Boat of Garten to Nethy Bridge on the Speyside Way

This is the Boat of Garten to Nethy Bridge stretch of the Speyside Way, a shared path for walkers and riders. From Boat of Garten station it goes through the village and over the River Spey on Garten Bridge, crosses the B970, and follows a compacted cycleway for 1.6 km, then a gravel path for 3.8 km through the pines and heather of the Abernethy National Nature Reserve. Footways lead into Nethy Bridge, ending at the Nethy House Café, 8.3 km from the station.

It is 16.7 km (10.4 miles) there and back with 120 m of climbing; allow about 1 hour of riding. The grade is Easy: the ground is almost flat, and the highest point is 228 m. The same way is 8.3 km (5.2 miles) one way on foot.

OpenStreetMap tags the cycleway and the gravel path through the reserve for bicycles as well as walkers. The RSPB asks that between 1 April and 31 August dogs are kept on a lead to protect ground-nesting birds, including capercaillie in the forest: see the notice. A short stretch at each end is on village streets and one crossing is of the B970. Nethy Bridge has a café and a shop, and the Strathspey Railway's steam trains run from Boat of Garten to Broomhill, near Nethy Bridge, which makes a one-way trip possible; see the railway's timetable.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.