Ordnance Survey map Explorer OL56
Newtonmore Paths
https://cairngorms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/160324NewtonmorePathsV1.pdf
Kingussie Paths
https://cairngorms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Kingussie-Paths-Leaflet.pdf
Newtonmore village website http://www.newtonmore.com
Village Walks
Jack Richmond Memorial Woodland Park
This is the area near the railway station, with 450 yards of wide paths with no gradient, designed for wheelchair users and others unable to attempts other trails around the village.
There is a picnic bench to sit and admire the views of the Monadhliath Mountains and Creag Dubh.
Loch Imrich
The Loch can be accessed from any starting point in the village. From the main street opposite the Balavil Hotel is Golf Course Road, go down the road and just after the tennis course is a gate on your left, this leads down some steeps to a path around the Loch. You can go either clockwise or anticlockwise. There are other paths which lead back to the main road or back to the golf course. Look out for Newtonmore Wild Cats here.
Wild Cat Trail
The trail can be completed in one round trip or split into sections. The trail is well signposted around the village. There are some good sections under foot and there can be some muddy sections. There is a mixture of flat sections with some sections climbing easy gradients.
For more details visit the Wild Cat Centre in the village by the village hall.
More adventurous walks on the outskirts of the village.
Curlew Trail 8km to Kingussie 2.5hr
This route takes you from Newtonmore to Kingussie via Loch Gynack. It can either be double backed or there is a cycle path / Speyside Way along the A86 back to Newtonmore.
From the main street walk up Strone Road to reach a track with signpost to Scottish Water. Walk along the track passing the Scottish Water site on your right. The path heads for the forest corner and a gate. Follow the path along the side of the forest to track and gate. From here head off on the track ahead. There is a Curlew sign and path on left which is a bit boggy in places or continue on the track. The path narrows and leads along the side of Loch Gynack* to a bench and path junction signpost. From here there are two paths (Golf course circular) options. The wide path on the left which drops down leads to a ruin and golf course. The path now follows the edge of the golf course and the river. Cross the river by the bridge and on to the tarmac road into Kingussie back to Newtonmore along the Speyside Way / cycle route to Newtonmore.
*Option – Creag Bheag 1km
At the end of the path along Loch Gynack by the view point and bench there is a good path which heads up hill to the summit of Creag Bheag. This offers views of the Spey Valley and the Cairngorm Mountain. You can either retrace your path to the summit and follow the rest of the Curlew walk or head south from the summit to the forest where you take the left path and on to the road into Kingussie.
Johnny Blair’s Garden
Marked on OS maps as Sidhean Mor Dail a Chaorainn 397m.
Distance from Car Park 1km 20min walk
From the village centre via Glen Road to Car Park 3km
Either drive or walk out of the village up Glen Road, this leads to the parking area and gates section of the road at what is called the Shepherd’s Bridge. Cross the bridge over Allt a’ Chaorainn or the burn of the rowan tree. To the north you will see the conical hill of Sidhean Mor Dail a Chaorainn 397m or the big fairy hill of the meadow, known by the locals as Johnny Blair’s Garden.
At the end of the 1800’s Johnny Blair made a garden with trees, flowers and vegetables on the top of the hill to prove that crops could be grown even at such an unpromising location.
Cross the bridge and turn right through a gate and keep close to the fence to join a track which leads to the base of the hill. It is a steep but easy climb to the flat top hill.
The OS marks the hill and a prehistoric fort and must have doubled as a palisaded enclosure. A line of depressions can be made out where wooden fornications once were use. The timber has long since rotted but recent archaeological explorations had revealed the remains of burned wood.
Return via the way to came.
Creagan an Loin
Distance from Car Park 2km 45min walk
Form village centre via Glen Road to Car Park 3km
This hill offers excellent views of the Spey valley and the north side of Craig Dubh.
Either drive or walk out of the village up Glen Road to the parking area. There is a track on the right of the parking area; this passes the forest on your right through two gates. 50 meters beyond the second gate on the right is a faint path which leads to the summit.
Red Bothy
Distance from Car Park 3km 1.5hr
Form village centre via Glen Road to Car Park 3km
Either drive or walk out of the village up Glen Road to the parking area. There is a track on right of the parking area; follow this passing the forest on your right through two gates. Just before the track ends there is a small cairn on the left side of the track. This marks the path down to a bridge over the gorge of the Allt a’ Chaorainn or the burn of the rowan tree, cross the bridge and a small path leads up the hillside to Red bothy. The bothy is in much need of repair now but does offer some shelter on a wet and windy day.
Red Well (spring)
Form village centre 5km 1.5hr
Walk up Strone Road to reach a track off on the bend with signpost to Scottish Water. Follow this track off to the left. NOTE care will be need after rain as the ford may be difficult to cross. Continue along the track passing two cairns. The track starts to climb steeply passing a faint track on the left leading to the site of Green bothy (nothing to see but the footings). As the track starts to level keep an eye out on the left for a large stone with the letters J.D. The well / spring is over on your left in the dip. It is very over grown but the red oxidation in the ground can be seen. This point offers excellent views back over the A9 towards (munros).
