Anagach Woods are a beautiful natural Scots pinewood, the haunt of the Capercaillie. There are several waymarked trails through the woods; this route is longer and takes in part of the River Spey as well as the woods themselves.
Summary
Good paths and tracks throughout
Terrain
NJ032278
Grid ref
11.5km/7 miles
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1. Park in the centre of Grantown-on-Spey. Take the turning off the east side of the main street, opposite the Co-op; it is signed for Speyside Way, River Spey and Anagach woods. Follow this road past the school and keep straight on at the staggered cross-roads. The road runs alongside the golf course before reaching a parking area for the woods; turn left by the interpretative panels – the route is signed as 'Speyside Way to Cromdale'. Ignore a green-waymarked route off to the right and instead keep ahead, following the Speyside Way thistle symbols.
2. At the next junction, keep left through the gate. The track soon reaches a clearing; it is a little indistinct here; keep left and you'll eventually find another Speyside Way marker. The route plunges back into the Pines before coming close to the edge of the wood, with a view across to the Golf Clubhouse. Here the path becomes a wider track and bears to the right deeper into Anagach Woods. These woods were originally planted in 1766 with trees from nearby Abernethy Forest, but the woods began to regenerate naturally in the early nineteenth century and the trees today are almost entirely self-seeded. The deeper parts of the woods are one of the last refuges of the remarkable Capercaillie – a giant black kind of grouse – and dogs should be kept on leads to protect these birds. Capercaillie are however extremely elusive as well as rare and sightings are not common.
3. Keep on the main wide path through these pinewoods. At one wide junction keep slightly left – following the thistle marker posts which are sometimes hard to spot. The route undulates over ancient glacial ridges as it winds between the magnificent trees; keep left and following the thistle's again at the next junction; soon another path joins in from the left. Again at yet another junction follow the left fork as indicated; this winds left and right to reach a gate. Pass through this and then over a bridge; on the far side bear right along the edge of Crow Wood to reach the river Spey.
4. The Spey is crossed here by a minor road on an old iron bridge, but our route keeps to the near side; turn sharp right through a gate to follow a track along the river bank upstream. If you reach the minor road, you've gone too far. The track now follows the fast-flowing Spey to the south, reaching a fishing lodge on the edge of Craigroy wood. Continue through this dense plantation; soon the track leaves the trees and slopes down to an open section of riverbank. Further on it climbs back up above the river to reach the isolated house of Craigroy. Join a track here and go through the gate, keeping to the same general direction.
5. The track is soon joined by the 'red' waymarked route coming in from the right. The red waymarkers branch off to the right on a grassy track at Easter Anagach; our described route keeps left but if you prefer you can return by following the red waymarkers to the right. Continue on the track; the surface has now improved. Pass Mid Anagach to reach the magnificent old Anagach Lodge. Continue straight ahead, passing a second more modern lodge before the road slopes down to Speybridge. It is worth detouring to the left to see the old bridge over the Spey, but the continuation of the walk is to turn right. Pass the fine houses of Speybridge before turning right into the woods at the Speyside way (Thistle) sign.
6. You are now following the Old Military Road to Grantown, which runs dead straight between the pines; ignore all turnings on both the left and right. Eventually the route passes through a gate and returns to the Anagach woods car park; continue ahead and back past the fire station and school into Grantown on Spey.
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