UKC

Just a bit of daydreaming about holidays post lockdown and when it's acceptable to be travelling etc again. I'm assuming this will be in the autumn or winter. I'd like to do a long distance walk in Scotland, ideally following a river from the mouth to it's source and then I'd go up a few of the mountains near the source weather permitting, if things aren't too grim to get that far up. 

I was thinking of the river Spey as for some reason I've always wanted to see it, maybe I saw photos of it as a kid or something. It does look beautiful. But the path along the Spey seems to be near an A road for about half the walk, between Craigellachie and Laggan. Has anyone walked by the river round this section, and if so is there a lot of traffic noise?

Maybe the Dee would be a better bet? Are there any other nice rivers that you can follow all the way, or most of the way? I'll have 2 or 3 weeks. 

Cheers

Laggan?

The Speyside Way follows roads most of the way as the river and the road are in the same glen. Not sure where you’re getting Laggan from, I’d start at Aviemore.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/speyside-way.shtml

Thanks. I meant this Laggan here https://www.google.com/maps/place/Laggan,+Newtonmore+PH20+1AN/@57.0116008,-...

I didn't realise you'd be on the road, I assumed the path would be right on the river bank. I'm not bothered if it's an official long distance path or not I just want to be able to follow a river from the see to the source, along the bank as much as possible. 

Thats what I thought. The Speyside Way starts much further east, in Aviemore. The path is on the riverside from there up to Spey Bay.  Often near the road, so there will be road noise.

Ok thanks. I quite like the idea of the river Dee as well as I could finish up Ben Macdui (if I could be bothered to carry winter kit that far).  

It’s still a stunning part of the country, well worth the effort.

Thanks. I know pretty much nothing about Scotland sadly, so it will be good to explore. I don't think cheap tourist flights will be happening again for a few years at least so I'm looking forward to seeing more of the UK. 

Spey is probably the easiest in terms of proper paths. The Speyside Way now extends to Kincraig and you can continue to Laggan on the unofficial East Highland Way.  

The Deeside Way takes you from Aberdeen to Ballater, but it is mainly on old railway tracks and roads and doesn't follow the river very closely. From Ballater to Braemar you will likely be forced onto the roads for some of the way (e.g. to avoid Balmoral), but thereafter is fine walking up to the source on Braeriach. 

There was a thread on Walkhighlands about the Tay not so long ago: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92745 but it is not really that well served by paths. 

Good source of info for all long-distance routes in Scotland - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/long-distance-routes.shtml

Thanks a lot

Having mountain biked the Speyside way, while there are some nice bits (Fochaber to Spey Bay in particular), overall I wasn't that keen, several bits where the council wasn't willing to fight with landowners for access, so well away from the river, or enclosed in old railway cuttings / commercial forest tracks i.e. the easiest line negotiate / promote/ use.

Dee, while the Deeside line mentioned above is away from the river, you can actually walk a lot of the riverbank on fishermans/local paths. Aberdeen to Peterculter is entirely on river bank (N, though there is one bit where a new barbed wire fence has just gone up - I'll be reporting to the local access officer), from there to Banchory would be on the Deeside line which is at times close to the river (though there are loops that can give good stretches of river walking where the line is away from the river (e.g. from Drum through Park, but they aren't efficient in terms of making progress west), Banchory to Portarch is partly bankside (S), then spruce forestry & minor roads, Aboyne to Ballater can predominantly done bankside (N) with the Deeside line for short bits (though its very nice that far west), You can also detour to do a circuit of Loch  Kinnord and Burn o' Vat (from Dinnet), Intermittent river bank / road walking to Balmoral, where if the royals aren't in residence you can walk through to Ballochbuie (or do the Royal Cairns walk through the woods South of Balmoral if the big Hoose is occupied), cross to Invercauld and via estate tracks in Caledonian forest to the river and Marr Lodge, thence onwards to the source.

Its not perfect, a lot of the Dee Bankside paths above aren't sign-posted and are indistinct, or at times are field rigs, you just have to responsibly exercise your access rights, but in some ways is nicer for it.  But if it doesn't work the Deeside line/minor roads are always relatively close.

If mad-focused and pedal-powered you could swim at Aberdeen beach, cycle, (deeside line and road) to Derry Lodge, followed by a run to make the top of Macdui within the day

paddle the Spey instead

Thanks a lot for such a detailed reply! I'm not bothered if there aren't any paths I just don't want to wind up the locals by going somewhere I shouldn't, especially if we are all unvaccinated, even if holidays are officially allowed by whatever date this happens. 

Overall its only the odd land-holding causing problems....even the fishermen are predominantly neutral to friendly though I suspect many would rather things were 'exclusive', up and till a couple of years ago most of the Fishermans huts were unlocked and if unoccupied you could take your lunch in them, sadly they have now nearly all been locked.  What the sentiment post Covid will be who knows. From your point of view getting the best route will be tricky as it requires twists and turns that locals know, rather than forcing on bankside all the time.

I'll quite enjoy finding the locals' shortcuts. I don't have any plan really I'm just assuming that my first holiday will be when the weather is bad and it won't be abroad. What do you think the sentiment towards visitors will be in rural scotland? Do you think there will be virus related tension etc even after restrictions are lifted and it's OK to go on trips, if that is answerable? I'd prefer not to cause trouble, as I can understand their concerns if there isn't a vaccine yet, and would enjoy myself more if I didn't have to think about that kind of thing anyway. 

If I wasn't vaccinated and hadn't got immunity the hard way then I would re-think going anywhere if there were still cases out there. 

Who knows, I would have thought response to visitors once restrictions are lifted will be highly variable, with probably some tension still present.

For a more interesting  alternative try the river Avon from Tomintoul  to the shelter stone. Good climbs all around you. Various ways back including Aviemore then Grantown  and hitch back to tomintoul with all its pubs and shops. And for tonight theres carlsen  v  firouja.

Good idea! I've only done the very basics of kayacking, really easy rivers which barely moved, but if I can find a good easy river that would be brilliant. 

Loads of outdoor companies based in Aviemore you could use. Just Google Kayak Spey River

its a fairly easy run and what grade 3 there is, is easily portaged. I did it a number of years ago with a group of folk that had never paddle. Looking to do it again with sit on kayaks and the family.

Best to arrange the shuttle - leave cars at coast end and lift back to Aviemore

Number of companies do boat rental / packages

Not sure what the geographers say, but most people regard the source of the Dee as being at the Wells of Dee on the Braeriach/Cairn Toul plateau.

Yes but I'd make a detour after getting to the source (probably not though by the time of year I get there).

Bloody long detour from North Wales  :-/

There's one in Scotland (if you're not joking).

Gearing up for our move to Scotland this Autumn I'm finding this website interesting:

http://www.heritagepaths.co.uk/project.php

And one in England (only half joking .... )

joking - cant do emoji on PC

I thought so, but it's so hard to tell in text-only!