The walk offers the opportunity to hear and see Ring Ouzels in the burn, Wheatear, Curlews, Peewits, Oystercatchers, buzzards, Meadow pipit’s mountain Hare and deer depending on the time of year. Return the same route.
Glen Banchor to Cluny
Distance from Car Park 10km
Form village centre via Glen Road to Car Park 3km
This is a linear walk and will require transport for your return to the start. Parking is better at Glen Banchor as your start point.
From the village drive or walk-up Glen Road to the parking area at Shepherd’s Bridge.
Cross the bridge over Allt a’ Chaorainn or the burn of the rowan tree, and follow the track, on the right bank of the burn can be found the remains of one of the settlements in the valley which were abandoned in 1875. The Glen was heavily populated at the beginning of the 19thcentury but the small farms in the valley became uneconomic and the land was let for sheep farming. The inhabitants moved into the growing new community of Newtonmore or left the area completely.
Continue along the main track passing a now deserted shepherds house until you come to a burn and a second house on the far side. NOTE – after heavy rain it may well be impossible to cross.
Just after the second house the path now follows the river. This will then lead you to Carnegie’s bothy marked on the OS maps as Dail na Seilg (Meadow of the hunting). From hear a good estate road leads down to Cluny and the A86.
Loch Dubh
You can either access Loch Dubh form the Glen Banchor walk or start from Cluny. There is limited parking at Cluny.
Through the gate and follow the track through the wood over the bridge by a ford to a Deer fence and gate. Take the track on the right which leads out on to the moor. Good track all the way to Dail na Seilg bothy. From there cross the river with care and follow a faint track past a sheepfold around to Gleann Lochain and follow the Allt an Lochain Dubh to the Loch.
Glen Bachor- Follow the walk from Glen Banchor till you arrive at a ruined farm on the far side of the Allt Ballach, care needed in high water. From there follow the track on the west side of the Allt an Lochainpassing the old shieling, then on to the Loch. Either return the way you came or ending at the other option. You can access the Dail na Seilg bothy from Cluny via the estate track. Return via either route.
Creag Dubh 756m
Creag Dubh is an excellent viewpoint of the village, Meall Cruaich, the Monadhliath mountains and the Spey Valley. There are two starting options for this walk up Creag Dubh. One from Newtonmore the other from the small layby on the A86 at the foot of Creag Dubh crag. It is possible to start at one and finish at the other.
From Newtonmore – Take the Spean Bridge Road out of the village and cross the river Calder, a short distance on is a farm track on your right, follow this to the large barn on your left and turn right along the farm track around the buildings. Cross a cattle grid and bear left though a gate and deer fence, this leads to a zig zag path through birch woodland. On a bend is a small cairn on the left and path leading though the trees. The path is well used and climbs steeply to gain the crest of the ridge. Follow the ridge over a number of minor tops until the final summit is reached.
Either return by the same route or continue down to the A86.
From the Spean Bridge Road – Park at the small layby which is used by climber to access the impressive roadside crag of Creag Dubh. There is a small gate in the deer fence. This leads off up left through the birch wood which is inhabited by wild goats. As you leave the woodland you can make a short diversion to the south to visit Lady MacPherson’s memorial cairn, this view point offers views of the Creag Dubh crag and any climbers on the rock face as well as a view of the River Spey.
Back to the fence line which is followed over boggy ground at first. As the ridge to the summit becomes more pronounced a reasonable path starts to appear with some rocky sections, beware the final section has a double summit with a cairn on the true summit.
The option is now to return via the same route or continue on along the tops and down into Newtonmore.
Wades Road
Etteridge to Rutherven Barracks Kingussie. (Can start and finish in Newtonmore).
Generally flat with some good surface section and some muddy bits.
This is an excellent if straight forward mountain bike route, it can also be walked.
Etteridge is just off the A9 just North of the Crubenmore junction which had ample parking. If starting from there then visit the Falls of Truim and if lucky you can see the salmon leaping. This point can be reach from Newtonmore by following National Cycle route 7 out of Newtonmore.
Take care crossing the A9 to Etteridge Farm and Lodge. Take the track left around the building passing Loch Etteridge on your left with views of the Monadhliath mountains. Generally, a good track if a little boggy in places leads to the estate house of Phones; this point can be assessed from National Cycle way 7 just south of Ralia Café / rest area on a tarmac road. Care is needed crossing the A9 at this point.
From Phones the track continues on between woodland and open moor which eventually leads to Wades Bridge over Millton Burn. From the bridge the track becomes a good estate road offering scenic views of the area. At Lochan Odhar continue straight on at the track junctions. On your right is the open bothy of Luibleathann. On the next section the track becomes a little rougher passing a woodland on your left and on to the A9. Care is need crossing the A9 and a short distance to the right is a gate. Though the gate and back on to a good track which passes under the A9 eventually leading to the road and then Rutherven Barracks.
Frome here you can go into Kingussie and pick up the cycle way/ Speyside Way back to Newtonmore.
