Badenoch Way
1 NH756006 The Badenoch Way is waymarked throughout, though some markers are faded. Take Ruthven Road across the valley, bending left to pass Ruthven Barracks. In another 1km, bear left into Insh Marshes reserve. Paths lead north-east (include a short diversion left to a bird hide with a view of the marsh) then south-east to the River Tromie. Follow it upstream to Tromie Bridge.
2 NN789994 Cross the bridge and the road into a forest track. After 200m turn left on an old military road, now track. Follow it ahead north-west, through Inveruglass (where it briefly becomes a tarmac lane) and along the back of Insh (where it shrinks to a tunnel path under birches), to rejoin the B970.
3 NH819019 Turn sharp right through a gate onto a forest road, then left at the next junction. After 400m bear left on a path. After it climbs through a clear-felled area and re-enters trees, it forks. Take the left (or the right if you prefer) to meet a stony track. Turn left, downhill, bending right at the slope foot. Follow the track, a path off to the left, and another track, all of them roughly north-east, to meet the B970 again.
4 NH827032 Turn right on a path to the right of the road for 400m, then cross diagonally into woods above Loch Insh. Follow waymarks to join the lochside path, then bear right to rejoin the road. Turn left for 100m, before bearing left to pass through Insh watersports centre (bar and restaurant). Roadside paths lead ahead to Kincraig (the shop here has just closed).
5 NH833056 Take the second right, Speybank Walk, to a small path under trees. Where it joins the wide, smooth Speyside Way (SW – which you could now use all the way to Aviemore) at once turn off again, right, on the older, narrower and pleasanter path. This rejoins the SW again briefly before forking down right again. It rejoins the SW once again to emerge at a road corner near a railway bridge.
6 NH844066
Follow the road and the SW track ahead to a gate into a pinewood. Turn off left, and find waymark poles to the south-east corner of the wood. A green track leads left, north-east, across grassland to rejoin the SW and the railway near Dalraddy holiday park (snacks available there).
7 NH859082 Follow the SW ahead, to the right of the railway, for 150m until it crosses a tarmac track. Follow that to the right until it enters trees, then fork up left on a rougher track. This leads up the ridgeline of Torr Alvie, in open woodland with views, to the Duke of Gordon's tall stone tower. 8 NH877088 You could attempt a rough descent of the north-west flank. Easier is to return down the track to the tarmac lane, then bend right, around the base of the
wooded hill, to rejoin the SW beside the railway. After 1km, it crosses another tarmac track; turn right on this, passing to the right of the loch Bogach to a junction in trees. Turn sharp left here, to rejoin the SW alongside the railway.
9 NH881101 Follow the wide, smooth SW path to the right. After 1.2km it passes underneath the railway, to join the B9152 at the edge of Aviemore.