Paths Around Dufftown Booklet
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Go wild in Dufftown These paths could seriously: ● Improve your health and well being ● Bring you close to nature ● Let you see some beautiful countryside ● Bring local history to life ● Unravel the delights of whisky ● Be fun About the Area Recommended Walks Dufftown, acknowledged as the malt All the featured walks in this booklet, whisky capital of the world, is situated on (except to Auchindoun Castle), start at the edge of the newly created The Clocktower in the Square. This was Cairngorms National Park. Home to originally a jail, which now houses the seven operating whisky distilleries, seasonal Tourist Information Centre. including the famous Glenfiddich brand, The clock originally housed in Banff the town nestles between heather clad claims to be the one used to hang James hills where the River Fiddich and Dullan McPherson, a notorious freebooter Water meet. famously recalled in the folk song, th ‘McPherson’s Rant’. Note the plaque Established in 1817 by James Duff, 4 commemorating George Stephen who Earl of Fife, the town is a fine example of emigrated from Dufftown to Canada and a planned settlement. Nature abounds in was co-founder of the Canadian – Pacific this beautiful corner of old Banffshire Railway. Outside the Clocktower there where numerous species of animal and is a map board showing the walks. plant life thrive in a variety of river, Dufftown is well connected to Elgin and woodland and moorland habitats. The Aberlour by a regular bus service with a area has a rich history displayed by the heritage rail connection to Keith run by presence of Balvenie and Auchindoun volunteers. Castles. Mortlach Kirk lies near the site of Mortlach battlefield where the Danes An occasional bus service runs to Huntly were defeated in 1010. and Aberdeen Contact Traveline (Tel: Annual events include two whisky 08706082608) for further information. festivals, (Spring and Autumn), with the Many of the walks are short in distance ‘Spirit of Speyside’ walking festival in and generally have good surfaces in the August. Dufftown Highland Games are town with rougher sections in the held on the last Saturday in July, a feature country. For the more ambitious several of which is the massed pipe bands. routes can be combined to create a There is a whisky museum in Fife Street longer walk. Most routes are hilly in recalling illicit distilling and smuggling in places and stout footwear and auld lang syne (days gone by). waterproof clothing are recommended. Glenfiddich Distillery has a visitor centre. The Keith and Dufftown railway is run by All the walks explore the countryside volunteers. The Golf Club welcomes around Dufftown and give good access visitors and is claimed to have the to all the natural attributes the area has highest green in the country from to offer throughout the four seasons. where the views are magnificent. You can be guaranteed that somewhere along whichever walk you choose a spectacular viewpoint will unfold. Some, but not all, of the routes are signed. The Local Speyside Footpaths Network Group is working towards continual improvement of the Local Paths Network. Details of the walks can be viewed on the computer terminal located within the Whisky Shop in Fife Street. tranquil stretch of water a weir, known Walk: 1 The Giant’s Chair locally as “the intak” is reached; beyond Distance: 2 Miles lies Dufftown Distillery, on the far bank. Further on you can cross the river by a Time: 1 hour 30 minutes pedestrian brig opposite Hardhaugh, or the brig between the old and the new Terrain: Mixture of tarmac, gravel and graveyards. The old graveyard and Kirk grass paths. Relatively level with some are well worth a visit. minor gradients. Sections of the path near the Giant’s Chair are uneven and Mortlach Kirk, is the site of one of the rough. oldest places of Christian worship in the country. St Moluag, from the Users: Suitable for walkers. There is a Monastery of Lismore established a cell at Mortlach in AD566. It is said to have kissing gate at the far end of this walk th and some flights of steps. been the seat of a bishop until the 12 Century. In the vestibule is a fine Pictish The route starts along Church Street, symbol “elephant” stone. The chancel has three lancet windows dating from following the road down past the Kirk th and up the steep brae with Dufftown the 13 Century, although the glass is Distillery at the bottom, Pittyvaich at the much later. top. The derelict farmhouse is a listed building. In the Kirkyard, there is a weathered Battle Stone with a cross on one side, Continue on this minor road until a on the other a serpent, bullshead and a