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A bit out of season with this one but there's nothing like a flash of spring colour to brighten up a grey November day.
We left the car in Fochabers and took the bus to Buckie. Buckie itself is a typical no frills former fishing community, but Cluny Square was bonny with beds of wallflower in full bloom.
Buckie war memorial in Cluny Square
From the square we walked to the stone plaque that marks the official start of the Speyside Way, which a local told us had been set the wrong way round. I could see what he meant but could also see why it was set that way as the path leaving it goes briefly east before reaching the road that swings round to the sea front, when the route heads west through the Yardie.
Start of Speyside Way
Washing's out in the Yardie
Buckpool harbour
Spey Bay ahead
Derelict house
Spey Bay
Approaching Portgordon
Gollachy burn
Hot spot for common and grey seals
Not knowing how to identify grey seals from common seals I looked it up. So here are some differences. Grey seals as part of the 'true seal' family have short fins which they use to move in a caterpillar-like movement on land. They have no external ears and their heads have a characteristic straight shape, with nostrils slightly separated.
Common seals have a concave head profile and a shorter muzzle; similar to that of a dog, with V-shaped nostrils that meet at the bottom. As the name suggests there is a larger population of common seals than grey seals.
I may be wrong but think these are common seals.
And by way of contrast some random wallflower
Portgordon harbour
Portgordon
SSW follows old railway line
Once through woods and an area of gorse the route leads to a car park by old ice houses which at one time stored ice to pack salmon before being sent south to market.
Osprey sculpture and ice houses
We had food with us but couldn't resist the lure of cappucino and rocky road in the visitor centre.
Inside the Dolphin Centre
Mouth of the Spey
Pretty blue flower which I think is Green Alkanet
The mighty Spey
River Spey from garden planted in memory of 'Famous Fochaberians'
From the garden we followed a path along the Fochabers burn to George Street which took us back to where we left the car earlier. Altogether a most enjoyable walk with lots of interest on a beautiful spring day.
Fochabers Square
