This riverside and woodland walk starts from the impressive ruin of Elgin Cathedral to reach the woods where the stone for the Cathedral was quarried. This walk can also be completed as a one way walk either starting or finishing at Brumley Brae car park on the eastern outskirts of Elgin.
Summary
Roads with pavements, shared cycle paths, clear paths.
Terrain
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1. Start from the Cathedral on King Street in the centre of Elgin, there is limited on-street parking here. Turn down the side of the Cathedral, passing the Biblical Gardens on your left. Go across the pedestrianised stone bridge over the River Lossie and immediately turn left to pass the King's Mill pub. The track soon becomes a riverside path, keep following it and ignore any paths turning off.
2. The path narrows as it follows the edge of a grassy area; when it becomes very faint head diagonally towards the far corner where the path soon joins a tarmac cycleway, turn left here. Very soon turn left to cross the river again and enter the park. Here you can either head straight across on a short cut or bear right to follow the curve of the river. Either way you soon end up with the boating lake on your left. After a small rise cross the walkway,with the red bridge on your right, and pass a cycleway sign to continue straight ahead, going under an underpass next to the river on your right.
3. Although the path on top of the grassy bank is narrow, it is a shared cycle route so watch out for bikes. Elgin's football club can be seen on the left and soon the leisure centre. At the road turn right to cross a green bridge and immediately turn left to follow a riverside path through trees around the recreation field. At the far side of the field, the High School is passed on the right and the path continues next to the river.
4. When the path forks after a rise, keep left. At the next fork keep on the larger path on the right, the other path heads down to the riverbank. When the path forks for a third time keep left (if you go on the other route turn left at the road to rejoin this route) and soon the path emerges from the woods onto Morriston Road. Cross the road and head up Brumley Brae, very soon leaving the road to head left along a path into the woods.
5. At a fencepost turn left through lovely oak trees to follow a fairly level and wide path. Look out for some wooden steps heading up to the right after a short while. Climb these and soon the Quarrelstone is reached. Stone has been quarried from these woods for centuries, building Elgin Cathedral as well as most of the buildings of the town. Here there is a map and information about the woods. It is possible to follow a longer route marked with stone footsteps to reach a henge and viewpoint. The route described here makes a shorter loop taking in some of the best woodland.
6. Take the path to the left as you approached the Quarrelstone and very soon turn right uphill to reach Brumley Brae car park. Turn left along a surfaced path next to the vehicle barrier. Keep on this path, passing a clearing with some pylons and ignoring any turnings off, always keeping on the main path. Eventually a clear crossroads is reached, turn left here to head downhill through a newly felled area. The path curves left and joins a wider path, keep left here to follow it through fine, big trees, eventually emerging onto Brumley Brae. From here retrace your steps downhill and following the signs for the cycleway back to the centre of Elgin.
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