Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE SPEYSIDE WAY
The
Speyside Way
(
W
speysideway.org), with its beguiling blend of mountain, river, wildlife
and whisky, is fast establishing itself as an appealing and less taxing alternative to the popular
West Highland and Southern Upland long-distance footpaths. Starting at
Buckie
on the
Moray Firth coast, it follows the fast-flowing River Spey from its mouth at Spey Bay south to
Aviemore
(see p.165), with branches linking it to
Dufftown
, Scotland's malt whisky capital,
and
Tomintoul
on the remote edge of the Cairngorm mountains. Some 65 miles long
without taking on the branch routes, the whole thing is a five- to seven-day expedition, but its
proximity to main roads and small villages means that it is excellent for shorter walks or even
bicycle trips, especially in the heart of
distillery
country between Craigellachie and Glenlivet;
Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Macallan and Cardhu distilleries, as well as the Speyside Cooperage, lie
directly on or a short distance off the route.
2
Keith & Dufftown Railway
Station Rd • April-Sept 3 trips on Sat & Sun; June-Aug also Fri • 40min • £10 return •
T
01340 821181,
W
keith-dufftown-railway.co.uk
Restored by enthusiasts, the old Dufftown train station is now the departure point for
the
Keith & Dufftown Railway
, which uses various restored diesel locomotives to chug
through whisky country to Keith, home of the Strathisla distillery (see box opposite).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
DUFFTOWN
By bus
Buses arrive and depart from the road outside the
railway station.
Destinations
Aberlour (Mon-Sat hourly; 10-15min);
Elgin (Mon-Sat hourly; 50min).
Tourist o
ce
The small but helpful tourist o
ce (April-
June & Sept Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; July & Aug 10am-5pm;
T
01340 820501) is located inside the handsome clock
tower at the centre of the square, and can offer advice
on which distilleries to visit.
kayaks (£12) and fish (£18) at this outdoor centre, which
has self-catering bunkhouse accommodation. Unfortuna-
tely there's no public transport
this
f
ar, an
d groups are given
priority - so call ahead. Dorm
s
£15
;
£12/
pitch
Morven
On the main square
T
01340 820507,
W
morven
dufftown.co.uk.
Simple, inexpensive B&B that's conve-
niently located near the tourist o
ce and the Whisky
Museum in the middle of
tow
in The owners offer a small
reduction for longer stays.
£50
Tannochbrae Guest House
22 Fife St
T
01340 820541,
W
tannochbrae.co.uk.
Pleasant and enthusiastically run
former provost's house near the main square, with six
comfortable en-suit
e ro
oms, a lovely restaurant and a well-
stocked whisky bar.
£73
ACCOMMODATION
Loch Park Adventure Centre
3 miles northeast of
Dufftown on the Drummuir Castle Estate
T
01542
810334,
W
lochpark.co.uk.
It's possible to camp, rent
EATING AND DRINKING
Dufftown Glassworks
16 Conval St
T
01340 821534,
W
dufftownglassworks.com.
This combined café and
gallery is a smart place to sit with a latte or Americano
and plan your trip around whisky country. The rocky road
slices here (£1.80) are scrumptious.
Daily 10.30am-5pm.
Taste of Speyside
Just off The Square at 10 Balverie St
T
01340 820860.
You can sample a range of quality
Scottish food at the town's most popular restaurant, where
mains include a vegetable crumble made with tomato
and basil sauce. You'll pay around £20 for two courses.
Tues-Sat noon-2pm & 6-9pm.
SHOPPING
The Whisky Shop
1 Fife St
T
01340 821 097,
W
whisky
shopdufftown.co.uk.
This mind-bogglingly well-stocked
shop has over six hundred malts and umpteen beers,
produced not just on Speyside but all over Scotland.
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
Craigellachie
Four miles north of Dufftown, the small settlement of
CRAIGELLACHIE
(pronounced
“Craig-
ell
-ach-ee”) sits above the confluence of the sparkling waters of the Fiddich and the
Spey. From the village, you can look down on a beautiful iron bridge over the Spey built
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