Speyside Way
Explore the Speyside Way at your own pace on a full-length self-guided walking holiday. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included.
Speyside Way
https://www.contours.co.uk/speyside-way
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A self-guided walking holiday from Buckie to Newtonmore, following the course of the spectacular River Spey
From £385 per person
Follow the Speyside Way along the River Spey from the wave-battered coastline up through birchwoods and pastures, with views of heather-clad hills giving way steadily to the rising peaks of the Cairngorm Mountains. The Speyside Way keeps to clear paths and tracks, which are chiefly low-level save for a hillier foray from the riverbank between Ballindalloch and Grantown.
The trail is alive with welcoming villages and a wide variety of wildlife, from ospreys to dolphins, while budding historians will love the Pictish relics, standing stones and ancient castles. Some of Scotland’s most famous distilleries await, too, including Glenfiddich, Machallan, and Cardhu. Overall, the Speyside Way is an approachable, settled route through a wild and beguiling landscape.
From £985 per person
The full Speyside Way trail journeys from Buckie by the coast to the town of Newtonmore nestled inland. The walk revels in the moorland and mountain backdrops, accompanied by the ever-present rumble of the River Spey itself as it winds through quiet forests and thriving pasture land.
The Speyside Way utilises mostly low-level paths and tracks, and is dotted with an array of welcoming villages, a wide variety of wildlife and a healthy smattering of intriguing historic sites. All of the above comes together to form an impressive walking trail worthy of exploration.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPW1 | From Buckie to Newtonmore | 7 days walking | £985 | |
| SPW2 | From Buckie to Newtonmore | 8 days walking | £1105 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPWSB1 | From Craigellachie to Grantown-on-Spey | 2 days walking | £385 |
Travel to Buckie where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Buckie to Fochabers. 10 miles (16km) / 315 ft (96 m) ascent
Fochabers to Craigellachie. 13 miles (21km) / 1680 ft (512 m) ascent
Craigellachie to Ballindalloch. 12 miles (19km) / 787 ft (240 m) ascent
Ballindalloch to Grantown-on-Spey. 14.5 miles (23.5km) / 1522 ft (464 m) ascent
Grantown-on-Spey to Boat of Garten(L). 10.5 miles (17km) / 525 ft (160 m) ascent
Boat of Garten(L) to Kincraig(T). 12.5 miles (20km) / 144 ft (44 m) ascent
Kincraig(T) to Newtonmore. 13 miles (21km) / 463 ft (141 m) ascent
Depart from Newtonmore after breakfast
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 in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
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:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
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Spotting wild osprey swooping at Loch Garten, among many other beautiful birds.
Experiencing the diverse scenery on the trail, from charming coastline, quaint fishing villages, rural farmland, dense forest and dramatic mountains in the Cairngorms National Park.
Sampling Speyside salmon and whisky as you visit the fishing towns and famous whisky distilleries.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
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 on the River Spey - Thomas Witzel.jpg)
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“The experience met the expectations we had after two previous walking holidays with Contours and overall we were very happy with the arrangements.”Mrs Jokinen, Finland
“I look at Contours first, and mostly only Contours.”Dr Hayres, Australia
“You gave me every help I could expect.”Mr Rayner, UK
“Easy walking mainly on disused Railway. Weather was grim for first two days but thereafter never got wet, whereas rest of country seemed to have some heavy downpours. Lovely to meet travellers from overseas. An easy long-distance walk. Good for first timers.”Mrs Milne-Redhead, UK
“I was impressed and reassured by your meticulous attention to detail and to the questions I asked via email. Your team have done a superb job, we shall definitely be using Contours again.”Ms Middleton, Scotland
“Contour arrangements were good and we enjoyed our week. Would be happy to consider Contours again but as we are getting older, will be waiting until next year to consider our walking ability.”Mrs Burnett, UK
“Thank you for the great coordination and booking of accommodations. All accommodations were good as well as the luggage transfers and materials provided. Yes, would recommend both Contours and the Speyside Way to others. Yes, we have done many walking holidays through Contours and hope to continue to do more.”Ms Greco, USA
“We had a great time”Mrs Lawrie, UK
“Everything worked as it should (even the weather!) We benefitted from quick responses from the office on several occasions.”Mr Rasmussen, Denmark
