Distance: 2 miles Time: 1 hr Level: Easy Terrain: Good path, pavement and road Access: Arrive by car there is plenty of parking at the Speybay dolphin centre IV32 7PJ (donations for parking)
This is a fab short circuit walk from Speybay via the Spey viaduct. The walk is all on the flat with a good path so family and buggy friendly!
Route: From the car park head for the information board and you will see the path to the left that runs along the side of the river. Head along the path over the wooded footbridge and keep going!
You will follow this path all the way along till you come a 4 way junction. Take the road to the right just before the sign to take you along to the banks of the river and to get a great view of the viaduct.
To return back to Speybay. Go back to the junction and take the track that takes you to the main road. When you get to the main road cross the road on the the pavement and take a left back towards Speybay.
Once you are back to Speybay take a left at the Bay golf club and head back to the carpark.
Findlater is a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire and only a couple miles from Cullen. It is the old seat of the Earls of Findlater and Seafield, sitting on a 50 foot-high cliff overlooking the Moray Firth.
Distance: 1 mile Time: 1hr Level: Easy but may be more difficult if the path is muddy some elevation. Terrain: Grass track and narrow possibly muddy path. Access: Arrive by car heading east from Cullen on the A98 turn left up road sign posted to Findlater Castle. The road takes a sharp corner to the right then take the next left after the first house. Take a left at the house and there is parking round the back of the large barns. Postcode is AB45 2UD. Please keep dogs on leads at all time.
Route: Once parked take the track to the right past the back of the barns. The track will turn left, keep going till you come to the junction.
Findlater Doocot
You can take a left at the junction to head along to the Findlater Doocot or head straight on to the Castle.
Findlater Castle from view point
There is a fab viewing area which if you don’t want to go any further you can get a great view and some cracking photos.
Carefully take the path down to watching where you walk and explore the area.
Why don’t you finish off with a visit to the stoney beach to the side for the full Findlater experience.
Kingston drift wood hut was built by the locals and is an amazing place to visit. There is something added to it every time I visit!
Distance: 1 1/2 miles Time: 1hr Level: Easy Terrain: Grass track and pebble beach Access: Arrive by car, parking is available at corner Kingston road and Beach road. There is a no 34 Stagecoach bus from Elgin.
Route: This is a fantastic short walk leaving from the car park take the track to the left that runs past the back of the houses. Follow the track right along and it will narrow down to a path.
Kingston
Keep a look out for the ducks paddling in the water to your right.
When you get to the play park turn left and head back towards the beach hut. It is pebbles all the way so not the easiest to walk on so wear good footwear.
When you get to the beach hut make sure you explore it inside and outside and see if you find the visitor book. Please be respectful while you are there the locals after spent a lot of time and effort to build the hut,
Kingston beach hut
After exploring the area return the same way as you came.
I headed to the beautiful Cairngorms for this walk which takes in Loch Insh, the stunning Uath Lochan’s and the River Feshie. This is a very peaceful walk in the wilderness with plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting. I had several sightings of birds of prey along the way.
Distance: 7 ¾ miles Time: 3 ½ – 4hrs Level: Easy long walk with some elevation. Terrain: Mix of forestry track and paths with a small amount of quiet road walking. Access: Arrive by car following the signposts for Kincraig/Loch Insh outdoor adventure centre PH21 1NU. I did ask permission to park at the centre. There is a regular Stagecoach No 35 bus from Aviemore which is about a 20min walk from the Outdoor centre.
Loch Insh
Route: The walk starts off at the Loch Insh Outdoor Centre which is a fantastic facility offering a large array of activities as well as accommodation.
In the car park head down to the shore and you will see a sign for the Loch side trail which is part of the Badenoch way. This is a very well waymarked and easy to follow section with great views across the Loch and the first opportunity for wildlife spotting.
On the trail
Leaving the waterside carry on following the waymarkers through the woods till you come to a road with a house opposite. Cross the road here and turn right just after the house you will find an opening to re-join the path. The path is rather narrow here but only for a short time.
