Speyside Way
This splendid route is one of the four official Long Distance Routes in Scotland. It follows the River Spey from Buckie, on the Moray Firth, to Aviemore.
You will pass Craigellachie, Grantown on Spey and Boat of Garten with coastal and riverside sections to enjoy. There are also terrific views of the Cairngorm Mountains as you approach Aviemore.
The trail is often completed in the following sections:
Section 1 - Buckie to Spey Bay
Section 2 - Spey Bay to Fochabers
Section 3 - Fochabers to Craigellachie
Section 4 - Craigellachie to Ballindalloch
Section 5 - Ballindalloch to Grantown
Section 6 - Grantown On Spey to Nethy Bridge
Section 7 - Nethy Bridge to Boat of Garten
Section 8 - Boat of Garten to Aviemore
This route has been classified as a walking and cycle route but not all of the trail is suitable for cycling. The off road sections between Ballindalloch and Tomintoul, and between Ballindalloch and Cromdale should be avoided on bikes. However the sections between Fochabers and Ballindalloch and between Nethy Bridge and Aviemore make for excellent cycling. The final section from Boat of Garten to Aviemore, is actually part of the Sustrans millennium cycle way so is also suitable for cycling.
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Speyside Way Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Speyside Way Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Speyside Way OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Speyside Way Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
In Aberlour The Mash Tun is in a great riverside location next to the pretty Alice Little Park. Built in 1896 as the Station Bar, you can now enjoy refreshments on the former station platform and enjoy the view of the old railway line running past the door, which is now the Speyside Way long distance trail. The pub includes a garden area with fine views over the fields and car parking. You can find them at postcode AB38 9QP for your sat navs. The pub is dog friendly.
In the village you could also visit the picturesque Linn Falls which lies just to the south of the village.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
At Boat of Garten you could take a small detour from the route to visit a couple of local lochs. Loch Garten is just to the east of the trail and includes an RSPB Osprey centre where you can learn about the local wildlife. The smaller Loch Vaa lies just west of the trail and has particularly beautiful clear waters.
At Spey Bay you'll find a wildlife rich nature reserve where you can look out for wildfowl and dolphins. Here the route also links up with the Moray Coast Trail. This splendid walking trail will take you along the coast to Forres in the west or Cullen in the east. You can pick up the Buckie to Findochty and Cullen Coastal Walk at the start of the route.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cairngorms Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Buckpool Harbour, start of the Speyside Way
Victoria Steel Suspension Bridge, Aberlour. This attractive footbridge over the River Spey was built by James Abernethy in 1902. As can be seen from the signpost, the Speyside Way passes by the bridge on this the east bank of the river.
This section from Boat of Garten to Aviemore is about six miles. Here, 1 mile from Boat of Garten, there is still occasional motorised traffic serving the outlying farms and cottages but the Way soon follows a path to the south of the Speyside Railway.This adds the prospect of sighting a steam train in addition to the magnificent views of the northern Cairngorms.
Rail Bridge on the Strathspey Railway. The section of railway line from Aviemore to Boat of Garten and Broomhill, a distance of 10 miles, was restored as a tourist venture and proves very popular, especially since it operates steam engines. Eventually it is planned to extend it to Grantown on Spey. The line has bridges crossing the Way, as it does here, in a couple of places.
The Square, Aberlour Charlestown of Aberlour, to give the village its full name was founded by Charles Grant of Wester Elchies in 1812 with the square at its centre. Prominent in the square is the parish war memorial in the form of a mercat-cross with the battlemented clock tower of the parish church dating from 1861 beyond. The River Spey with the trail on its bank is only 100 yards beyond the church.
Grantown's Bell. Money raised locally for the relief of wounded soldiers during the Napoleonic War but never sent, was originally used to purchase the town clock and bell and build the tower in 1824. Originally it was housed in the Speyside orphanage building in the square. This was removed in the 1980s when this was converted to flats. With generous funding from the Bulmer Trust, Grantown Museum was able, in 2006, to restore the clock and build this campanile outside the museum to house the bell. The clock is on display within the museum.
Old Railway Station at Aberlour. The former station buildings here on the old, long disused 1863 railway line now house a pleasant cafe and the trail visitor centre with a base for the Speyside Way Rangers.
Old Military Road. This section of the military road runs from Grantown down to the River Spey skirting through the western edge of the very attractive Anagach Woods. It is one of Major Toby Caulfeild's roads dating from the 1750s and is now part of the trail.