Geo-Trips :: The Speyside Way between Nethy Bridge and Grantown-on-Spey
Strathspey
A walk from Nethy Bridge, Mon, 5 Nov 2018 by Anne Burgess
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We set off from Nethy Bridge and followed the Speyside Way to Grantown-on-Spey. Most of this section of the route is on the trackbed of the former Strathspey Railway. It's fine easy walking and reasonably dry underfoot and you do get an occasional look at the River Spey on the way.
After crossing the A939 the route takes the old road to the old Spey Bridge, and after that it diverts to follow a slightly zigzag route through Anagach Woods to the golf course.
If you want to take advantage of the range of facilities in Grantown you have to leave the route and walk into the town. We can recommend the bacon rolls in the bakery in the Square.
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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House beside the Speyside Way
One of a number of new houses on the northern fringe of Nethybridge.
Modern House
An interestingly shaped house, not seen to its best advantage from here on the... more
Jim Merry's Bench
The wsords carved into this bench by the Speyside way are, "In loving memory... more
Balliemore
Traditional stone cottages with their rear elevations facing the Speyside way.
Old Wooden Barn
Probably used for storing straw bales, this barn is beginning to show its age.
Farm Access
The gate off the Speyside Way leads down to fields separated by a ditch and a power line.
Glacial Landforms
These mounds are sand and gravel left behind by melting glaciers at the end of the... more
Farm Track
The track descends from the Speyside Way to fields on the flood plain of the River Spey.
Flood Plain Drainage
A network of ditches drains the fields on the flood plain of the River Spey.
Speyside Way
The Speyside Way follows the trackbed of the Strathspey Railway from Nethy Bridge... more
Is it an Esker?
This farm track across the Speyside Way cuts through a ridge which is an... more
Chimney Gable
At first glance this looks like the gable end of a wooden hut with a stone chimney... more
Drainage Ditches
Ditches are necessary to drain the fields beside the Speyside Way on the flood... more
Choked Ditch
The map suggests that the twin fences enclose a drainage ditch but there's so much... more
New House
The all-glass wall must have a fine view across the River Spey flood plain,... more
Embankment at Balliefurth Farm
At Balliefurth the Speyside Way is briefly diverted off the former Strathspey... more
Balliefurth Wood
The wood is north-east of a rather wet-looking field near Balliefurth Farm. The... more
Bridge near Boat of Ballifurth
The bridge carries the access road to Boat of Balliefurth over the trackbed of the... more
Speyside Way Waymark
The waymarker indicates where the Backham Trail, and alternative route to both... more
Woodland Clearing
Looking pretty damp, although fortunately the rain had stopped before we set out... more
Strathspey Railway Trackbed
The trackbed of the former Strathspey Railway is now part of the Speyside Way.
Woods near Auchernack
The birches here look pretty scrawny, suggesting that they are the survivors of a... more
A Glimpse of the River Spey
This is the first time on this section of the Speyside Way that the route gets... more
Bracket Fungus
I think this may be Birch Bracket Fungus, which is apparently also known as Razor... more
Birch Woods
Some of these birches beside the Speyside Way are well covered in lichen,... more
Speyside Way Footbridge
The smart new bridge on the Speyside Way closes a gap where the Strathspey Railway... more
River Spey
Not only is the River Spey in sight from this point on the Speyside Way, there are... more
Tarrig Mhore
Tarrig Mhore is the name recorded on some of the maps of this pool in the River... more
Speyside Way
The Speyside Way follows the trackbed of the former Strathspey Railway between... more
Field beside the Speyside Way
The neatly mown grass of the field contrasts with the rough vegetation on the... more
Speyside Way
Although still using the trackbed of the Strathspey Railway, the path here is much... more
Sheep beside the Speyside Way
Sheep on winter pasture by the side of the Speyside Way.
Speyside Way
The trackbed of the former Strathspey Railway, now the route of the Speyside Way,... more
Fields beside the Speyside Way
The low ground is cultivated as grazing land, but the mounds of glacial deposits... more
Inverallan Kirkyard
A glimpse of the kirkyard of Inverallan from the Sepyside way on the opposite bank... more
River Spey at Inverallan
Looking across from the Speyside Way on the right bank. We were puzzled by what... more
Speyside Way
The former Strathspey Railway trackbed is the route of the Speyside Way at... more
Speyside Way at Achnagonalin
The Speyside Way, using the trackbed of the former Strathspey Railway, skirts the... more
House at Achnagonalin
The house overlooks the Speyside Way at Achnagonalin.
A Walker on the Speyside Way
Maybe it is because it is November, but we saw only four other people on the five... more
Spey Valley Smokehouse
Although there were lights on in the building, the complete absence of parked cars... more
Boggy Woodland
This damp hollow is beside the Speyside Way near Grantown-on-Spey.
Commemorative Stone
Unfortunately the light was not good and we couldn't make out the inscription, but... more
River Spey
Looking downriver from the Old Spey Bridge at Grantown-on-Spey.
River Spey
Looking upstream from the Old Spey Bridge near Grantown-on-Spey. The distant... more
Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability
This term refers to the shape of the distant clouds. It's beyond me too, but see... more
Cherry Grove
The non-traditional conservatory added to this traditional stone house is... more
Speybridge House
The house at the end of the Old Spey Bridge is not on the first edition of the... more
Royal Mail Letterbox
Note the absence of a name, let alone the number, of a reigning monarch, on this... more
Glendornie
A fine example of a Victorian stone villa, standing beside the Speyside Way at Speybridge.
Anagach Woods
The Speyside Way follows paths through Anagach Woods on the outskirts of Grantow-on-Spey.
Curling Ponds
Although the map shows two separate ponds here, both of them are overgrown, and... more
Grantown East
The former Strathspey Railway station, which was semi-derelict (See [[[775966]]]),... more
River Spey at Inverallan
The River Spey runs deep and dark and quiet next to the old kirkyard at Inverallan.
Inverallan Kirkyard
The first edition of the Ordnance Survey six-inch map shows the outline of the old... more
All images © Anne Burgess and available under a
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