Anagach Woods are a beautiful native Scots pinewood, the haunt of the Capercaillie. There are several waymarked trails through the woods; this route is longer and takes in part of the River Spey as well as the woods themselves.
Bog Factor
Good paths and tracks throughout
Grantown-on-Spey.
Bus to Grantown.
NJ032278
Start from the centre of Grantown-on-Spey where the wide, grassy area is known as the Square. Take the turn off the Square on the far side, opposite the Co-op; signed for Speyside Way, River Spey and Anagach woods. Follow this road past the fire station and keep straight on at the staggered cross-roads. The road runs alongside the golf course before reaching a parking area for the woods; turn left before the informaiton board - the route is signed as 'Speyside Way to Cromdale'. Ignore a green-waymarked route off to the right and instead keep ahead, following the Speyside Way Thistle markers.
At the next junction, keep left through the gate. The path has been upgraded to cycle path standard and soon winds about through a clearing - formerly a tip but slowly trees are regenerating here. Ignore a turn to the right at a stone care and soon the route plunges back into the pines before coming close to the edge of the wood, with a view across the golf course. Here the path turns to the right deeper into Anagach Woods. These woods were originally planted in 1766 with trees from nearby Abernethy Forest, but the woods began to regenerate naturally in the early nineteenth century and the trees today are almost entirely self-seeded.
The deeper parts of the woods are one of the last refuges of the remarkable Capercaillie - a giant black kind of grouse - and dogs should be kept on short leads to protect these birds. Capercaillie are however extremely elusive as well as rare so sightings are not common; you are more likely to spot red squirrels or crested tit. Keep on the main wide path through these pinewoods. At a wide junction keep slightly left (two other paths go right) still following the thistle marker posts. The route undulates over ancient glacial ridges as it winds between the magnificent trees; keep left and following the thistle waymarkers again at the next junction. Further on a main path joins in from the left; keep right here.
Again at yet another junction follow the left fork, ignoring the red waymarkers which leave right at this point. The thistle-marked path heads slihgtly uphill through denser trees, eventually reaching a gate. Pass through this out of the trees and over a bridge shortly after; on the far side bear right through the gate along the edge of Crow Wood to reach the River Spey. The Spey is crossed here by a minor road on an old iron bridge, but our route keeps to the near side; turn sharp right beside a farm gate to follow a track along the river bank upstream. If you reach the minor road at the bridge with the church opposite, you've gone too far. The track now follows the fast-flowing Spey to the south, reaching a fishing lodge on the edge of Craigroy wood.
Continue through a dense plantation beside the river; soon the track leaves the trees heads along an open section of riverbank. Climb up above the river to reach the isolated house of Craigroy. Keep left to go through the gate.
Look out for a signpost indicating where a path cuts off to the left and heads back down to the riverbank. Turn along this and follow the rough path, soon joining a track below a fishing hut - keep by the river. Continue along the riverbank until the beautiful Old Spey Bridge is reached - this triple-arched bridge was built to carry the old Military Road in 1754. Steps here lead up to the bridge and road but our route passes under the bridge, continuing along the riverbank (rarely this can be underwater if so, turn right to follow the road and pick up the route at Stage 7).
After crossing an open area the riverside path passes into woodland once more. At a bench - with the new Spey Bridge in view - turn right to head up a flight of steps to a minor road. Go straight across this into the woods - marked with a Speyside Way (Thistle) sign. You are now following the Old Military Road to Grantown, which runs dead straight between the pines; ignore all turnings on both the left and right. Eventually the route passes through a gate and returns to the small Anagach woods car park passed earlier; continue ahead and back past the fire station into Grantown-on-Spey.
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