Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Strathspey region (see p.172). South from Ballindalloch are the quieter, remote glens of
the Avon (pronounced “
A'an
”) and Livet rivers. Allegedly, in the days of the despised tax
excisemen, the Braes of Glenlivet once held over one hundred illicit whisky stills. The
(legal) distillery at
GLENLIVET
(see p.177), founded in 1824 by George Smith, is one of
the most famous on Speyside, and certainly enjoys one of the more attractive settings.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
GLENLIVET
By car
Public transport in this area is extremely limited,
which makes having your own wheels a must. To reach
the distillery from Aberlour, follow the A95 south as far as
Ballindaloch (around 8 miles) and then swing left onto the
B9008 for the final 4 miles.
2
Tomintoul
Deep into the foothills of the Cairngorms,
TOMINTOUL
(pronounced “
tom
-in-towel”)
is, at 1150ft, the highest village in the Scottish Highlands, and the northern gateway to
the
Lecht Ski Area
(see below). Its long, thin layout is reminiscent of a Wild West
frontier town; Queen Victoria wrote that it was “the most tumble-down, poor looking
place I ever saw”. A spur of the Speyside Way connects Ballindalloch through Glenlivet
to Tomintoul, and there are plenty of other terrific walking opportunities in the area,
as well as some great routes for mountain biking.
Glenlivet Crown Estate
If you've come this far it's worth exploring the
Glenlivet Crown Estate
, an extensive tract
of carefully managed land abutting Tomintoul; information and useful maps about its
wildlife (including reindeer) and the numerous paths and bike trails are available from
the tourist office or the estate
ranger's o
ce
at the southern end of the long main street.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
TOMINTOUL
By car
The only reliable way to reach Tomintoul is by car;
from Grantown-on-Spey the A939 snakes east, passing
Tomintoul on the way to Ballater.
Tourist o
ce
On the central square, the helpful tourist
o
ce (April-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm;
T
01309 696261)
also acts as the local museum, with mock-ups of an old
farm kitchen and a smithie.
Estate ranger's o
ce
At the southern end of Main St
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm;
T
01479 870070,
W
glenlivetestate
.co.uk). The place to come for information on local walks
and events.
ACCOMMODATION
Camping at Glenlivet
It is possible to camp beside the
Glenlivet Estate ranger's o
ce for free, though there are no
facilities here whatsoever.
The Bunkhouse
Near the tourist o
ce on the central
square
T
01807 590752,
T
07711 466340.
Long, white
hut with clean and cheap (if cramped) bunk rooms that
share a small kitchen. If no one is around, call for the access
code. Dorms
£17
Glenavon
On the main square
T
01807 580218,
W
glenavon-hotel.co.uk.
The most convivial of the hotels
gathered around the main square, with en-suite rooms
above a bar that screens football
ll m
atches and does cheap
lunchtime meals (two for £10).
£70
Lecht Ski Area
7 miles southeast of Tomintoul along the A939 • Open year-round • Full-day pass £28; ski rental costs £20/day from the ski school at the base
station • For information on skiing and road conditions, call the base station on
T
01975 651440 or check
W
lecht.co.uk or
W
ski.visitscotland.com
The Lecht is the most remote of Scotland's ski areas, but it works hard to make itself
appealing with a range of winter and summer activities. While its runs include some
gentle beginners' slopes there's little really challenging for experienced skiers other
than a Snowboard Fun Park, with specially built jumps and ramps. Snow-making
equipment helps extend the snow season beyond January and February, while downhill
bike tracks open in the summer (no bike hire on site).
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