Speyside Way.....Kincraig - Newtonmore

Walk: Speyside Way

Section: Kincraig - Newtonmore

I wanted the good lady involved today so an obvious walk was another section of the Speyside Way, it really is time I finished this Long Distance route as priorities have changed. This was my final southern section and is a fairly recent addition to route which originally started/ended in Aviemore.

When we started it was the coldest and windiest day of the break by far. Kincraig is a lovely village but the residents don't want you parking in it, took ages to find a place to dump the car.

This must be one of the widest sections of the Spey

Walk started by crossing the River Spey which looks a nice height here compared to other parts of the river that I have seen recently. As always it seems with these long distance routes there is a mixture of signage. Some is the traditional Speyside Way marking posts but initially it is the Badenoch Way. I suspect most the Badenoch Way is now the add on to the Speyside Way route which extended it.

Insh water sports centre

The trees are overflowing with berries, hard winter ahead?

After the roadside section it is good to enter a wooded section albeit still near the road. Watersport centre is busy lots of kids shouting from their boats out on the water.

Speyside Way (nor Badenoch Way!!)

There was a lot of this

Very quiet en route through the trees only the odd cyclist to look out for. After about an hour the good lady headed back to the car with the plan for her to drive to Kingussie and meet up with me somewhere near the Barracks.

One of the Uath Lochans

The middle section is fully in the pine woods, lots of undulations and a few steep ascents enough to get my breathing heavier. A pretty lochan section where a number of cars and dog walkers around for a few minutes, but mainly same old.

After this the trail descends and for a long spell is simply a narrow trail passing isolated crofts and houses, some quite stunning. A mixture of run down cottages and stunning new/rebuilds. There are now views forward to Creag Dubh near Newtonmore, another that has been on my list for too long, need to sort that out. To my right are the Kingussie Corbetts whose estate tracks are such a scar that they are visible from the moon I suspect. However, I do have fond memories of seeing large numbers of mountain hares up there plus a camera disaster but that's another story.

The only damp section encountered

The occasional flash of colour in the woods alerted me that despite my trail being very quiet there were people around but not doing the same as me, wonder what they are up to as map shows no obvious paths?

First for ages

Hope it hadn't been nibbling on the nearby magic mushrooms

Just before I exited the woods I got an excellent red squirrel sighting, it has been ages since I saw one so delighted. My poor eyesight saw something dark against the bark of the tree so unsure I stopped. I was surprised at how dark its tail really was.

River Tromie falls from the bridge

Now the river and the falls were filling the air, silence no more. A narrow gorge that would be more spectacular with more water but still noisy and scenic. People now appearing, bad news.

The Speyside route bypasses the Insh Marshes but the track is too high up and tree laden to see anything worthwhile. Birdwatchers could detour for a spell.

Ruthven Barracks

Before you know it the ruins of Ruthven Barracks are in view, set on fire by the Jacobites following the 1745 rising. Just on plan I have been joined by you know who. A few visitors around, almost all English ironic considering where we are. But still very quiet as we walk into dead Kingussie, no coffee shop open on a Sunday, do they think they are in the Western Isles?

The dangerous bit crossing the track at the lovely Kingussie station

The good lady and I parted again as I did the final slog to Newtonmore solo. This is a rubbish section as it is along pavements and then a cycle track beside the road. The walk needs to be altered to go through countryside or really should finish up in Kingussie. My Cicerone book stops/starts at Aviemore.

Money spent on the finish/start at Newtonmore

Another Sunday dead village but relieved to find that there was one coffee shop open. Desperately needed cake and coffee from the Wild Flour. Gluten free carrot cake excellent and the good lady's strawberry laden Victoria sponge even better, so she tells me.

A walk on mainly hard packed surfaces was sore on the feet but I was moving quickly. Some good views and glad of that squirrel but not the most interesting route.

Ascent: 281m

Distance: 21.6km

Time: 4.15

Wildlife: Red Squirrel; Grey Wagtail; Wood Pigeon; Blackbird;