lovely green road (as featured on this man on horseback. Here is evidence of booklet’s front cover) is seen on the the coming of Christianity and the left, signposted Giant’s Chair. Once absorption of the old Pictish symbolism. across the River Dullan footbridge the Giant’s Cradle is on the left, just off the Mortlach was the site of a battle path – great care is needed here, also at between the Scots and the Danes in the Giant’s Chair by the shelter. Both of 1010. The story goes that the Danes these are natural rock features carved had encamped in the haugh, either side by the power of Dullan Water. Further of Dullan Water. The Scots led by downstream the path passes the Malcolm II dammed the Dullan by the beautiful Linen Apron Waterfall, which Giant’s Chair. Then, while the Danes only earns its name slept, the Scots breached the dam, when the burn is in followed the water down and routed spate. After a the enemy. To commemorate the victory Malcolm extended the Kirk by three spears’ length. Leave the Kirkyard by the front entrance and return to the Clock Tower via Church Street. Walk 2 Meg’s Widd Walk 3 Maister’s Widd (Princess Royal Park) Distance: 1 Mile Distance: 1 1/4 Miles Time: 30 minutes Time: 1 hour Terrain: Good surfaces throughout Terrain: A route combining roadway with short inclines within the wood. paths and grass/gravel paths through woods and fields. Steady inclines in Users: A short amble suitable for a wide places with a few rough, wet sections. range of users. Narrow paths and some steps within the wood. Users: Limited to able-bodied pedestrians along rougher paths in the This very short walk is a good vicinity of Meg’s Widd where a short set introduction to the town’s attractions of steps requires to be negotiated, also including Maister’s Widd, a fine stand of a kissing gate. deciduous trees linking, Church Street with Fife Street via Cowie Avenue. Best started along Conval Street, this walk travels through Meg’s Widd from Note the Maister’s Well incorporating where fine panoramic views of the area an inscribed stone originally situated in – even Ben Rinnes can be glimpsed the town square. between the Convals at one point. Follow the signs through attractive Walk 4 Tomnamuidh Widd pasturelands to descend to Church Street, Mortlach Kirk is in the foreground with its near neighbour, (Gaelic: Tom – thicket; knoll, Na – of, Dufftown Distillery. In the background Muidh – front beam in a weaving loom.) is the hill of Macalea, which can be reached from the Huntly road. The Distance: 1 3/4 Miles border with Aberdeenshire lies just beyond. Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Terrain: Smooth, level roadside path in the town. Some steep and uneven sections of paths to be negotiated within the woodland. Users: Suitable for able-bodied pedestrians. No barrier features to be negotiated but there are steps on the steeper sections. Tomnamuidh Widd, locally referred to as the ‘Toon’s Widd’, is best accessed from Balvenie Street by means of the Memorial Garden, a pleasant spot to reflect on the sacrifice made by this small community in two world wars. As you climb through the wood look to your left to see the extent of Wm. Grant Walk 5 Gordons’ Cross and Sons enterprise, Glenfiddich Distance: 2 Miles Distillery in the foreground. Just beyond lies the ruined Balvenie Castle, Time: 1 hour 30 minutes which is open to the public seasonally. This can be reached from the wood by Terrain: Fully surfaced roadside paths following the field path down to the in the built up areas. Rough grassy and cottage. gravel paths in country sections. Some short steep inclines to be negotiated by Balvenie Castle is thought to date from flights of steps. the 13th Century, when Black Comyn, the Earl of Buchan, ruled over this Users: Suitable for able-bodied Celtic province until their overthrow a pedestrians. Several gates require to be century later by Robert the Bruce. The negotiated near Gordons’ Cross and “Black” Douglases were then in beside the river Fiddich where there are possession until they too were wiped some steps. out in 1455 by James II who gave Balvenie to a kinsman. The title, Earl of Travel along Church St. and down past Atholl, was later bestowed upon one of the Kirk. Cross the river to Hardhaugh, this family who entertained Mary Queen turn left onto the track between the old of Scots at Balvenie in 1562. By 1720 kirkyard and new graveyard. Branch off the castle was abandoned. The name to the right and follow the track Balvenie originally encompassed the through two gates, and straight on to town until in 1817 James Duff, 4th Earl where a bench is situated on the path of Fife, founded Dufftown, but Balvenie between the fields.