Walking in Moray should be one of your reasons to visit this undiscovered part of Scotland. There are indeed many reasons to visit Moray and Walking should certainly be high on your list if it is not already. For such a small county Moray packs way above it’s weight in terms of delivering sensational walking routes.
Even better this part of Scotland is the third highest area for sunshine in the UK. Because of our latitude we have very long daylight hours in Summer but be warned shorter daylight hours in the Winter. Then with situated on the Moray Firth which is the end of the Gulf Stream this gives us a lovely micro-climate. So whilst I am not promising you good weather on your stay here. Indeed you may well indeed experience all weathers in a day this is Scotland after all! It is very likely that you have lovely, long, mild Summer daylight hours with views to die for.
If you are staying at Blervie you are just 15 minutes walk from The Dava Way – a 30-mile route following an old railway line from Forres to Granton-on-Spey. This route is comparatively easy walking with beautiful bridges, the Divie Viaduct and open Moorland with only one tiny road to cross but does not have accommodation on route.
If you want to expand your routes you can then pick up The Speyside Way, one of four official long distance walks in Scotland. This route approximately 65 miles long follows the River Spey from Buckie to Ballindalloch with an additional spur to Tomintoul. Here you walk against a backdrop of fishermen in the fast moving Spey and the Cairngorm Mountains in the distance.
More Walking in Moray
But Moray has another route for you called The Moray Coastal Trail, which meets the Dava in Forres and the Spey Way in Cullen – together these three routes make up The Moray Way. A distance of 45 miles along the stunning Moray coast, here the walking is straightforward but the scenery is stunning – you start of with forests and flat sandy beaches, then cliffs and fishing villages with increasingly dramatic cliffs.
If you are lucky when walking The Coastal Trail you may well get to see Whales, Dolphins and a range of Sea Birds from the Coast. You are walking along the end of the Gulf Stream bringing in warmer temperatures and enhancing the rich feeding grounds for Salmon, Seals and larger mammals. You never know you may see Orcas as well.
If you do all three walks you will have done the Moray Way a 95-mile adventure – all three walks are uniquely different but all three offer a wonderful taste of Moray. There are lots of ways of combining stays or transferring luggage if you are staying along the route.
If walking is your interest then every June there is the Moray Outdoor Walking Festival – a 10-day itinerary of walks to suit everyone from whisky smuggling stories to wildlife watching and more.
And of course if you have bought your boots but do not fancy serious rambling there are many short scenic strolls you can take – take bite sized pieces of the above walks or take a short hike along Roseisle Beach which is fabulous at any time of the year, a walk along the River Findhorn at Sluie Walks or along to Randolph’s Leap is spectacular, the ancient Beech Woods in Grant Park or short stroll on the Dava from Blervie.
Then of course there are some lovely cafes and ice cream shops whereby you can treat yourself after a lovely long walk.
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