fit in the RSPB Osprey centre here www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/loch-garten and either stop here or push on for six miles to Aviemore, the heart of the Cairngorms and you have a wide choice of hotels, b&bs or self-catering accommodation. Aviemore has regular train links to Inverness and all stations to the north and south to Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow and beyond.
So if you fancy doing the Speyside Way either walking it over a few days or doing each stretch over a few months – a stretch at a time, do give us a call and we can help you with transport and with carrying your luggage and we can, if asked, help find accommodation and restaurants, coffee shops and things to do along your route.
