Essential Info
Length
7 nights, 6 days walking
Standard Price
£397.00
Price with Luggage Transport
£457.00
Holiday Code
SPD7
Grade
Moderate
Why do this walk?
A great riverside walk along one of Scotland longest rivers.
Relax – easy walking (for Scotland!), and straightforward navigation.
Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of one of Scotland’s quieter corners.
Pay a visit to one (or more) of the many distilleries in the Malt Whisky Capital of the World.
Finish in Aviemore, at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
The Speyside Way & Dufftown Spur
Buckie to Aviemore with Dufftown Spur in 6 days Walking Code: SPD7
This is our full Speyside Way route including the Dufftown Spur. Dufftown is an attractive and varied circuit encompassing the famous Glenfiddich Distillery.
| Miles | Km | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Travel to Buckie for your first night's accommodation | ||
| Day 2 | Buckie to Fochabers | 10 | 16 |
| Day 3 | Fochabers to Craigellachie | 13 | 21 |
| Day 4 | Craigellachie to Dufftown to Craigellachie | 12 | 19 |
| Day 5 | Craigellachie to Ballindalloch | 12 | 19 |
| Day 6 | Ballindalloch to Grantown-On-Spey | 13 | 21 |
| Day 7 | Grantown-On-Spey to Aviemore | 17 | 27 |
| Day 8 | Depart from Aviemore after breakfast |
Buckie - Fochabers
Starting at the fishing port of Buckie on the Moray Firth, you will walk along an old coastal railway before emerging near Spey Bay. From here the way follows riverside tracks and paths into Fochabers.
Fochabers - Craigellachie
Today is easy walking on woodland paths, minor roads and forest tracks with gentle climbing in Ben Aigen forest. You will be rewarded by good views over the Spey Valley. Craigellachie lies in the heart of the malt whisky country and is today's destination.
Craigellachie - Dufftown - Craigellachie
Today you will head out on the beautiful circular trail of Dufftown spur. The famous Glenfiddich Distillery and the splendid countryside are worthwhile.
Craigellachie - Ballindalloch
Again easy walking on a disused railway line through mixed scenery of wooded valley, riverside and farmland. At Aberlour there is a distillery that can be visited.
Ballindalloch - Grantown-on-Spey
A rougher and more challenging walk today with good views. There are lovely pinewoods between Cromdale and Grantown-on-Spey, a small town with fine stone buildings.
Grantown-on-Spey - Aviemore
Today is easy walking using a mixture of disused railway lines, forest roads and unsurfaced tracks, amongst farmland, woodland and moorland of Strathspey. If the distance proves too much you can take the train from Boat of Garten for the last 6 miles. There are good views to be enjoyed.
Moderate
This is a mostly easy and well signposted walk. A relaxing week in beautiful surroundings.
Terrain: Woodlands, forest and meadows along the Spey valley, with the odd section of more exposed hillside moorland.
What’s it like underfoot? Good tracks and paths. Smaller sections can be boggy or rocky.
How Much Up & Down? Not too much. Gentle rolling countryside for much of the route. A couple of bigger climbs of up to 200m, but nothing too strenuous.
Signposting: Good.
Navigation: Pretty straightforward. Keep you map and guidebook handy though!
Weather: The east coast is drier and sunnier than other parts of the country, but it can get windy. There is much more chance of rain as you gets closer to the mountains. Good waterproofs and warm clothing essential.
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All Holidays
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| Accommodation | Overnight Bed and Breakfast accommodation in selected hotels, farmhouses, village inns, guest houses and family B&Bs. Full English or Continental breakfast. |
| Guidebook | A detailed guidebook with route information, maps, photos and background information. |
| Information of Services Along the Route | A comprehensive Service Info sheet, including services such as cash points, banks, post offices, village shops, inns, cafes and taxis. |
| Maps | A waterproof 1:40000 map from Harvey Maps covering the whole route. |
| Personal Itinerary | A personal itinerary setting out each overnight stop, including large scale maps of each accommodation, to ensure you find it easily. |
| Emergency Telephone Support | If you get in to difficulties during your holiday, we are always available to help, even out of office hours. |
| 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoors | We will issue you with a 15% Discount Card valid at all Cotswold Outdoor stores, and online, for the whole year on confirmation of your booking. |
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Options
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| Luggage Transport | We will transfer your luggage between each overnight stop – if you leave your luggage at the accommodation when you set off in the morning, it will be moved on to your next B&B. You only need to carry a small day sack with the clothes and provisions you require during the day’s walk. |
| Packed Lunches |
Provided for each day's walking and recommended on this holiday as there will not always be a handy shop or cafe on the route. |
| Off Road Parking | If you are travelling by car we can usually arrange off road parking for the duration of your trip. (There may be a small charge for this). |
| Arrangement of return transport | We can also arrange your transfer back to your car, (or advise you when public transport is a better option)! |
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What's not Included
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| Evening Meals | Your evening meal isn’t included in the package, but we include full details and recommendations for each evening meal in your itinerary. You will normally be within walking distance of a pub and/or restaurant, or where there is good food available at the accommodation, we’ll book that for you. Allow about £20.00 per night. |
| Transport to the Start & Away from the Finish | Have a look at the "Travel Info" tab above for suggestions. If you're still struggling, get in touch and we'll help you sort it out. |
| Travel Insurance | Even if you are based in the UK travel insurance is worth having. |
Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight in to the day-to-day operation, and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.
We use a variety of accommodation, including small country house hotels, guest houses in market towns, bed and breakfasts in farm houses, country cottages and Victorian town houses. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. For example, over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, on a working farm, and in a Georgian hotel.
We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.
General travel information on the Speyside Way area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.
Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.
To view train times please visit www.qjump.co.uk where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit www.traveline.info
If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for information.
Getting There:
By Air: The nearest airports are Inverness (INV) or Aberdeen (ABZ). From the airport you travel by train to Keith railway station, then by bus (limited service) or taxi to Buckie - Keith to Buckie is 15 miles.
By Public Transport: Travel to Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness by train for connections to Keith railway station. You can then travel by bus (limited service) or taxi to Buckie - Keith to Buckie is 15 miles.
By Road: Buckie is situated on the Moray Firth coast in Scotland. Follow the A98 towards Buckie, and then take the A942 into the town centre.
Returning from Aviemore:
By Public Transport: Aviemore is on the main Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh railway line.
By Road: Aviemore is 140 miles north of Glasgow, and 126 miles north of Edinburgh. Depending on your preferred direction for onward travel, either of these two locations will connect you with motorways.
Ballindalloch
Lying between the banks of the River Spey and Ben Rinnes, Ballindalloch is a rural community, in the heart of Speyside. At its centre lies the magnificent Ballindalloch Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland and known as the 'pearl of the north'. A visit to the Castle and its gardens will be a real highlight of your walking holiday. Both the Cragganmore and Glenfarclas distilleries can be found in the small community of Ballindalloch and they do offer tours.There may also be the chance to play a round of golf at Ballindalloch Castle Golf Course.
Grantown-On-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey is an elegant Georgian town situated in the heart of the Spey Valley, surrounded by majestic scenery and supporting a wide variety of wildlife. Visitors can visit the Grantown Heritage Museum or the delightful Revack Estate with attractive gardens, an orchid house and nature trails. Grantown is famous for its superb 18-hole golf course.
Prices GBP (£)
| Accommodation, map & guidebook only | £397.00 |
| with Luggage Transport | £457.00 |
| with Packed Lunches | £436.00 |
| with Luggage & Lunches | £493.00 |
Other Options |
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| Extra Nights (per night) | £48.00 |
| Single Supplement (per night) | £25.00 |
