The Speyside Way. Alan Castle

official Speyside Way website (see Appendix B) has a Guide to Public Transport which provides an excellent map and contact details for all the relevant services in the area covered by the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT. Also very useful is ‘Cairngorms Explorer, Travel without a Car’, published annually by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and available at local Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and National Park offices. This booklet contains timetables and other information on the bus and train services within an area from Grantown-on-Spey in the north to Dalwhinnie in the south, and from Laggan in the west to Ballater in the east. Using these two sources of information it is possible to plan public transport along the three official trails.

      Luib-chonnal Bothy in Upper Glen Roy (Prologue)

Accommodation

      There is little shortage of B&B and hotel accommodation in the Spey valley, from Newtonmore downriver to Fochabers. Similarly on the Moray coast from Forres to Cullen, there are plenty of places to stay. Booking accommodation in advance is advisable, particularly during the main summer season and on bank holiday weekends. The internet is ideal for finding and booking accommodation, otherwise local TICs have lists of accommodation and will be pleased to recommend and, if necessary, book B&Bs or hotels on your behalf.

      An annual leaflet of accommodation along the Speyside Way is available from the Moray Council Ranger Service (see Appendix B), and a searchable database of accommodation is maintained on the official Speyside Way website (Appendix B). The MCT website (Appendix B) does not contain a list of accommodation along the trail, but there are links to all relevant community websites, which contain details of local accommodation. Note that there is no accommodation along or even close to the Dava Way (see advice on this potential problem under ‘Refreshments’ below). However, the Dava Way website contains an extensive list of accommodation options in both Grantown and Forres, the start and end points of the Way.

      There is a Scottish Youth Hostel Association hostel at Aviemore (Speyside Way). There are also independent hostels or bunkhouses at Laggan and two at Newtonmore (Prologue); on the Badenoch Way at Kingussie and Kincraig; on the Speyside Way at Aviemore, Boat of Garten, Nethy Bridge and Grantown-on-Spey; on the Tomintoul Spur at Tomintoul, and on the MCT at Cullen.

      There are no places of accommodation in the wilderness areas that the walks in the Prologue pass through, other than at the starting locations of Roybridge, Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus and at the end of Stages 1 and 1A at, and near, Laggan. Walkers will need to carry a tent and/or make use of the bothies passed en route (see Prologue for full details).

Campsites and Wild Camping

      The Speyside Way, Dava Way and the MCT are all suitable for backpacking, using campsites along the trails for overnight accommodation.

      Most campsites cater primarily for caravans, campervans and large family tents, but all will take small backpacking tents. On most occasions a place will be found for you for one overnight stay, without prior reservation, but it is nevertheless worth checking for availability by phone before arriving. Reservations are advisable during the main summer season and particularly over bank holiday periods. It is always worth asking for a discount for a small tent and for the fact that you are not bringing a car onto the site. Most commercial campsites are closed during the winter months. Campsites come and go, like other types of accommodation, so do check at the planning stage of your trip that the sites that you intend to use are still open, and check for possible new sites along the trails by contacting a local Tourist Information Centre.

      The three main trails are generally not suitable for wild camping, as they are for the most part in lowland areas where farming and other commercial interests make such activity inappropriate, the possible exception being on the more upland sections of the Tomintoul Spur. However, the walks described in the Prologue, in the wild mountain and moorland areas of the Monadhliath mountains of the Central Highlands, offer ideal opportunity for wild camping. Campers must act responsibly, follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, locate their tent well away from any habitation, stay in each location for one night only (unless the situation is an emergency), not pollute water sources in any way and leave no evidence whatsoever of their passing. Even if a tent is carried it is a good idea to make full use of the bothies that are passed on these walks (see Prologue and Appendix B).

      Speyside Way

      Backpackers are particularly well provided for along the Speyside Way with a number of simple, basic but free sites along the trail, intended solely for use by Speyside Way walkers and cyclists. There are three of these camping areas situated on the main Aviemore–Buckie trail at the following locations:

       Ballindalloch station – toilet facilities April to October only

       Blacksboat station – water tap only

       Fiddich Park in Craigellachie – toilet facilities April to October only.

      Unfortunately these are not well spaced along the Way, all being in the central section of the route, so it is not possible to use them exclusively when walking the trail.

      In addition there is a free Speyside Way campsite at Tomintoul. This is provided courtesy of the Glenlivet Estate, and is situated by the Estate Visitor Centre at the south-east end of the village, with toilet facilities in the village car park. These four free Speyside Way campsites cannot be reserved in advance – simply arrive and pitch your tent. If you are not walking the Speyside Way, then please do not use these free campsites, which are reserved solely for Speyside Way backpackers.

      At the time of research there were commercial campsites at Aviemore (tel. [phone]), Boat of Garten (tel. [phone]), Nethy Bridge (tel. [phone]), Grantown-on-Spey (tel. [phone]), Aberlour (tel. [phone]) and Fochabers (tel. [phone]). Note that the campsite shown on some maps at Spey Bay is now closed. There is also a large campsite in Newtonmore (at Spey Bridge, south of the village, tel. [phone]). On the Prologue walks there are campsites only at the start points of Roybridge (2 sites: tel. [phone] and 01397 712275) and Fort Augustus (tel. [phone]).

      Dava Way

      There is a campsite at Grantown-on-Spey (tel. [phone]) at the southern terminus of the trail, but no other on or near the Way.

      Moray Coast Trail

      There are several campsites along the Moray coastline which are of use to the walker, but note that there is a large gap with no sites between Lossiemouth and Portessie, east of Buckie. There are campsites at Kinloss (tel. [phone]), Findhorn Bay (tel. [phone]), Burghead (tel. [phone]), Hopeman (tel. [phone]), Lossiemouth (tel. [phone]), Portessie (tel. [phone]), Findochty (tel. [phone]) and Cullen (tel. [phone]). Note that there is no longer a campsite at Spey Bay.

Refreshments

      Both the Speyside Way and the MCT pass through many villages and small towns, and consequently are well served with grocery shops, small supermarkets, pubs offering meals, cafés, teashops and restaurants. In some areas the distances between facilities are much longer than in others (for example there is no shop between Grantown and Aberlour on the Speyside Way), but careful planning should avoid lengthy detours to find refreshment. The facilities that you can expect to find in the villages and towns along these trails are given in this guidebook. Apart from Co-op stores, most food shops tend to close on Sundays. If you intend to walk the trails during the winter months, then remember that some establishments, particularly cafés and teashops, close during this period, or have more limited opening hours.

      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,