A very pleasant and easy cycle almost all on old railway tracks.
The final stats; the day was the shortest (25.2 miles), the fastest (9.9mph average) the lowest (climbed just 1,250ft) and the least time in the saddle (finished by 1.30pm).
No breakfast pic I’m afraid. Tea and toast and off I went into the coldest and sunniest morning so far. Rather than repeat last night’s traverse of the dreadful A941 Hazel suggested the disused railway track.
This is the old Strathspey Railway which, like the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway aka the Dava Way, was built in just 2 years and opened in 1863. It went from Dufftown alongside the River Fiddich to Craigallachie and then followed the Spey all the way to Boat of Garten.
It then was joined to the I&P J Railway, but shut to passengers in 1965 and freight (coal to the many distilleries and whisky from them) in 1968. Even at its peak it only broke even.
The Dufftown-Keith line, which goes in the opposite direction, still runs as a heritage railway, now 150 years old. I cycled out of Dufftown for a mile or so and on to the station platform …
At the other end of the platform the Strathspey track starts. It’s a great track that gradually (very gradually) descends to Craigallachie. A delight to cycle in the autumn sunshine:
I saw just one person on it in about 5 miles. The scenery changes as it passes through cuttings and across fields up on embankments.
High above me to the west was a large hill along the top of which runs the A941. If only I’d known about this last night..I’d have had another pint!
I then went through Craigallachie and on to Aberlour, where I got some provisions. The track goes alongside the Spey here:
Lots more people about now, walkers mainly with dogs and cyclists (without dogs). Saw a recently installed bike repair station, to encourage low carbon travel around here.
Some miles further on I sat on a bench for ages in the sun, ate a samosa and read my paper. Total silence.
Eventually I started off again and passed through more stations – there are 10 between Dufftown and Ballindalloch, the majority connected with the distilleries, such as Knockando, Tuilane and:
Bizarrely on the old platform here and at Blacksboat there are signs saying “This platform is not a playground. No…etc etc”. Why? Do they think a train is about to rush through?
I didn’t want this delightful cycle to end but it had to at Ballindalloch where I was back on the tarmac for some miles to follow the back road to Chapeltown and then off road to Alltnaha:
Across the burn and home:
This has been a great trip. I’m glad the hardest day was followed by the easiest. I would not have enjoyed another tough day! To my surprise the best bit was the Dava Way for the variety of scenery and the sense of history.
The toughest part was the Moray Coastal Trail but that really is meant for walkers and not bikes, so what I should expect I suppose. The weather didn’t help that day either.
Apart from the woods at Ben Aigen, I think this would be quite a boring, but easy, walk.
The autumn foliage colours were the best I’ve seen in years, apparently because of the summers heat/drought. I was also lucky with the higher than usual temperatures.
Next off road trips…Badger Divide (Glasgow-Inverness) or An Turas Mor (Glasgow-Cape Wrath) or both?
jlinwoodblog 