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Having completed the Speyside Way over a decade ago with the omission of the Tomintoul Spur I thought now was as good a time as ever!
It was a very cold morning on leaving the house with a temperature of minus 5 displayed in the car, the road from Grantown to Tomintoul on an icy morning testing my nerve. Stopped to get an early morning photo of course.
I arrived at the Glenavon Hotel before 0800hrs as I had a Grantown taxi booked for then to take me to the start point of Ballindalloch Station. Car satnavs become redundant on these roads, much to the taxi drivers dispair! We eventually got there after half an hour and a few calls to base. Straight fare of £30. My car was left at the hotel I was staying that night.
So here I was at a very cold Ballindalloch Station, but the coldness indicated the start of a very clear day!
Started walking at a rate of knots to get some feeling in my face and hands, running at times along the B9137 following the River Avon. Here if the Bridge of Avon about a mile and a half along.
There was a thick bank of mist in the area of Ballindalloch shown here.
On my initial ascent round Cairnacay I saw a couple of signs. One advertising unsellable motors and the other asking me not to use the car park for number 2's.
The following four miles were to provide me with excellent views over the southern Cairngorms and Moray, although the path was a bit rough in places due to mud and ice.
Once over this sty I could see the 8 mile mark of Glenlivet Distillery!
Distilleries are strange places!
Past the distillery ands onwards over a couple of hills Carn Liath and Carn Daimh.
A very straight descent from Carn Daimh
Then it was a very user friendly path through woods, not!
Coming out of the woods it was only three miles to push following a heathery trail.
The sign for Tomintoul was very welcome by the end of this slog and I could smell lager! Happy days!
As mentioned I stayed at the Glenavon Hotel in the square at Tomtinoul. £29.50 a night with a great bar, sky through all the comfortable rooms and a cracking breakfast! Highly recommended.
