Moray Way, Roseisle to Garmouth, with Bourne Coffee Company - Day 3
Distance 33.8km Climb 69m
Tuesday 27 May 2014
We had thought about moving campsites as we moved further away but the Grantown-on-Spey Caravan Park covered all our needs and the facilities were just what we required. Anyway after tomorrow we would be heading back this way, so we stayed.
So Day 3 started like Day 2 with the oyster catchers circling the campsite. I drove us to the start, the place Susan had picked us up the previous day, Roseisle. Although a little cold it was dry and looked like there would be a very good day of walking ahead of us.
Our day started walking through the Roseisle Forest, where the route twisted and turned, it was not a straight path.
Eventuality the path came out at the coast near Burghead. Which took us right around the coast.
We passed a large unit beside a tarmac path which had been built for tourists to walk this part of the coast, we may be able to make up some time here.
We passed the well of St Aethan, St Aethan was the patron Saint of Burghead.
The tarmac path ended at Hopeman and we joined grass and sandy paths continuing along the coast. We had planned to stop for a coffee at Hopeman but found what we thought would be the cafe, closed.
We passed some coloured little beach huts.
We passed through Cove Bay, which would be an interesting place to stop if we were interested in looking up geology. Unfortunately we did not have the time.
The coastal path twisted and turned along the cliff paths. Passed a large quarry and along to a coast guard lookout where we stopped for a short break.
I think this is why we were a little out with our timings. I think that when they drew the map they were unable to be accurate with the distances across the cliffs and through the woods as they were with the disused railway lines as it looks like they took a straight line measurement. Although the route twists and turns a number of times and will increase the distance and therefore the time. I should add the map was a printed drawing and not an OS Map.
We continued twisting and turning along the cliff edge before dropping down to the beach where we walked along towards Covesea Skerries Lighthouse.
The lighthouse is a National Trust site for Scotland property and we discussed looking into staying here later in the year. Walking by the side of the lighthouse you could see right across to Lossiemouth and RAF Lossiemouth. Anne's Mam was based here, when she was a young woman in the RAF during the war. We continued along the dunes travelling east.
At the end of the dunes the complete silence was broken by a jet taking off. It went almost directly overhead and looked liked it went straight up, so fast and so loud. The sound bounced and vibrated around the area and inside my head for ages. We followed the path up into Lossiemouth. Where we had arranged to meet Susan and have some lunch. We found a bar on Clifton Road and had a nice meal and a couple of shandies.
After our meal we had a short walk over a footbridge onto the East Beach.
Moving onto the beach there was a cold wind blowing, and we joined a few other walkers. Who either soon dropped off or turned back towards Lossiemouth. The sands stretched for miles and the wind blew cold into our faces.
After a few miles we came across miles of coastal defences that had been here since World War Two. There were bunkers and high lines of pill boxes. The beach had changed from sand into a stone and pebble beach. It was interesting walking here, we saw very few people but at sometime this would have been a very busy place. Again we saw signs of beach parties and barbecues.
Leaving the beach we then moved onto a path that took us near a rifle range, further along the track there was a very old rifle range. These ranges pointed in land, when I was on my Cape Wrath Trail all the ranges pointed out to sea.
We walked through Kingston and turned south to Garmouth, I was so surprised to see this trig point.
Garmouth was where we had arranged to meet Susan, this was our stop for the day.
Once we loaded the car, Susan drove us to Elgin, where she had spent a few hours earlier in the day. Once there we had our evening meal then it was back to the camp site at Granton-on-Spey Caravan Park..
We started 09.00 to 18.30 and covered approx. 33.8km with a 69m climb.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done on The Moray Way or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to previous day, Day 2 Dava to Roseisle
Follow link to next day, Day 4 Garmouth to Carron
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