Away with the birds on Loch Garten circuit
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THE osprey centre at Loch Garten was quiet, but I knew it would be thronged with visitors before long, once it opened for the season in April.
Part of the RSPB’s Abernethy Nature Reserve, the centre is a major attraction, welcoming those who want to get a closer look at the majestic osprey.
The nesting birds may well have arrived from Africa by now and they are always a draw, with facilities at the centre allowing them to be viewed by webcam.
And if you’re an early bird, you might like to take part in one of the capercaillie watches being run until May 17, when you get the chance to watch the mating display of this giant woodland grouse.
Aside from the reserve this is a beautiful area in its own right, and I’d decided on a circular bike ride taking advantage of a slightly warmer day in the midst of a very cold spring.
Starting from the community centre car park in Boat of Garten village I cycled east past another of the area’s attractions, the Strathspey Railway. The original line was closed to passengers in 1965 during the swingeing Beeching cuts that swept much of rural Britain. Three years later it closed to freight as well.
But thanks to the efforts of a group of enthusiasts, Boat of Garten was reconnected to Aviemore by steam train in 1978 and the line is now a major hit with tourists.
Shortly after the station I turned right to cross the road bridge over the Spey and on to a junction with the B970 linking Nethy Bridge and Aviemore.
I turned left towards Nethy Bridge for a kilometre before branching right onto the minor road that leads to Loch Garten.
From here on, until I rejoined the B970 to return to Boat of Garten, I was cycling on quiet roads just soaking up the sights and sounds of nature and hardly any cars to worry about.
Just before the osprey centre a track off to the right leads to a car park. A wooden sign indicates that this provides access to lochs Garten and Mallachie, and although I hadn’t planned on a diversion I decided to investigate.
The forest track wouldn’t be much good for a road bike but it was easy going on my mountain bike and added a pleasant couple of kilometres to the ride.
A circuit takes you down to Loch Mallachie and back and I was pleased I’d decided to do it for Loch Mallachie is a lovely spot. I stopped for a break and sat looking across the loch with a little wooded island just offshore.
Back at the road I turned right and on round the north end of Loch Garten and the osprey centre. The road begins to climb now but the gradient is easy and I was thoroughly enjoying this pedal.
Another junction is reached in front of the densely wooded Tore Hill, where I turned left. This road eventually ends at Nethy Bridge but part way along another minor road doubles back at an inverted “V” junction. I turned onto this road, signed Tulloch 2½ miles. Circumnavigating Tore Hill the road emerges from the forest to give more open views and passes some fine-looking houses. Ignore a sign to Easter Tulloch and keep an eye out for a small lochan on the left, just past a large house.
Very soon there’s a junction, with the road on the left dipping down. I took this, first passing the sign for Inchdryne Lodge, which offers holiday accommodation, then Tontearie Farm.
A blue sign ahead read “unsuitable for motor vehicles”, with a white “private road” sign beneath it. Confused at first by this I checked the map, which confirmed this was my route and I pedalled on, ignoring the “private road” sign.
This is in fact a delightful little stretch of single track road, surfaced all the way, which links to the B970. On my left were the undulations forming the ridge rising up to Meall a’ Buachaille, a popular target for its splendid views across Aviemore and Speyside.
Riding on through a huge puddle which had collected in a dip in the road and was deep enough to get my toes wet, I emerged at the junction with the B970 and turned right to head back to Boat of Garten.
The road seemed busy after the minor ones I’d been on, even though I didn’t encounter much traffic.
At Boat of Garten the sun was out and I took some time to wander about looking at the railway and the little community garden. A sign offers a welcome to “Boat of Garten... the osprey village”.
It was out of season for ospreys on my ride but that did nothing to detract from a great circuit passing through some of Speyside’s best countryside.