Keep on the waymarked trail and you will come to a fork and take the path to the left here. There is a long straight section, the Badenoch way turns off here to the right this is where you leave the way as you will carry straight on. About 250 yards after the Badenoch way turns off , you will take a left turn where you will find red trail markers.
View of Loch Insh
Here you will head up in to Farleeitter Crag where you will find a fantastic view of Loch Insh before you are looking down on the Uath Lochan’s once you have enjoyed the views the trail will start going downhill till you come to a junction take a left here after a short walk you will come to another junction where you will take a right to take you to the Lochan’s. This is a fantastic place to stop for a picnic with stunning views.
Uath Lochan’s
Carry on the trail before taking the next left, you come to a road. Take a right and walk along the road for a short stretch till you come to an opening to a house road end. Go into the opening and turn to your left you will find a right of way sign. Follow the sign passing by the houses. You will come to a U-shaped house, take the path to the right here. Carry on till you come to the side of the River Feshie. As you walk along the path and you will feel like you are in total wilderness with only the wildlife for company. There are plenty of opportunities if you want to dip your feet in the beautiful clear waters.
River Feshie
Keep following the path right along the riverside till you come to some houses then Feshie bridge on your right. You will find a path just along from the bridge to the right of the road.
Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail
Follow the path along till you reach a small car park which then leads you to the Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail which is starting to be reclaimed by nature as it was meant. The trail is worth the detour or take the path to the right which you will find is waymarked for the East Highland way. Follow the waymarkers you will come to a farm, the path will take a left before reaching a junction.
Loch Insh
At the junction take a right joining the Badenoch way again which you will follow till you return to the Loch Insh Outdoor Centre. Which is now a perfect time for coffee and cake at the Boathouse Bar and a well-earned rest!
Starting off my new sections to my website with where I have spent the last 2 weeks. Barrow Campsite is an independent campsite situated in the beautiful countryside only a few miles out of Nairn. It is a relatively new site and ideal you if you want to explore the area or relax and put your feet up.
Onsite you will find a range of hardstanding and grass pitches with a semi wild area camping area. Also a couple glamping pods. In the summer months we usually park on the grass area but in the winter we prefer to have a hardstanding pitch with hookup. The facilities are clean and modern with toilets, showers, a dishwashing and laundry room.
Around the site there is a small kids playpark, it is very dog friendly with fantastic walks and an enclosed area with a good sized pond. I have done a bit of paddleboarding in the pond. There is a fantastic bothy with seating and a bbq area which is a great place to get together or shelter out the rain. Not far from the bothy you will find Hangman hill which is a well preserved bronze age barrow hence the name Barrow Campsite.
Nairn is only 3 1/2 miles away and if you are feeling energetic you could walk or cycle along the quiet country road. The town has a fantastic range of independent shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, takeaways and a leisure centre. You also will find a beautiful beach on the Moray Firth with excellent views across the water. If you would like to treat yourself you could book a spa day at the Golf View hotel. There are also excellent public transport links to Inverness.
If you are like us and you want to explore the area there is so much to do within a 10-15 mile drive.
Brodie Castle is around an 8.5 mile drive where you can have a guided tour, explore the grounds and have an excellent play area. Entry fees do apply or free to National trust members.
Cawdor Castle is around a 5 mile drive and open in the summer months. Although we have never visited it is renowned for its beautiful garden and grounds. Entry fees do apply
Fort George is around an 8 mile drive and is the mightist artillery fortification in Britian and was built in the 18th century following the defeat at Culloden. Entry fees do apply or free to Historic Scotland members.
Culloden Battlefield is around a 9 mile drive and it is the site of the bloody battle of the Jacobite rising. Although a very eery it has an excellent visitors centre and a fascinating place to go. Entry fees to the visitors centre do apply or free to National trust members.
Brodie Countryfare is around an 8.5 miles drive and is almost next door to the Castle. This is a fantastic shop to explore their extensive range of clothing, giftware and food range and you can’t leave Brodie without visiting their fantastic restaurant.
