This figure-of-eight walk from Nethy Bridge follows a variety of paths and passes the ruins of Castle Roy, a thirteenth century fortress.
Summary
Waymarked footpaths, muddy in parts; fair amount of up and down
Terrain
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1. Park in Balnagowan woods car park, which are reached from the bridge over the Nethy via the road through the north side of Nethy Bridge, and turning left in the settlement of Causer. The car park is on the left just after the last houses. A network of eight waymarked trails have been set up in Nethy Bridge; this walk follows just one of them. Another is the Riverside and Dell woods circuit; for details of the others visit the Abernethy Room at the Nethy Bridge community centre. Begin the walk by leaving the car park and crossing the road and going through the kissing gate. Three trails begin here; the time on the sign of one hour for this 'Castle Roy' circuit is something of a challenge! Almost all the route is waymarked with red arrows; it begins by continuing straight ahead through the woods, parallel with the back gardens of some of the houses of Causer.
2. At the corner of the last garden the path keeps straight ahead, crossing a small wooden bridge. and keeps left when it is joined by a larger path coming in from the village. Continue ahead until you almost reach a minor road; the path keeps left here in the woods, parallel to the road for quite some distance. Pass through a couple of kissing gates ahead until a marker post indicates a left turn back away from the road into the woods. Just after passing a small lochan, turn right (red arrow marker). The path now slopes uphill and eventually meets a minor road at a stile.
3. Head straight across the minor road onto a track, and turn right at the next track 't' junction - signed for Castle Roy. After a short distance, look out for the red arrows indicating a turn onto a path to the left. This passes alongside an obstacle course and crosses a footbridge over the burn. The path becomes more open as it swings left and then ascends to reach a white cottage. Turn left through a gate, passing to the immediate left of the cottage and onto its drive. Continue straight ahead to reach a road near a church. Turn right along the road, passing close to the ruins of Castle Roy. The ruins are unsafe and on private land, so it is best to see them from the road.
4. A short distance beyond the Castle, a red arrow marker indicates a small gate giving access to a path which runs parallel to the road. Soon it reaches a track turning right into the woods - follow this. Ignore a turning to the left marked by a black arrow - that route eventually leads through to Grantown on Spey. Instead keep uphill on the main track, which curves round to the right. After almost a kilometre look out for a red arrow pointing to a small path on the right - take this path, passing through the woods close to some white cottages. As the path descends there are glimpses of the huge Aultmore house to the left. The path turns left (red marker) just before a farm gate, and instead goes through a foot-gate before heading right between a wall and a fence. It then keeps above a bank before emerging by the white cottage reached earlier before the visit to Castle Roy. Turn left, retracing your outward route over the bridge, and keeping right onto the track.
5. When you reach the 't' junction by a chalet where you came in from the left earlier, keep straight on (signed 'Village', black arrow). There is no red marker for this route to save confusion on the way out to the castle. At the road, go straight ahead along the tarmac, and further on the red markers begin again to indicate a turn left into the woods. The path runs close to the fence of the local school, turning right at a corner (red arrow). Pass over a tiny bridge and go through a kissing gate. The path from here has been improved for children on their way to school; follow the made-up path which runs parallel to the road back to Nethy Bridge. Just before the houses, go right and cross the road to the car park at the start.
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