This excellent short circular walk visits the Dounie glens to the west of Rothes, with some very pleasant woodland, interesting features and lovely views.
Summary
Waymarked paths and tracks
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1. Park in the centre of Rothes; there are several spaces near the Post Office just off the main road on Seafield Square. Head back to the main road, with a fine church on the corner, and turn right briefly and then left onto Burnside Street. The road soon leads to Glenrothes Distillery; ignore a footpath over a bridge on the left (signed for the Castle) and continue ahead, passing between the distillery buildings. Once past the main part of the distillery turn left over a footbridge which is signed 'Dounie Footpath'.
2. The path runs to the right through woodland beside the stream, soon crossing a tributary and reaching an information board about the habitat at the Dounie. The Muckle (big) Dounie and Little Dounie are a pair of wooded glens and are very popular with Rothes' folk. The delightful grassy path now continues up the Muckle Dounie, at first a little away from the burn and then close beside it.
3. After a little over a kilometre a signpost ('Dounie and Fairie's Well') indicates where to turn left away from the burn into a dense forestry plantation. The Well itself is covered with a manhole lid; it provides the water source for the Glenrothes whisky. The path continues, leaving behind the forestry and now passing through the Little Dounie, a much narrower and steep-sided little glen with some steps both up and down. It then emerges at another signpost; there is a viewpoint for the Linn waterfall on the right here, whilst the route itself turns left. A short distance further on it reaches a track at a T-junction; turn left again.
4. When the track reaches yet another T-junction, turn left again. A short distance further on ignore a smaller track plunging into the trees on the left and soon emerge from the forest beside Rothes golf course. Keep straight on until the track reaches the modern club house, where the route becomes a tarmac lane.
5. The lane continues a slow descent towards Rothes. Just before returning to the village, a signpost indicates a diversion on the left to visit the castle. Only a single, though massive, wall remains of this structure, built by Peter de Pollock in around 1300; the path to the left visits it whilst the tarmac lane ahead which continues the walk passes beneath.
6. The lane passes the entrance to Glen Spey distillery before emerging on the High Street in Rothes. Turn left along this as far as the church with the clock-tower, and then turn right to return to the parking at the start.
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