This is a walk of two halves, the first alongside the burbling River Nethy and then through beautiful Dell Woods (a National Nature Reserve) to return to Nethy Bridge. An easy short walk on good, waymarked paths, with plenty of variety and the option to extend the walk.
Excellent waymarked paths
Buses from Aviemore and Grantown.
Community centre car park, Nethy Bridge.
Start at Nethy Bridge Community Centre (just up from the shop) where there is parking and toilets. Start the walk by taking the riverside path opposite the community centre. The path drops down to the river and follows it upstream. In the past, timber has, and still does to some extent, play a major part in the local economy. This river was used to transport felled trees to the River Spey and on to the sea at Spey Bay. Dams and sluices further up allowed water to build up which when released would float hundreds of tree trunks downstream. After a short while the all-abilities path turns right but our route continues straight ahead following the river bank.
Near a house the path joins a minor road. Turn left and continue until the pretty, green bridge is reached. Don't cross the bridge but continue along the road. Follow the road as it turns sharp right and passes between houses. At the junction cross the road and follow the path straight ahead through the two sets of beech hedging.
The two large Wellingtonia (giant redwoods) trees and the beech hedges mark the entrance to what used to be the tree nursery established in 1855 to raise pine seedlings for replanting the forest. Today natural regeneration techniques are favoured and the nursery closed in 1984. Continue straight ahead at a small crossroads of paths and keep ahead at the end of the hedges following the blue and green arrows. Turn right at the next junction through a lovely area of mixed pine wood.
As the path nears the corner of a large white house turn left following the arrowed signs and continue through the pine forest. Eventually the path runs near the back of a number of houses. Ignore the path right towards the houses here instead bear left further into the wood. After winding through the trees, a field is seen on the right and a path junction with a picnic table reached. Our route continues onto the wider track ahead but you can extend the walk by a couple of miles by following the loop of the green waymarked 'Puggy line trail' which follows the line of an old railway on the left. Otherwise continue ahead until the track emerges from the wood onto a road. Turn right and follow the road, keeping straight on past houses back to the centre of Nethy Bridge. At the road junction turn left to return to the community centre.
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