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Speyside Way and Tomintoul Spur

Speyside Way and Tomintoul Spur

A walk from Buckie to Aviemore along the Speyside Way, with an additional trek out to Tomintoul.

7 to 9 nights
80 miles
Moderate to Moderate / Demanding

From £715 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

The Tomintoul Spur extension juts from the trail at Ballindalloch. It adds a 15-mile trek up through the wild moors of Glenlivet to one of the highest villages in Scotland. It’s a steeper trail than you’ll find on the rest of the Speyside Way, but the climb awards phenomenal views from Carn Daimh over the surrounding Cairngorm Mountains – and presents an opportunity to visit the famous Glenlivet Distillery.

The extension then reunites with the main trail where it left off, and the holiday continues to complete the remainder of the full Speyside trail to Aviemore.

This route can also be travelled in the opposite direction if preferred. Select the ‘Reverse tours’ option when choosing your itinerary.

Reverse tours available

This route can be walked in either direction - just tick the 'Reverse Tours' box when choosing your tour to see options travelling in the non-standard direction.

Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Speyside Way and Tomintoul Spur map
Buckie to Aviemore
80 miles (128 km)
21st March to 31st October

Holiday highlights

Indulging with a dram of delicious whisky at the Glenlivet Distillery.

Climbing the Tomintoul Spur to the highest village in the Scottish Highlands.

Admiring the vast peaks and breath-taking surroundings of the Cairngorm National Park.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
SPW1+TOM1 From Buckie to Aviemore 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate / Demanding£715
SPW1+TOM2 From Buckie to Aviemore 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate / Demanding£820
SPW2+TOM1 From Buckie to Aviemore 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate / Demanding£820
SPW2+TOM2 From Buckie to Aviemore 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate£920

Speyside Way and the Tomintoul Spur - North to South 7 nights, 6 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
Start

Travel to Buckie where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Buckie to Fochabers. 10 miles (16km)

Day 2

Fochabers to Craigellachie. 13 miles (21km)

Day 3

Craigellachie to Ballindalloch. 12 miles (19km)

Day 4

Ballindalloch to Tomintoul (Tomintoul Spur)(T). 15 miles (24km)

Day 5

Tomintoul (Tomintoul Spur)(T) to Grantown-on-Spey. 14 miles (22.5km)

Day 6

Grantown-on-Spey to Aviemore. 16.5 miles (26.5km)

Finish

Depart from Aviemore after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£45.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£35.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£60.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 7 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night is a wonderful way to extend your holiday. Consider an extra night in Craigellachie if you would like to visit the Macallan Distillery or the Speyside Cooperage, which makes oak whisky casks, or follow the 4-mile (6.5km) 'Dufftown Spur' to the Glenfiddich Distillery, Balvenie Castle and the delightful little town of Dufftown, the 'Malt Whisky Capital of the World'.

Grantown-on-Spey is a very attractive Georgian town with plenty of shops and an interesting museum.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£60.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 80 miles (128 km)
Duration: 7 nights, 6 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Maximum daily distance: 16.5 miles (26.5 km)
Code: SPW1+TOM1 Grade: Moderate / Demanding
Season: 21st March - 31st October
Start of holiday: Buckie
End of holiday: Aviemore

Route Profile

Speyside Way and the Tomintoul Spur - North to South Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

By Rail - The nearest rail stations to the start of the trail (Buckie) are either Keith (about 13 miles away) or Elgin (about 17 miles away). There is a rail station at the end of the trail (Aviemore).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Buckie and from Aviemore.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross station to Elgin. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Buckie.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take a train from Aviemore to Elgin. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Buckie.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Routes on this trail

Speyside Way

Speyside Way

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A scenic walk along the banks of the River Spey from Buckie to Aviemore.Find Out More
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Speyside Way Short Break

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From £310 per person
A walk from Craigellachie to Grantown-on-Spey along the central part of the Speyside Way.Find Out More
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