Virtual Walk: Scotland

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 20th March 2021:  101.76km walked today taking the total to 7677.35/8868km. 18.5% of 75 entries submitting 550.07km. From Newburgh we walk inland to Haddo House then continue west to Fyvie Castle and Huntly, before heading southeast to reach the Bennachie Hills. Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen We follow the course of the river inland to join the A975 and cross the bridge towards Newburgh, passing old World War 2 bunkers and looking out for seals who frequent the sands in large numbers as we do so: we don’t venture near the seals as they are protected by Scottish law. The largest population in the world of eider duck is also found here, so we watch out for the little black and white birds, but we’d probably hear them before we see them! After crossing the bridge, we turn right to visit Knockhall Castle, built by Lord Sinclair of Newburgh in 1565, who entertained James VI in 1589. It was sold to Clan Udny, who lived here until a fire gutted the building in...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 19th March 2021:  102.84km walked today taking the total to 7575.59/8868km. 17.5% of 86 entries submitting 604.93km. We continue walking east along the Moray Firth to Fraserburgh before we head south passing Rattray Head. We then walk through Peterhead before we reach Forvie National Nature Reserve. Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen From St John’s Kirk, we walk a further 10 kilometres until we reach Pennan, a single row of white cottages situated along the shore below cliffs with a harbour at the west end. It was well known in the 19th century for producing millstones, quarried to the east of the village. Pennan became famous in the 1980s because of the film, Local Hero. It represented the fictional village of Ferness and film enthusiasts from all over the world come to make a phone call in the red telephone box which featured in the film. However, the telephone box used in the film was a prop, as Pennan’s box was not in the best place for filming. After 4...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 18th March 2021:  60.41km walked today taking the total to 7472.75/8868km. 9.5% of 86 entries submitting 635.85km. From Portgordon we walk the north coastline passing from Moray into Aberdeenshire enjoying Findochty, Buckie and Cullen before visiting Duff House in Banff en route to MacDuff. Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen Portgordon was founded in 1797 by Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, as his third new village. It was centred around a harbour built with stones shipped from Lossiemouth. At that time, it was the most significant harbour for some distance and initially grew as a fishing village although it also imported coal for industries in Moray and exported their products. By the late 19th century bigger harbours had been built at Buckpool and then Buckie and so fishing boats based at Portgordon moved there. Thereafter the harbour went into decline before being rebuilt by a Gurkha Squadron between 1985 and 1989. Now the harbour is mainly used for pleasu...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 17th March 2021:  105.36km walked today taking the total to 7412.34/8868km. 16% of 88 entries submitting 658.53km. Today takes us on the Speyside Way from Grantown-on-Spey to Elgin. On route we pass some of the famous Speyside distilleries. From Elgin we walk to the Moray coast reaching it at Lossiemouth before turning east. Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen Continuing along the A95 we arrive back in Grantown-on-Spey before rejoining the Speyside Way through Anagach Wood. This is a beautiful natural Scots pinewood and is home to the capercaillie. The woods were originally planted in 1766, with trees from the nearby Abernethy Forest, but the woods were allowed to regenerate naturally in the early 19th century and are now self-seeding. We walk past Crow Wood before reaching the River Spey, where we cross over on an old iron bridge which was constructed in 1922 to replace an earlier suspension bridge. It is likely that there used to be a ferry, as a short di...

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021 16th March 2021:  87.05km walked today taking the total to 7306.98/8868km. 13.5% of 88 entries submitting 644.81km. We journey northwards today through Kingussie, Newtonmore and the heart of Cairngorm National Park, Aviemore and Carrbridge en route to Grantown-on-Spey. Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen Rejoining the road we soon reach Ruthven Barracks. These barracks were built by King George II’s Government between 1719 and 1721, following the Jacobite Rising of 1715, on the site of the medieval castles of the Comyns and the Gordons. They were built to house men to police the area. During the later Jacobite Rising, the Jacobites captured it on their second attempt in February 1746. It was here, after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden on April 16th, 1746, that the remainder of the Jacobite army regrouped awaiting word from Bonnie Prince Charlie. When they received his message it said, ‘Let every man seek his own safety in the best way he can’. The Jac...