Inverness is around a 15 mile drive but if you don’t want to venture into the city there is a large retail park on the outskirts that has a good selection of shops, a cinema and a large supermarket.
This is only a small selection of places to visit that are close by, there are many more plus Barrow is a great start/end point for the fabulous North Coast 500 route.
Barrow gets a thumbs up from us we love it here and it is definitely a home from home!!!
I had great expectations for 2022. I bought a fancy new diary and I had great plans to get myself into a better routine,write regular blog posts, lose some weight and just be the best version of myself. Little did I know what was ahead of me!!!!
We started 2022 coming home from an amazing relaxing holiday in our favourite campsite in Skye and was all set to go back to work I was all prepared to get back to the gym and get myself sorted out.
But my life was turned upside down when my mum was taken to hospital the day I was going back to work. The next couple months were spent juggling work and hospital visits she did get home for a little while but sadly at the start of March my mum passed away.
After she passed I went back to work quite soon after I did not want to stay at home and overthink. But then if things could not get any worse after 2 years avoiding it I got covid!!! So that was the first quarter of the year gone and not a single thing had been written in my diary.
Cullen from Castle hill
Spring came and the fuel costs were rising so I spent my days off exploring my local area being careful not to go too far. Moray and Aberdeenshire has some amazing picturestic places to visit many with fantastic well marked paths. So I don’t need to travel far to find some great places.
Roseisle Ullapool
We did manage a few weekends away to Ullapool, Nairn and the bike racing at Knockhill. We were truly blessed with some amazing weather which definitely helped my mood. I kind of failed to make any contact with my friends and avoided all social events in fear of people asking if I am ok. I must admit my husband has been a complete rock through the tough times.
Knockhill
Almost half way through the year had I written in my diary, stuck to a diet or went to the gym??? The simple answer was no. I did try to get motivated but my head was not in it. Instead I decided to try something new. One day we were sitting in Cullen beach carpark watching folk out paddleboarding I thought I would like to do that! By the time we were home I had ordered a board and a wetsuit. Which was one of my better ideas. Why? Because when you’re on that board all you think about is not falling off nothing else matters.
In June we went to Glencoe and we had some amazing weather so much so I did some wild swimming at the natural pool at Red Squirrel campsite which I loved.
We had such a great weekend soaking up the much needed vitamin D. I think it was the first weekend I had really enjoyed myself but I felt guilty afterwards. Looking back I should not ever have felt like that but grief does funny things to you.
Glencoe
Summer was spent exploring, we had several weekends in Nairn so I could paddleboard on the pond and went along to Paddlebliss for a lesson which was totally out my comfort zone and I had a amazing time. I also ventured further afield to Loch Inch one day to explore parts I had never been.
Cairngorms
I even managed to drag my friend Gem up Ben Aigan even though she hated me when I said we were nearly at the top several times we made it eventually!
Ben Aigan with Gem
Our Summer Holidays could not come quick enough I organised them like a military operation between campsites and ferries. Visiting some of our favourite places as well as exploring some new ones. Paddleboarding and wild swimming at Arisaig was one of my highlights.
Paddleboarding at Arisaig
Portavadie was our little bit of luxury.
Infinity pool at Portavadie
Mull and Iona were just simply amazing.
IonaTobermory, Isle of Mull
Summer sadly came to an end and we went back to work but no sooner we were back to than we ended up in Aberfeldy for a weekend with a bunch of folk we mostly only ever spoke to on Facebook. We went kayaking down the Tay which was bloody amazing. We were so proud of ourselves that day.
Kayaking on the Tay
Autumn fast approached and finally after so long we decided for our wedding anniversary we would head to Falkirk and Stirling. We wanted to go to the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel for ages but just never quite got there. They did not disappoint the Kelpies were amazing.
The Kelpies
No one ever actually told me what the Falkirk wheel was. I actually thought it was some kind of hydro electric making type contraption, so when I got on the wee boat for the tour I was totally amazed. I would put it in my top 10 places to visit in Scotland.
