Logie Eastern Circular 14 miles NWG LDWA [Edited]

About trip

Castles, Railways and Rivers,

(14 mile circular walk in West Moray)

A LDWA Local Walk Route Description

From Logie Steading:

1.   Take the way marked riverside path upstream towards Randolph’s Leap.

2.   Just before Logie Bridge head north towards Logie Steading driveway entrance on the new path.

3.   At the driveway ’T’ junction with the public road, cross the road and go up the steep roadside embankment to gain a wooded ridge that goes up to the left (East). There is a trod path up the ridge, but it may be covered in leaves.

4.   Walk up to the top of the ridge to where it flattens out, there’s a telegraph pole at this point.

5.   Follow the trod path SE until you meet a vehicle track, which will take you up hill in a southerly direction.

6.   The track will flatten out and then joins a metalled driveway. Follow the driveway south and downhill for a mile until you get to a series of ponds on the left that go around a conical hill that has the ruin of Dunphail Castle on it. Follow the high level path to the left of the ravine that goes around the rim of the ravine and back to the driveway.

7.   At this point take a left turn onto a farm track behind the houses. Go alongside a small enclosed field on the right, then where the track meets another, turn right downhill, then left to pass in front of Dunphail house and rejoin the metaled driveway.

8.   Keep going SE down the driveway for a couple of hundred metres until you come to a junction with a vehicle track on the left which is just after a stone bridge with a Latin plaque on it. Follow the track up to where it meets the main A940 at Poldow Lodge.

9.   Cross the main road and walk up the road (NW) on the right verge for a few metres until you can see a large stone bridge to the right that carries the Dava Way over the Sluggan Burn. Go under the bridge on the left hand side walkway, then left up the railway embankment to gain the Dava Way.

10.  Head NW on the Dava Way to the Dunphail Breathing Place where there is a picnic area.

11.  From the picnic area continue north along the Dava Way for about miles until you come to a galvanised two way self closing gate. There are usually cattle beyond this gate. Go through the gate and continue a further 2 miles down the Dava Way until you get to a large stone bridge over the Altyre burn and the path. To the left is the Scurrypool Bridge picnic area (Way point 2 info board).

12.  Continue a short way down the Dava Way until a stone bridge, where the path is diverted off the old railway trackbed. Go up the steps on the left to gain a forestry track. At this point go left , thereby leaving the Dava Way which goes right.

13.  Head NW along the track for a short distance and take the first, somewhat overgrown track to the left. Follow this track alongside the course of the Altyre Burn until in merges with another track coming in from the right. Continue down the track in a NW direction ignoring right turns. This will take you onto a metaled estate road which you need to follow and which bend sharp left around the north end of the lake. Continue along the metaled driveway in front of Altyre House.

14.  Immediately after Altyre House turn left off the metaled road and onto a track that goes past some outbuildings. Stay on this track going trending SW and W, Ignoring left turns and later right turns. This will take you to the main A940 road at West Lodge.

15.  Cross straight over the main road and head west towards the River Findhorn on a forestry track, and do not  turn off the track. This will bring you near to the River cliffs at Scur Pool where there is a sharp left bend in the track to take you up hill in a southerly direction. Follow the track up then on flat ground to a Y junction and go half left, then keep on this track without turning off until you get to another Y junction at the Heronry Pool area.

16.  Go right and follow the track in a SW direction. The tracks here are overgrown, aren’t very well defined and there are some smaller tracks that go round fallen trees and wet areas. Keep trending SW eventually meeting up with the Sluie walk paths at Mains of Sluie.

17.  Follow the way marked riverside fisherman’s paths up to Logie Steading. The way marking is a bit patchy and the paths are rough in places, but keep heading upstream with the river to the right. The steading is signposted off the riverside path.