Tomintoul To Nethyrbridge Via Dorback Lodge

[Mbisland]

Good Evening,
I wonder if anyone would be able to share ideas on the best route to talk when walking to Nethybridge via Tomintoul. I did the walk in the summer from OS Grid Ref: NJ 12612 20428 Which is roughly at the glen brown bridge. I walked from here to roughly OS Grid Ref: NJ 12353 18270 which eventually took me to a path which leads to Dorback Lodge. I then headed towards OS Grid Ref: NJ 01466 19925 by going across a field at the end of the road where dorback road meets the main road to Nethybridge. I tried to follow some older paths but the majority of them weren't great underfoot. I'm curious if anyone can advise a good starting to point to help get me on the good walking route to Dorback? The inital route I took through glen brown faded after a couple of old ruins and I ended up following the river which eventually took me to OS Grid Ref: NJ 11517 17623 which was a great path.

[whiteburn]

I've been that way a couple of times but choose to paddle across the Dorback Burn around NJ069165 to pick up the path SW through Eag Mhor, FP (not on maps) continues all the way to join forestry track around NJ052144. From there it's an easy stroll via Forest Lodge to either Nethybridge or Glenmore.

[gaffr]

Hello....I have travelled from Tomintoul back to Kincraig on my off-road bike.....up from The bridge over the Avon on an estate track then upwards on a trail to connect with the Bridge of Brown track then out to the Dorback Lodge. Followed by a bit on the minor road to some Holiday homes? then on a path to the burn and out to the Eag Mhor slot. Through this and without too much trouble linking with a forest trail and out to the area of Forest Lodge to continue towards Glenmore.
To reach Nethy Bridge it should not be too difficult to use the forest tracks to link with Lurg and the minor road past Clachaig ....short distance to NB.

[gaffr]

Must have been typing when the earlier post was happening. Path through Eag Mhor is on the 1:25,000 maps.

[Mbisland]

Thanks for all the information. I will have a look at your ideas and see whats best. When I did the walk in July it was really beautiful. Nobody was walking the same route. Its a shame that the route can't be a little more straight forward in places as it could really become an excellent link from the speyside way to tomintoul. Hopefully I can avoid the heather and bogs this time round.

[al78]

I'm glad this thread came up. I was once thinking of walking from Tomintoul to Braemar taking in Beinn a Bhurid and Ben Avon on the way, and struggled to find a way to get to Tomintoul without a car. This thread has opened the possibility of walking to Nethy Bridge along the Speyside way, then walking to Tomintoul along a couple of minor roads to Dorback lodge then following a track east to glen Brown and Bridge of Avon.

[nigheandonn]

You can get a bus *to* Tomintoul, you just can't get a bus out of it again See https://bustimes.org/services/365-dufftown-keith ...

[al78]

You can get a bus *to* Tomintoul, you just can't get a bus out of it again See https://bustimes.org/services/365-dufftown-keith ...

I've looked into buses. I was aiming to arrive in Aviemore. The only bus services I could find was one to Nethy Bridge then another one from there to Tomintoul. I didn't realise there was a direct one from Keith, though that is a bit more awkward to get too by train.

[Starbhy]

Good Evening,
I wonder if anyone would be able to share ideas on the best route to talk when walking to Nethybridge via Tomintoul. I did the walk in the summer from OS Grid Ref: NJ 12612 20428 Which is roughly at the glen brown bridge. I walked from here to roughly OS Grid Ref: NJ 12353 18270 which eventually took me to a path which leads to Dorback Lodge. I then headed towards OS Grid Ref: NJ 01466 19925 by going across a field at the end of the road where dorback road meets the main road to Nethybridge. I tried to follow some older paths but the majority of them weren't great underfoot. I'm curious if anyone can advise a good starting to point to help get me on the good walking route to Dorback? The inital route I took through glen brown faded after a couple of old ruins and I ended up following the river which eventually took me to OS Grid Ref: NJ 11517 17623 which was a great path.

Thanks, thinking of walking from Tomintoul to Braemar taking in Beinn a Bhurid and Ben Avon on the way, and struggled to find a way to get to Tomintoul without a car.

[S1nky18]

Hello all, I'm looking for a wee clarification/update on this. I'm also looking to walk from Tomintoul to Nethy Bridge next summer. The route I was looking at was to strike NW from Tomintoul then through the forest behind Kylnadrochit Lodge though not sure if this was private and not accessible. Given it is, it seems to lead to a place called Stronachavie and then the path seems a little vague on the 1;25000 OS map through to Letteraitten and then to Dorback Lodge. Does anyone know if this is basically passible on foot in summer?
A plan B could be to walk along the A939 and then the B road to Nethybridge but not sure if this is advisable in summer. I'd be grateful of any advice.

Thanks

Colin S

[Scraggygoat]

Kylnadrochit lodge to Stronachavie and onwards perfectly passable (commonly used on a classic sub 24hr MTB circumnavigation challenge of the cairngorms) don’t know why from the map you’d think otherwise ? The bit by the Burn of brown is boggy.

To avoid walking the main road from Tom’ to the lodge take the track to Campdalmore and from there path (which is actually an old green lane) to Urlarmore. This has the advantage of getting to see the old bridge which is quite impressive and used to be the main road bridge.

Finding the start of the path to the Eag Mhor slot can be problematic and as mentioned above the Dorback Burn is often a wade.