Walking the Speyside Way
Walking the Speyside Way
Walking the Speyside Way
7 Days Starting in Buckie and ending in Aviemore
Visiting: Buckie, Fochabers, Craigellachie, Ballindalloch, Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore
Tour operator:
Tour code:
W06SP
Group Type:
Independent
Guide Type:
Self Guided
Physical rating:
Moderate / Challenging
Age range:
12-99
Trip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$1850 (USD)Tour Overview
There are also two extra options to Dufftown and Tomintoul that can be added on for those who would like a further challenge. Generally flat but with two quite challenging climbs, the walk is suitable for families with older children, as well as anyone with a general good level of fitness and has something for everyone. From impressive mountain scenery to gentle river paths, the route provides rich and varied bird-watching opportunities, seal and dolphin spotting, as well as a huge variety of distilleries for the whisky connoisseur.
Starting in the coastal village of Buckie and ending in the remarkable location of the Cairngorms National Park, your route will follow the clearly marked Speyside Way, enjoying the forest trails, river paths and old railway tracks, taking in the views of the Spey Valley, visiting small villages of Aberlour and Ballindalloch, onto the birch woods surrounding Strathspey and Cromdale, before reaching your destination of Aviemore. A thriving and popular tourist destination, with year-round visitors due to the Cairngorms ski centre, it's very tempting to add on a few days at the end of the walk, just to make the most of the incredible range of activities and the welcoming atmosphere of the town and its inhabitants.
Your evenings will be spent in the company of fellow walkers from all around the world, experiencing quality hotels, offering the very best of Scottish hospitality. All accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis, with evening meals and picnic lunches easily available either at your hotel, or in the nearby village.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival In Buckie
Location: Buckie
Spend a relaxing evening at your hotel in Buckie, a small fishing village on the banks of the Moray Firth, the starting point for the Speyside Way. Your hotel tonight is the Kintrae House (or similar).
Day 2 : Buckie To Fochabers
Location: Buckie, Fochabers
Meals Included: breakfast
Start your journey in the centre of Buckie, follow the signs through the village to reach the shore of the Moray Firth keeping an eye out for the grey and common seals that can occasionally be seen here. The track leads on to the Spey Bay Hotel and its former icehouse, which is now the Scottish Dolphin Wildlife Centre where bottlenose dolphins are studied. Continuing alongside the Alder woodland of the river mouth, you will eventually come to the river Spey keeping straight on the path until you reach Fochabers, for your overnight stay at the Gordon Arms (or similar).
Day 3 : Fochabers To Craigellachie
Location: Fochabers, Craigellachie
Meals Included: breakfast
This morning you will leave Fochabers and re-join the Speyside Way, with today's walk providing a varied terrain of tarred road, woodland paths and forestry tracks. After a sharp descent and then a switch-back climb, the path then levels off through woods to reach Boat o' Brig, giving striking views over the Spey Valley. Continuing through farmland and forest, you will soon be able to see Arndilly House, built in 1770 and once the home of the chief of Clan Menzies, before arriving in Craigellachie, but perhaps stopping at the Macallan Distillery before arriving at your hotel for the evening. The Macallan Estate is one of the many whisky distilleries along the River Spey and is open for visitors on specific days of the week. Stay the night at Bridge View (or similar).
Day 4 : Craigellachie To Ballindalloch
Location: Craigellachie, Ballindalloch
Meals Included: breakfast
Today's route is an easy trail, starting out along the River Spey where many fishermen can be seen hoping for a catch, and then following an old derelict railway line towards Aberlour. The town has many lovely shops and a good number of eateries for you to stop and have a break before continuing along the railway. Continue to reach woodland, passing the Dailuaine Distillery Treatment Plant, one of the oldest in Speyside, before the Bridge of Carron with exceptional views of the river. Further along the track you will arrive at Knockando (House) Distillery and just further on the Tamdhu Distillery before the route meanders through beautiful birch woods and fields, eventually reaching Ballindalloch, known for its castle and of course, its distillery! The hotel for your stay tonight is the Delnashaugh Hotel (or similar).
Day 5 : Ballindalloch To Grantown-On-Spey
Location: Ballindalloch, Grantown-on-Spey
Meals Included: breakfast
Probably the most challenging walk along the route, you will depart Ballindalloch this morning, and continue the old railway line past Cragganmore Distillery. With ravishing views to Ben Rinnes, the route follows along through birch woods, with plenty of ascents and descents, onto more open boggy ground, with the occasional stepping stone to help you along. Climb up the grassy path then descend steeply to meet a harder-surfaced track heading into the Woods of Knockfrink, with good views over Strathspey, and then entering the Cairngorms National Park. Continue to re-join the old railway line for a time, the route leads to Meiklepark Wood, past the former Cromdale Station, built in 1863 and now a private rental holiday home, and Cromdale Old Kirk with its gorgeous location on the river Spey. After enjoying the beauty of the beautiful native Scots pine Anagach Woods, home to rare capercaillie birds, you will arrive at Grantown on Spey, your next rest stop the Willowbank Guest House (or similar).
Day 6 : Grantown-On-Spey To Aviemore
Location: Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore
Meals Included: breakfast
Your final day begins with a gentle walk, again along the old railway line as far as Nethy Bridge, then along the route of an old military road towards the nature reserve woodland at Abernethy. It is worth a detour to visit the RSPB Osprey Centre at nearby Loch Garten, as you may also be lucky to see the elusive capercaillie, a crested tit or one of the many other species of birds who live here. Next you will come to the Boat of Garten, also known as the Osprey Village, and as you walk to more open ground, the Cairngorms come into view beside the track of the steam railway which runs regular trains between Aviemore and Broomhill. A trip on the Strathspey Railway can easily be fitted into your day. Across beautiful heather heathland, you will follow the signs for Kinchurdy, passing a golf course close with breath taking scenery of the Cairngorms behind. Cross the bridge and follow the sign for Aviemore Centre, where your journey on the Speyside Way comes to its conclusion. Enjoy a well-deserved break at your Aviemore hotel the Eriskay Guesthouse (or similar),
Day 7 : Depart Aviemore
Location: Aviemore
Meals Included: breakfast
Depart your hotel to begin your journey home or add on a few extra days to make the most of the many activities and attractions of Aviemore.
What's Included
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All accommodation in a mix of hotels, B & B and guesthouses
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All continental breakfasts
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Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
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Route directions and mapsÂ
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Luggage transfers between hotels
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
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Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
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Visas or vaccinations
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Travel to the start and from the end point
Food
Accommodation
All accommodation on this trip is 2, 3 or 4 star. The places you’ll be staying at are among the best in the region. Please note due to availability a comparable hotel or guesthouse may be offered at time of booking.
All prices are based on 2 persons sharing, so if there is an odd number of people travelling in your party or you are travelling alone, there will be a compulsory supplement for a single room for the tour duration.
Check out our Q&As
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Oct 31, 2024 - Nov 06, 2024Book with Confidence
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.