The Herald - The Herald Magazine
The walk The Aberlour triangle
Location: Strathspey Map: OS Landranger 28 Distance: 12 miles (18km) Time: 5-6 hours Terrain: Moderate riverside and hill walk A GLANCE at the OS map covering this walk immediately shows two things. Firstly, the River Spey running through the area; and secondly, the regular appearance of the word “distillery”. This fine triangular walk combines those features to give us a whisky and walking ramble.
The start is in the attractive town of Aberlour – or to use its full name, Charlestown of Aberlour, after Charles Grant, who established the town. Aberlour has its own distillery producing a very fine malt, and also a visitor centre run by volunteers, showing some of the history of the area and also of the Speyside Way, the long-distance trail that more or less follows the river from Spey Bay, where it empties into the Moray Firth, right up to Aviemore.
The short section used by the walk is very easy and leads by the river up to Craigellachie. A wee diversion here leads to Thomas Telford’s wonderful bridge over the Spey. This was the first cast-iron bridge in Scotland. It is elegant as well as sturdy and has provided a safe crossing for more than 200 years. Nowadays the road uses a much newer bridge so the historic old bridge takes only foot traffic.
At Fiddich Park in Craigellachie the main Speyside Way route heads off north towards Fochabers but we take a spur route which follows an old railway line high above the turbulent River Fiddich to Dufftown, which calls itself the “malt whisky capital of Scotland”. Here you will find the distilleries for Balvenie and Glenfiddich, the latter a major tourist attraction offering a variety of tours and tastings. Glenfiddich was founded by the Grant family in 1887 and remains a family business.
For centuries, whisky distilling in this area was largely conducted at small stills hidden in the countryside to avoid paying government duties. The excisemen, called gaugers, had a hard job trying to catch the whisky producers, who were usually a step or two ahead of them. Many of the old paths and trails that seam the hills around here were used by smugglers.
The third leg of the walk follows an old right of way over the hill from Dufftown back to Aberlour. It is a meandering route that twists this way and that (but is always signposted) and you can well imagine the gaugers coming this way looking for the tell-tale wisps of smoke rising from the stills. Partway up the hill from Dufftown you can pause at a seat dedicated to a much-loved local GP and enjoy, as he used to, the fine view of Dufftown snuggled into its sheltering bowl of hills.
As you walk down into Aberlour you can reflect on the growth of the whisky industry since George Smith obtained a licence to distil spirits in Glen Livet in 1824. It is now one of Scotland’s leading and most famous exports and for anyone like me with a fondness for both a fine dram and a grand walk, this corner of Scotland will always have a special appeal.
ROGER SMITH Route: Start and finish at Speyside visitor centre, Aberlour (GR: NJ265431). Follow the Speyside Way from Aberlour to Fiddich Park, Craigellachie. Continue on spur to Dufftown (main route goes left). Reach train station and follow road (Isla Way signs) to pass (or visit) Glenfiddich Distillery. Continue to the town centre. TR on Hill St (signed Public Path to Aberlour). When road ends continue on track then path going R beside forest. When fence ends keep ahead on path through gorse. At track follow signs R and L and climb wide path passing memorial seat. Go through gate and follow path uphill across open ground then into woods. Leave woods and swing L on path up to gate leading into forestry. Follow forest track (signed at all junctions) which becomes forest road. Leave forest and at junction go L, downhill. Track soon becomes tarmac road which is followed for 2km downhill into Aberlour. At T-junction go R then L down to main street.