Geo-Trips :: Back Roads south of Alves
Moray
A walk from Crook of Alves, Tue, 25 Feb 2020 by Anne Burgess
| preceding leg | This trip is part of a series. | next leg |
As the ground was pretty saturated after a wet spell, we didn't fancy muddy field or forest paths, and the tide was going to be too high to walk along the beach, so we decided to explore the farmlands south of Crook of Alves, using the network of minor roads in the hope they would be dry underfoot, and so they proved to be. It's very much an agricultural area, with lots of mainly arable farms separated from the Laich of Moray (and the main road) by a low ridge, and rising gently towards Monaughty Wood on Heldon Hill. One striking feature of this landscape was how many new houses are springing up all over the place. We were quite surprised to see that we had done eleven miles, and we enjoyed well-earned tea and cakes, sitting out in the pub garden in the sunshine. In February!
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. ( )
↓ Scroll down here ↓
Carsehill Path
It's not so long since this was a minor road. However I surmise that the roads... more
End of the Road
This is the truncated end of a minor road that used to join the A96 near Alves. It... more
Crook of Alves
Although named simply as Alves on maps these days, older maps use the full name,... more
Railway to Inverness
This is the view of the Aberdeen to Inverness railway line from the road... more
Railway to Aberdeen
This is the Inverness to Aberdeen railway line from the road overbridge at Carden Hill.
Repairing the Dyke
The men with the blue van are repairing the drystane dyke which has collapsed at... more
Dyke under repair
The drystane dyke has collapsed on the corner and is in course of being repaired.... more
Cairnstead
A smart modern bungalow has replaced an old cottage at Easter Cloves.
Road Users
Walkers on the minor road near Wester Wards. The horse, a four-year-old... more
Wester Wards or Easter Cloves
Some maps name this as Wester Wards and some call it Easter Cloves. The first... more
Daisy Brae
Regular furrows point up to the smart new house at Daisy Brae.
No Point in Ploughing Here
Noting the area of ice-skinned water here, it's not surprising that the ploughman... more
Guttery Ground
Guttery is a Scots word describing watery mud, and can legitimately be applied to... more
No A96 Here
This notice refers to the consultation process for the route for the new... more
Monaughty Burn
Looking upstream from the road overbridge. The farm in the trees in the distance... more
Monaughty Burn
Looking downstream from the road overbridge.
Pool at the Gate
The large puddle at the entrance to this field bears a thin skin of ice. The 19th... more
New House
There was no evidence of ongoing work at this new house across the road from Garrowslack.
Near Garrowslack
The boundary of the ploughed field is the Swanstree Burn. The first edition of the... more
New House
Another of the many new houses that are springing up in the countryside since... more
Sheep at Easter Hillside
You can see how the farm gets its name; the land slopes gently down from here to... more
Easter Hillside
At this time of year, most sheep are on the low ground and close to the farms,... more
EU Funding
The poster by the gate reveals that this area of woodland creation has been funded... more
Wester Marchhead
The end of the road to Wester Marchhead, complete with wheelie bins awaiting collection.
Easter Marchhead
The fields slope gently down to Easter Marchhead. Some maps (mis)spell it Marchead.
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
One of numerous clumps of snowdrops along the side of the minor road.
Easter Marchead
Or Easter Marchhead, with a zoom lens. Behind it is Viewhill, and Woodside is to... more
Whinnyknowe
This house is so new it's not on the maps yet.
Whitefield
Although there are half a dozen houses here, it's not named on the maps.
Cul Mor
Another house so new that it's not on the map yet. The name is that of a mountain... more
Coalkettick Burn
Looking upstream from the road bridge.
Cul Mor
A smart new house beside the Coalkettick Burn.
Viewhill
The farm buildings at Viewhill are built on slightly higher ground, out of reach... more
Restored Steading or New Build?
The first edition of the Ordnance Survey six-inch map shows a school on this site,... more
Viewhill
A traditional stone house, a converted steading and a new house at Viewhill, plus... more
Mosstowie Canal
Looking downstream from the road bridge. Calling it a canal might be a little bit... more
Mosstowie Canal
Looking upstream from the road bridge. Calling it a canal might be a little bit of... more
Flooded Field
A dip in the land is filled with water, the ground being pretty well saturated... more
Mossend Road-end
A motley collection of signposts and yet another phalanx of wheelie bins at the... more
Sheep at Gowshillock
Most sheep at this time of year are kept on the low ground, mostly close to farms,... more
Hardhillock
The field beside the road into Hardhillock is well and truly saturated, and in... more
Reflected Gables
This watery expanse is supposed to be a field, but it is providing a grand... more
Suilven and Clay Shoot
An odd pair of signs on a post at the end of an odd little road that runs parallel... more
Waterlogged Land
The ground is clearly saturated with water here. The pale lumps are the remains of... more
Daisy Brae
A small row of new houses near Cloves.
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
A handsome clump of snowdrops on the roadside at Cloves.
Sweethillock Cottages
This row of cottages used to be tied cottages for the farm workers at... more
Small Quarry
Although shown on the map as a quarry, perhaps it could be described as an... more
Quarry at Sweethillock
As well as stones, there must have been earth dumped that contained snowdrop... more
Hole in the Ground
The former quarry has been partly filled with field boulders, but for some reason... more
Alves Parish Kirk
Originally built as a temporary Free Kirk in 1845 ('The Buildings of Scotland'... more
Alves Parish Kirk
Originally built as a temporary Free Kirk in 1845 ('The Buildings of Scotland'... more
Alves Manse and Parish Kirk
Originally built as a temporary Free Kirk in 1845 ('The Buildings of Scotland'... more
Railway to Inverness
This is the Inverness-Aberdeen railway line, looking west towards Inverness from... more
Railway to Aberdeen
The Aberdeen to Inverness railway line, looking eastwards towards Aberdeen from... more
Railway Embankment
The bank beyond the soggy field corner is part of the branch line to Burghead.
Railway Embankment
The embankment beyond the field is part of the branch line to Burghead.
Burghead Branch
This branch line, long closed, ran through to Burghead. The rails are still in... more
Burghead Branch Line
This branch line, long closed, ran through to Burghead. The rails are still in... more
Cottages at Wester Alves
It looks as if two farm workers' cottages have been turned into one house. M above... more
Outbuildings at Wester Alves
Large 20th century bans or byres, still in use. Note the cattle peering out of the... more
Old Steading at Wester Alves
A typical steading, consisting of a quadrangle entered by a central archway (on... more
Carsewell
Carsewell is named on the 19th century maps but not on the more recent maps. It... more
Alves War Memorial
A hexagonal plinth supports an old-fashioned cross shaft.
Calum's Kitchen
The old Crook Inn, temporarily re-named the Crooked Inn, has changed hands again... more
Calum's Kitchen
This archway is the entrance to the former Crook Inn from the main Road.
All images © Anne Burgess and available under a
Creative Commons licence 
.
