Day 26 : Suie to Craigellachie

Wednesday 30th May 29.5km 740m ascent 1 Corbett

A seriously wet night followed by another day of, sometimes heavy, continuous rain. I followed the track beside the Back Burn which was roaring down to Glenlivet.

The first ford I came to required boot removal and use of the river crossing slippers for the first, and last, time this trip, water over the knees. I had planned to go over Corriehabbie hill but decided the weather was too bad so continued over to the River Fiddich.

After passing a lunch hut that looked wetter inside than it was out, I came to a ford that needed a boat to cross, estimated waist deep and 15mph! so was forced up the hill through knee deep heather to reach Morton’s Way and then down to the abandoned Glenfiddich Lodge.

The walk down Glenfiddich was very pleasant despite the weather and even the main road to Dufftown was quiet and, unusually, seemed shorter than it really was. Lunch in the Fife Arms, obviously not an unusual name, was ok, then back to the great outdoors where I realised just how dismal a day it was, I obviously looked needy as someone stopped his car as I was walking down the road and asked if he could give me a lift.

The Speyside Way extension from Dufftown to Craigellachie follows the old railway line beside the river and makes a very nice walk to Fiddich Park where camping is allowed for Speyside Way walkers. Part of the area was waterlogged but I pitched on top of a bank and was forced by the rain to spend the evening in the Fiddichside Inn, a good excuse for an excellent evening with interesting company in this traditional one roomed pub, the rain had even stopped by bed time.