The Speyside Way. Alan Castle

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      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.

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