Speyside Way

Speyside Way

A walker on the Tomintoul spur
Length 130 km (81 mi)
Location Scotland
Designation Scotland's Great Trails
Trailheads
Use Hiking
Hiking details
Season All year

The Speyside Way (Doric: Strathspey Way; Scottish Gaelic: Slighe Shrath Spe) is one of Scotland's Great Trails that follows the River Spey through some of Banffshire, Morayshire and Inverness-shire's most beautiful scenery. It is one of four Long Distance Routes in Scotland. It begins in Aviemore and ends at Buckpool harbour in Buckie, some 65 miles away. Some choose to walk the route from Buckie to Aviemore. There is a spur leading off the main route to Tomintoul bringing the total distance up to 80 miles (130 km). In addition, there is a Dufftown loop option, and other less well-known routes (Badenoch Way, Dava Way, and Moray Coast Trail) can be worked in, all affecting the total distance walked. Sections of the route are open to cycling.

The Way is clearly marked with a symbol showing a thistle in a hexagon. The route generally follows the valley of the River Spey, passing some of the distilleries that produce Speyside single malts. The final five miles from Spey Bay to Buckie follow the coastline.

The route is managed by three authorities: Highland Council, Moray Council and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.[1]

Extension to Newtonmore

An extension of the route from Aviemore to Newtonmore follows most of the route of the former Strathspey Railway, lengthening the total route by 34.8 km (21.6 miles), roughly following the route of the River Spey and utilising part of the Sustrans cycle route. The first part of the extension, to Kincraig, was opened in 2015.

The extension was approved in principle by Scottish Ministers in May 2009 and agreement was reached with all but one landowner - the owner of the Kinrara Estate. The Cairngorms National Park Authority resolved in May 2010 to use the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to apply for the route to be implemented against landowner's wishes.[2] In 2012, Scotland's first Path Order was granted, forcing the owner of the Kinrara Estate to allow the path to cross his land.[3] In July 2017 the estate erected locked gates, blocking members of the public who have a right to roam.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Speyside Way". www.speysideway.org. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "Owner of 'showgirl' estate forced to accept ramblers under right to roam". The Scotsman. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ramblers force open first pathway". The Scotsman. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Cairns, Craig (22 July 2017). "Kinrara estate blocks right to roam by putting up locked gates on Speyside Way". The National. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
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