Linking the sea at Buckie with the Cairngorms

The Speyside Way links the sea at Buckie with the Cairngorms at Aviemore and at Tomintoul.The main path between Buckie and Aviemore is 65 miles long and tends to follow the course of the River Spey. There are also two spurs off the main path, of 15 miles to Tomintoul and of 4 miles to Dufftown.

The central parts of the Way opened in 1981, with the Tomintoul spur following in 1990. The last five miles from Spey Bay to Buckie opened in 1999, and the southern section to Aviemore completed the Speyside Way in April 2000.

SECTION 1: AVIEMORE TO BOAT OF GARTEN, 6 MILES
Aviemore is well served by public transport: especially by train as it lies on the main line to Inverness. We’ve assumed a short first day’s walking after a journey to Aviemore.
The start point for the Speyside Way is the car park near Aviemore police station. On leaving the village you find yourself walking through coniferous and birch woodland and across heather, close to the line of the restored Strathspey Railway. This now links Aviemore withBoat of Garten, the “Osprey Village” as its road signs proudly proclaim. Accommodation in the Boat of Garten area can be found via our Aviemore & Badenoch Area Page.

SECTION 2: BOAT OF GARTEN TO GRANTOWN ON SPEY, 11 MILES
Another fairly easy day to get your legs into action: or this could be combined with the first section giving a total first day’s walk of 17 miles from Aviemore to Grantown on Spey.
The walk from Boat of Garten takes you first through the RSPB Abernethy nature reserve toNethy Bridge, then along a disused railway line to Grantown on Spey. Accommodation in the Grantown area can be found via our Aviemore & Badenoch Area Page.

SECTION 3: GRANTOWN ON SPEY TO BALLINDALLOCH, 13 MILES
Day three uses forest tracks and sections of disused railway as you journey through Cromdale to Ballindalloch. This lies roughly mid way along the main track, and it also marks the junction with the spur south into the Cairngorm Mountains

SECTION 3A: BALLINDALLOCH TO TOMINTOUL, 15 MILES
The logic of a progression from the mountains to the sea is not best served by suggesting you then take a sharp right turn at Ballindalloch and walk the 15 mile (one way) spur that leads past Glenlivet to Tomintoul. It is worth bearing in mind as a possibility, however, because this section has a distinctive character and is by far the highest section of the whole walk, climbing twice to over 1,800 feet. We can arrange to drop you in Tomintoul to walk back to Ballindalloch or vice versa

SECTION 4: BALLINDALLOCH TO CRAIGELLACHIE, 12 MILES
The route from Ballindalloch towards Craigellachie follows the track of the disused Strathspey Railway. You really are in the heart of whisky country here, as the names of settlements you pass like Knockando and Aberlour reveal. Aberlour is also home to the Speyside Way Visitor Centre, in many ways the focus of the walk. On reaching Craigellachie you have the choice of resting up and enjoying the delights of the village, or pressing on to walk the shorter of the Speyside Way’s two spurs, the 4 miles to Dufftown.

SECTION 4A: CRAIGELLACHIE TO DUFFTOWN, 4 MILES
Don’t let us influence your choice, but Dufftown really is worth a visit if you can possibly spare the time and energy. The town itself is attractive: and you can also visit Balvenie Castle while you are there, or the nearby Glenfiddich Distillery.

SECTION 5: CRAIGELLACHIE TO FOCHABERS, 13 MILES
The onward route from Craigellachie towards the sea sets off on minor roads, but then climbs over the shoulder of Ben Aigen via the Craigellachie Forest. Then it is back to minor roads for the five miles to Fochabers.

SECTION 6: FOCHABERS TO BUCKIE, 10 MILES
From Fochabers you follow tracks alongside the River Spey for the final five miles to the coast, which you reach at Spey Bay. Then it is a sharp right turn onto the old railway line to Portgordon. The finishing (or starting) post for the walk used to be at Buckpool Harbour on the outskirts of Buckie. It has more recently been moved to the Cluny Square car park in the centre of Buckie.