Speyside Way or Gownie Circular Walk

From our breakfast table this morning looking across the roadway. 

I really like the stonework on these houses and wonder if it has an architectural name. 

Butter 😁

Our Inn

We left the Inn to walk to the bus station and catch the Elgin to Craigellachie (pronounced cray-GAL-a-key) bus. 

Love it or loathe it? That has been the question about the ‘Dandy Lion’ sculpture since its Elgin High Street unveiling on 17th December, 2016. The sculpture cost £7,740. 

‘Dandy Lion’ 

He is dressed in his best estate tweeds and fine cashmere cardigan from Johnston’s mill, founded on the banks of the river Lossie in 1797. 

His top hat, monocle, moustache and cane representing the dapper fashion of the early 1800’s when Andrew Anderson and Alexander Gray gifted the Elgin Institution and Gray’s hospital to the town on their successes with the East India Company. 

His fish tail is for the vendors and fisherfolk who brought their produce here to sell at the market. 

Last, but by no means least, his name and persona from the ‘feeing marts’ where in Springtime men and women looking for agricultural work would carry a Dandelion of which he wears in his buttonhole.

We sat down to wait on the bus next to an older couple and I asked her if the #36 was the correct bus to go to Craigellachie. She immediately corrected my pronunciation 🤣and that started a whole conversation about the towns and us and our heritage. She was from Lossiemouth and had worked at the original Walkers shortbread factory in Aberlour doing the wages. She told Kody her family (Campbells) were from Lossiemouth and they were fishers. They were the sweetest couple and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting with them. We have met the nicest people here in Scotland, on the trails, in the towns, and all around. 

Our bus has arrived. 

Our walk today will take us on Craigellachie/Dufftown/Aberlour Loop. 12 miles and takes from 6-8 hours.

Terrain: Mostly surfaced access tracks particularly in lowland section with some grassy paths through fields. Rough in places (understatement) with considerable gradients to the summit of the Gownie Path at a height of around 1000ft.

When we arrived at Craigellachie, we started walking down the sidewalk in the direction of Dufftown. An older man was going into his row house and when he saw us he immediately started talking. He asked if we were walking the old railway trail. We said yes and we were headed to Dufftown. He took us across the street and showed us where to pick up the trail, redirecting us and then told us about his friend’s shop in Dufftown. It’s the Cozy Coo and we must go there for a tea or sweet. She’s a fanatic about highland cows and has them all over the shop. Kody said she thought he might have invisible wings and was sent to guide us. He certainly appeared at the most opportune moment. We’ve had those encounters numerous times on this journey. 

At Craigellachie the main route of the Speyside Way is joined. The path, opened in 1981, follows the river for much of its 50 mile route.

Fly fishing the River Spey. 

The River Spey is one of Scotland's most famous rivers, renowned both for its scenery and its fishing. Salmon run upriver from Spey Bay, providing the finest sport for anglers. The river's character changes greatly in the lower reaches, as it winds through wooded hills and fertile land on its way to the coast, but it is a lovely river for all of its 97 miles. When in spate it must be a most impressive sight.

Mossy walls

Large leaved avens 

The sound of the flowing river, song of birds in the trees and the aroma of the forest accompanied us from Craigellachie to Dufftown. It was heavenly!

I never saw the land slip. 

Stellaria 

The reason I took this photo is I have one like it from 2016 when Jo Anne and I made this walk. The memories are so special. 

Tuberous comfrey

Train station at Dufftown 

After crossing through forest the walk reaches Dufftown. The town was founded in 1817 by James Duff, 4th Earl Fife. An old rhyme says that 'Rome was built on seven hills, Dufftown stands on seven stills'. You pass two of its distilleries on this walk and the redundant site of a third. The first is Glenfiddich, one of the most famous names in the malt whisky world. The distillery has been owned by the same company, William Grant and Sons, since it was founded in 1886.

Dufftown, acknowledged as the malt whisky capital of the world, is situated on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Home to seven operating whisky distilleries, including the famous Glenfiddich brand, the town nestles between heather clad hills where the River Fiddich and Dullan Water meet.

