It's a long Spey to reach route's new ending

ACTIVE OUTDOORS: John Davidson explores the extension to the Speyside Way between Aviemore and Newtonmore, which is due to be launched in the spring

Work has been ongoing for a few years now to extend the Speyside Way at its southern end to bring it nearer to the source of that mighty river, the Spey.

Whether you consider the source to be somewhere around the Spey Dam or high up in the Monadhliath, there’s no doubt that Newtonmore is a better bet than Aviemore for the terminus of this long-distance route.

The new part of the route is due to be officially opened in the spring, but with the paths basically in place and signposted, it is straightforward to follow – with a little bit of planning at least.

I decided to tackle the 20 miles on foot, running from the train station at Aviemore to the end point of the route in Newtonmore, which is marked by a standing stone with the thistle symbol engraved on it.

I took the train south from Inverness, armed with my new Rucksack Readers guide to the Speyside Way – the first guidebook to include the extension to Newtonmore. It includes basic mapping of the whole route, as well as point-by-point directions to keep you on the right track.

An overnight change in the weather meant that the landscape had been transformed into a winter wonderland, and I looked in awe at the snow-covered Cairngorms as the early-morning train approached the station.

I alighted into the cold air, knowing I had only my feet to take me the next 20 miles through the snow to catch another train from Newtonmore back to Inverness in around four-and-a-half hours’ time.

Assuming I could manage to keep going – even at a fairly gentle pace – I was aware that I should have just enough time to make it.

With such a distance to cover, I decided to mentally divide the route up into five-mile chunks, each of which should hopefully take me around an hour to complete, leaving me any spare time for a coffee to warm up once I reached the end!

So, I checked the description of the first stage in the guidebook – which has handy mile markers on the maps which are referred to in the text – before finally putting one foot in front of the other in the fresh Speyside snow.

The route started by heading out of the village and on a cycle path beyond the turn-off for the ski road, but after crossing the road and heading under the railway, I was soon into gentle birch woods and open fields as I ran south along the new trail.

The was a pink glow over the white mountains as the sun crept up to peek over the horizon, and there were no footsteps in the snow until I had pounded the trail. It felt special to be the first person here on such a glorious winter morning.

There was evidence of other creatures here and there, though – and I spotted a hare bouncing across the field, then a couple of roe deer jumping through the woods, as well as a flock of geese honking overhead on their way to their feeding grounds.

The route is easy to follow and I was soon at the small settlement at Speybank, before a winding trail continued through the woods to reach Kincraig. There’s a short section from the village that isn’t signed, so I turned to the guidebook, which showed the route crossing the bridge over the Spey to the left and then following the road past the church before reaching a little path beside the road on the left.

With six or seven miles already under my belt at this point, I must admit to being a bit deflated when I read the next Speyside Way sign – nine and three-quarter miles to Kingussie! Then I still had to do the extra two or three miles to Newtonmore… I still had a long way to go.

However, this next new section of path climbs nicely above the road past the Loch Insh activity centre and then over the B-road into the forest. A mix of new path and forest road leads all the way to the lovely Uath Lochans at Inshriach, where distinctive green markers are a reassurance that you are following the right trail.

I emerged at a clearing at the top of a wide forest track covered in snow. A long, easy downhill run was good for the spirits at this stage.

At a T-junction, I kept right then, just before the road, a small sign points left onto a narrow and muddy track. There were a few men along here working on the path – part of ongoing improvements that will be made to the Speyside Way extension even after its official launch.

I was on familiar ground here as I followed the path and track through Inveruglass and then onwards to Drumguish, heading straight on at the crossroads and following the track downhill to a junction. A right turn here took me to Tromie Bridge and the spectacular falls as plenty of water rushed through the rocks below.

Going left and across the bridge, a new path on the right-hand side provides another excellent off-road option, this one part of the RSPB’s Invertromie Trail. That emerges at a car park then another Speyside Way signed path continues to finally terminate opposite Ruthven Barracks.

I only had around four miles to go now, but my legs were feeling the tiredness. I ate one of my energy bars before tackling the next stretch into Kingussie, which follows the minor road below the A9 then over the River Spey.

There is no path for this stretch but the last quarter of a mile into the village is via a short off road trail.

After crossing the railway line and reaching the main road, I turned left for the long slog to Newtonmore. I was almost there, but it was hard work as my body protested. Eventually, I reached the edge of the village, but then it was still a long way into the centre where I finally found the stone that marks the new terminus of the Speyside Way.

I stopped the watch and stumbled a few doors down to a lovely little coffee shop, then plodded on to the train station – where I arrived with just 10 minutes to spare, warmed up by a mocha and the glow of a truly inspiring run.

Route details

Speyside Way extension – Aviemore to Newtonmore

Distance 20 miles / 32km

Terrain Paths, forest tracks, cycle ways and minor roads

Start/finish Aviemore/Newtonmore

Map OS Landranger 35; OS Explorer OL56 & OL57

Following the extension of the Speyside Way long-distance route between Aviemore and Newtonmore

• The Rucksack Readers guide to the Speyside Way, 3rd edition, has been fully revised in 2021 to mark the long-awaited extension of the route to Newtonmore. Priced £13.99. www.rucsacs.com