Map 1 and route

Route for East Highland Trail (north section 80 - 85 miles)

 

Inverness to Blair Atholl



OS Maps

1. OS Explorer 416  - Inverness, Loch Ness & Culloden
2. OS Landranger 27 – Nairn & Forbes
3. OS Landranger 36 – Grantown & Aviemore
4. OS  Landranger 43 - Braemar & Blair Atholl



Map 1 - Inverness to the Findhorn River

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Exit Inverness train station through the main entrance. Turn left and cross the road via the traffic signals and into the shopping area through a narrow lane. At the end of the lane turn left again and head up a steep path to and area of Inverness called Crown.  You should pass the academy school on your left and carry on until you arrive at a Y junction. Take the road to your right. Follow this until you come across a small church with a small unusual square steeple. Here turn left and follow the signs for Hilton.  After half a mile or so you should pass Hilton Primary School on your right, which has a wonderful adventure playground containing a cow, a pig and an ostrich.  Continue on this road until you arrive at a large roundabout.  Go straight on here and on your right you will see a green sign directing you up a small tarmac lane to General Wades Military Road. Take this road and climb steadily for one and a half miles until the road converts into a path.  There is another green sign here giving a brief explanation of General Wades Military Road. In late July and August delicious wild Scottish raspberries are to be had on either side of the road.  If it is a clear day stop at the high voltage pylon and look back towards Inverness to take in the magnificent view of the Kessock Bridge, Moray Firth and the Banrock hills.  The path steadily climbs for another two miles or so.  If it has rained heavily, parts of this path turn into a small stream. At the top of the climb you are in the heart of Dundavie Woods.  There is a path to the left up some steps, but do not take this path, follow the path straight on for about half a mile and you will exit the woods.  Here you will cross a narrow tarmac road.  In front of you is a metal barred gate.  Go through the gate.  Do not take the rickety style next to it, as this is just an entry to the paddock.  The path here is quite overgrown, but passible.  After 200 metres bear left into Fallie Village.  A bit of junk-yard, however you might pass a lovely old grey Fergi tractor parked outside the shed on your right.  Soon you will see a bridge on your right (Bridge of Faille).  Take this over the river Nairn and up the tarmac road to the B851.  At the junction take a right and first left.  This track leads to the second part of GWMR.  However be careful, as it is the beginning of an entry track into the Mid Laigs Sound Gravel Pit, and large lorries thunder up it creating danger and dust for about a quarter of a mile.  Off this take the first track left leading to a wood ahead.  This track shadows the A9 for about 3 miles through the wood.  At the end of the track go straight ahead and cross a small burn and through the firebreak. Do not follow the track sharp left or right at this point.  As you exit the wood over a deer fence, the path enters moorland for aprox. 1 mile.  This is very boggy in wet weather and many slight detours may have to be made.  The path takes you to Lynemore House and when you arrive here it changes back into a forest track.  Follow this down towards the village of Moy. It bares right then under the A9 and the main railway to Inverness.  This track brings you to the B9154 which cuts through Moy, a small village with homesteads spread widely along this road. Turn right and walk along this road for approx. 100 -200 metres.  Here you will find a road to the left leading to a white church.  Take this road then immediately turn right along the old B9154 which runs along Lock Moy through a small wood.  This eventually takes you to the Old School House and here you take a sharp left following the track along the edge of the wood for about half a mile until you arrive at Tullochdury House and here you enter the woods once more.  The track splits two ways – take the one on your right past an old wooden shed on your left.  If you are quiet you might catch the sight of the odd red squirrel here.  After about ¼ mile the track exits the wood to open farmland. To the left the land climbs up to moorland and with luck you might twitch a Red Kite or six soaring over the rolling hills. This track takes you through another small wood and down onto a small tarmac road.  Turn left here and follow the road for about one and a half miles to Ruthven House. At the house the road returns to track and ghosts the Findhorn River – famous for its salmon fishing so watch out for the 4X4’s! After another mile and a half you will arrive at a rope-way to cross the river.  Unfortunately, if this is locked, you will have to ford the river (as I did) about 100-200 metres downstream just before the bend in the river. Alternatively you can take a route on the north side of the river from the rope-way to Drynachan Lodge where the Findhorn River can be crossed via a bridge.  From here you can pick up my route by following the track past Tirfogrean, then left up into the moors past Creag a Bhothain and then left again at the next junction of two tracks past Carn na Sguabaich on your right. This alternative route (Map 12) is reproduced at the end of the route descriptions by the kind permission of The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society.

The Findhorn River