The town is a fine example of a planned settlement. Nature abounds in this beautiful corner of old Banffshire where numerous species of animal and plant life thrive in a variety of river, woodland and moorland habitats. The area has a rich history displayed by the presence of Balvenie and Auchindoun Castles. Mortlach Kirk lies near the site of Mortlach battlefield where the Danes were defeated in 1010 by Malcolm II.

William Grant and his wife Elizabeth - founder of the distillery. 

I took Kody in because you can’t go to Dufftown without visiting the ‘ladies’ at Glenfiddich. Have you ever seen a ladies toilet that looks like this? 

The wool shop was closed. 

The Cozy Coo was packed so we took our treats to sit on a bench at the base of the clock tower. 

The billionaire bar - white chocolate over a caramel layer over shortbread. 

I had the GF carrot cake. 

Dufftown Clock Tower is a stone tower with a clock at the crossroads in the center of Dufftown, Banffshire, at the focal point of the town square.

The three story tower was constructed of grey granite with pink granite dressings in 1839, as the town gaol (jail). After use as a prison, and then as the Burgh Chambers, it is now a Tourist Information Center.

A view down the main street. Notice the Christmas decorations are still up 😁

Leaving Dufftown and heading to Aberlour brought the lovely trail to an end. The scenery was still splendid but the trail was not. 

Looking back to Dufftown 

All the various trails 

This one was nice underfoot. 

These were awful and steeply uphill 

One little section here was worked. 

Sticky fingers from eating an orange

We finally ended up on a forest road for the remainder of the walk into Aberlour. 

The colors are simply magnificent. 

There’s a bee in the center of this clematis. 

Cotoneaster

Aberlour is one of a number of towns and villages in this area associated with the Grant family. Charlestown of Aberlour, to give the place its full name, was founded in 1812 by Charles Grant, who proclaimed "It is in the interest of every gentleman possessed of an estate in the Highlands to collect a number of Mechanicks and other industrious people into some centrical spot". People settling here were allowed four acres of land and the village was laid out along the wide main street.

The original name for the settlement was Skirdustan, from the church dedicated to Drostan, one of the large number of early Celtic saints. Drostan's Well is in the grounds of Aberlour Distillery, south-west of the village. The distillery was founded in 1829 and rebuilt in 1879 after a fire. Aberlour whisky is described as 'smooth and round, with a distinctive flavour'.

The Fleming Hall, built in 1895 and fully refurbished over the last 10 years, hosts a variety of events. 

Church of Scotland 

We walked through town headed for the Old Station Tea Room recommended to us by a lady walking her dog on the trail. She also warned us that the ticks were really bad right now. Turns out the tea room was closed and the only place to get something to eat was the Aberlour Hotel.   

Kody had the cheese and pickle sandwich with chips and salad. 

I had the half portion of steak and ale pie with mash. 

While we were sitting at the bus stop this tractor came flying down the road. I’ve never seen one move that fast. 

Leaving Aberlour, the view to the north widens to include the Macallan and Craigellachie distilleries and Thomas Telford's bridge over the River Spey. We were on the bus when we saw the bridge so couldn’t get a photo. I snagged this one online. 

The bridge was built by Thomas Telford (of Caledonian Canal fame), was forged in Wales before transportation and assembly on site. It cost £8,000. The new one beside it dates from 1975.

To the south is the distinctive mass of Ben Rinnes. Rising to 2,755 feet (826 metres), it dominates the landscape. It also provides the source for most of the water used in the local distilleries.

We returned to the Inn for another night. We have one day left and will probably return to walk a bit more of the Moray Coast trail tomorrow. 

Stats:

Steps - 30,433

Miles - 12.5

Elev Gain - 1,699’

Time - 5 hrs 43 min

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

Jeremiah 32:17

When facing seemingly insurmountable problems or obstacles, we should remember God's power and trust in His ability to overcome any difficulty. Nothing is too hard for God, and He can work even the most challenging situations for His glory. We can bring our needs and fears to God with the knowledge that He is capable of providing strength, peace, and guidance and we can trust in His power to intervene and work in our lives. He is in control and His purposes will ultimately prevail. May we remain steadfast in our faith, even when we don't understand what is happening around us.