Falkirk Wheel
Through most of the summer and autumn I had been suffering from regular sore heads which I had actually thought I just needed new glasses but that did not help. I did finally go to the doctors in October but I actually started back at the gym and pool at the same time, wow the headaches just disappeared. So removing some screen time and destressing at the gym was the best medicine, which I kind of already knew but putting things into practice is not always that easy.
Cullen at Sunrise
I caught a couple of amazing sunrises in November. We also managed to get away a few times spending a night in Findhorn and took to run to Edinburgh one day so we stopped in past the Hermitage,Dunkeld on the way down and spent a night in Aviemore on the way home.
FindhornThe Hermitage Loch an Eilein
December finally arrived which filled me with dread so we decided we would go away for Christmas and just chill out, watch Netflix and enjoy our time off. So no plans have been made to visit anywhere or do anything. This will be my first Christmas without my mum and honestly I still can’t quite believe she is no longer here and this is just a bad dream.
With only 11 days of 2022 left have I written in my posh diary???? Have I hell!!! Have I lost any weight???? Not a single pound!!! But I have not wasted the year we have had lots of good times, I have tried some new things. It certainly has not turned out the way I thought but life is too short and it is time to write my 2023 bucket list!
Am I buying a 2023 diary??? No I don’t think I will bother!!!!
This beautiful walk takes in the old harbour that dates back to 1693 that has been recently used for a film set for Peaky Blinders and Whisky Galore. You will explore the coastal path that runs along past the cliffs between Portsoy and Sandend with many paths that branch to do yuor own exploring before arriving at the stunning Sandend beach and returning along a quiet country lane with coastal views.
Distance: 5 miles Time: 2hrs Level: Easy with some elevation Terrain: Tarred road, pavements, coastal trail paths and beach Access: Arrive by car, there is plenty of parking avalible in the The Square, Portsoy, AB45 2NX The No35 service bus runs between Elgin and Aberdeen and drops off on Seafield Street only a short walk along South High Street to the start of the walk.
Route: At the square head down North High Street past the Boyne Hotel till you come to the Old Harbour. This is a great chance to have a look around with some fabulous photo opportunities. Head over to the left of the harbour where you will find the stunning bottlenose dolphin statue that was made by local artist Carn Standing.
Next to the statue you will find the ruined remains of a cottage that has a lovely view out the window.
To the left of the ruin there is a narrow path where you can skirt round the wee hill or go up the top to get a great view of Portsoy.
Carry down the narrow path which will take you to a small yard, follow the path towards the houses where you will find a waymarker post for the coastal trail.
The path will skirt past the houses till you finally leave Portsoy and into the countryside.
Not long after you leave the town, Portsoy Lido the disused outdoor pool will come into view. The lido was opened in 1936 and was in use until it closed in 2001.
Just after the Lido there is a short stretch on a narrow country lane so be careful there maybe cars here.
The very well-marked path carries on along the coastline with plenty of paths off to the side if you are keen to look for seabirds along the cliffs. You will reach Redhythe Point where there are remains of a building which would have been part of a WW2 rifle range that was once there.
After Redhythe Point the coastal path winds along the edge of the cliffs you can choose to stick to the main path or explore the narrower paths closer to the shoreline. You will come to a grassy track with heather at each side on the left in the not too far distance you will see a vehicle barrier (that is your return route).
Turn right to pass the bay with the ruined house.
Once past the small bay you will come to a gate. go through it and down the steep path and on to the steps to Sandend beach.
At the end of the beach you will find a WW2 pillbox along with other remains from the war which can be found in several areas around Aberdeenshire and Moray.
You could stop for a picnic here and walk along the beautiful sandy beach or even explore Sandend more before returning back up the steps and the steep path and through the gate. Once past the small bay head to the right towards the vehicle barrier. Once past the barrier head straight on past the big house on your right.
Continue straight along the country lane. You will have some great views of the coast and Portsoy as you are walking back. Once you arrive in Portsoy you will go along the street named Park Crescent which then goes on Cullen Street before heading straight back to the square where you began. There are some lovely wee shops and cafes in Portsoy if you have plenty of time they are worth a look.
Tracy Goes Outside 