The Speyside Way. Alan Castle

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      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.