Exploring a treasure of the Highlands
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In the early 20th century Nethy Bridge was marketed as a health resort, with villagers renting out their houses to an influx of summer visitors.
The busy little Abernethy village is a bit different today but plenty of people still come here with their health in mind.
There is so much to do here for any lover of the outdoors, with tracks and trails leading off in all directions, so many modern-day tourists come for the walking and cycling opportunities in particular.
High mountain passes link Abernethy with Glenmore and Braemar, while more gentle paths around the village offer a great way to explore the local area.
With my wife Meg and daughter Clara with me, I opted for one of the gentler options, and our walk was perfect in the low autumn sunshine, combining a number of waymarked trails with some map reading to link them up.
We started at the community centre on Dell Road, where there is parking available. It can be found just up the road from the Spar store beside the bridge.
Cross the Thomas Telford road bridge, built in 1809-10 and extensively rebuilt after a flood in 1829, and take the first right opposite the hostel.
Follow this road uphill until a large white house on the right, opposite which there is a small gate leading in to the woodland between two properties. Go left through the small gate to enter the woods and follow the path through a kissing gate to meet a clear forest path.
Turn left and follow the main path to the boundary of a house, where the path heads right through this beautiful pine forest. With the sun seeking out gaps in the canopy, we enjoyed dazzling light on the forest floor on a bright day in Abernethy.
Ignoring a number of paths shooting off this way and that, you should emerge at a minor road opposite a school. Where the path forks just before you reach the road, keep right then cross over, taking a less obvious path opposite to stay to the right of the school grounds.
Very soon we reached an excellent path which leads left into the woods, and followed the yellow walk markers through a kissing gate. After crossing a small burn, go left on a winding path through the trees until the next marker post.
Here, the yellow route is signed right, but our route goes left – down to the road. Turn right onto the road then, a few hundred yards on, fork left up a track marked for Aultmore.
A signpost round the corner directs you on the next part of this walk, the Castle Roy Trail, marked with pink squares. Veer left just before the bridge to cross the Allt Mor by a wooden footbridge then follow the burn for a short distance to join a track.
Pass the old meal mill at Milton on the now tarmac access road with views ahead to the remains of Castle Roy, a 13th century fortress whose history is unknown, though it is believed to have been a stronghold of the Comyn family.
You also get a fine view to the Cairngorms over to the left and, on reaching the B970, it is worth detouring briefly to the beautiful Abernethy Parish Church and graveyard, from which Castle Roy’s arched entrance can be seen well.
The castle itself is in dangerous condition and should only be viewed from the field edge.
On the right-hand side of the road opposite the castle, a narrow and uneven path runs parallel to the road. Follow this to a gate where the pink markers now direct you right onto a wide forest track.
We took it easy up this stretch – the only real uphill section in the whole walk – not least because carrying my 18-month-old daughter was slowing me down! Ignore a left turn in the forest (which leads to Grantown) and continue over the brow of the hill until a further marker post points right down a path.
Again, this was a delightful section with glimpses of the large house at Aultmore – where there happened to be a wedding taking place the day we were here – down through the trees. The pink route directs you around the outside of the property’s boundary – with a bizarre sign saying “No access on 29th February” – to meet the track near Milton at a large gate.
We headed back down the path and over the footbridge we had crossed earlier – getting little Clara out of the backpack to give her a wee walk – then at the sign for the Castle Roy Trail turned left down a vehicle track.
Cross the road and go over a stile, heading left along a forest path to a junction where you go left (now back on the yellow route) past a small lochan. The path is horribly boggy here but numerous narrow detours offer a way around the worst bits.
Keep right at another path junction then, as you get near to a road, go right to stay inside the fence until you come to a tarmac access point from which the Nethy Bridge village sign is clearly visible. Instead of continuing through the gate on the yellow route, cross the road here and take a track diagonally right, passing the flooded section by a slippery boardwalk on the left. The track soon meets the end of a residential street at Causar which you follow to a T-junction. Go left then turn right onto a footpath just before the telephone box to reach the Black Bridge to cross the River Nethy.
Stay right the other side of the pedestrian bridge to pass a couple of houses before turning right down a path where signs direct you to the Riverside Path.
This final kilometre is a delightful stroll alongside the picturesque river leading all the way down to a picnic area beside the Telford bridge opposite the community centre and toilets.
On the way we were lucky enough to see a couple of red squirrels at a designated feeding station, though Clara had fallen asleep by this stage and missed the action!
Nevertheless, we had all had a fantastic day out in this charming village and enjoyed the wonderful trails that keep people coming back to the area, whether for their health or simply to enjoy a place that is truly a treasure of the Highlands.
