Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/11/200912:00 am
Walk Details
Pub Stop?: No O/S Map Sheet No.: 28 Grid Ref. Start: Grid Ref. Finish Walk (Miles): 11 Walk Hours: Bus Time to Walk: Bus Time from Walk: Departure time from walk:Walk Notes
Ben Aigan lies on the ridge of hills to the east side of the lower Spey Valley near the confluence of the Rivers Spey and Fiddich.
The walk commences on the B.9103 Mulben/Orton road. where this road and the Aberdeen/Elgin railway line are heading downhill to cross the River Spey by separate bridges at Boat o’Brig. A short distance past Auchroisk Distillery a farm road leaves the main road at NGR.327.514 leading towards Bridgeton Farm. Follow this road for a short distance to where a forest road branches left. This road is part of the Speyside Way Long Distance Footpath and there should be a marker post at this junction. At first the forest road follows the edge of the trees southwestwards contouring round the lower slopes of Knock More (the hill with the television transmitter mast on it), before it enters the forest. It then passes a junction where another forestry track joins it and climbs uphill to a sharp elbow bend where the Allt Daley is crossed. Three further bends follow across smaller streams before a forest track branches left (NGR.299.493) before reaching the Sandyhill Burn. This track climbs directly uphill to emerge from the trees on the summit ridge of Ben Aigan around the 400 metre contour. The summit of the hill with its trig.point lies about 1000 yards south east of this point. (471m.,1545ft.).
From the summit head southwards to pick up an old track about NGR.311.477 among scattered trees and follow this downhill as it drops gradually south-westwards towards the farm of Tominachty. When the road past the farm is reached either direction on it may be taken.
(A) Turning right on it leads downhill to rejoin the Speyside Way track where it follows a tarred secondary road alongside the Spey. Turn left on it to cross a bridge and then at the next fork take the right branch which leads to the A.95 Keith/Craigellachie road near the Fiddichside Inn. (NGR.294.451).
(B) If the left alternative is taken at Tominachty this leads in a short distance to a secondary road where a rightturn leads past the farm of Dowalls and in a half mile joins the A.95 at Wester Gauldwell. Turning right then leads downhill to reach the Fiddichside Inn in a mile. Cross the River Fiddich and turn left into a park which was formerly the site of Craigellachie railway station and junction of the Great North of Scotland Railway. There are toilets and picnic tables here and an information board on the Speyside Way.
Should the weather be unfavourable, or for other reasons, anyone who prefers not to climb Ben Aigan should continue on the Speyside Way after crossing the Sandyhill Burn to join a secondary road near Arndilly House. Turning left on this road leads in a mile to the A.95 road near the Fiddichsid.e Inn.
From the park at Craigellachie our route then follows the trackbed of the former railway line up the wooded valley of the River Fiddich to arrive at the car park near Balvenie Distillery on the outskirts of Dufftown where the bus will be parked.(NGR.322.417).