Wednesday 26th July 2023

Planning the Day

Still working on Sue, the Grant Arms Hotel’s in house bird guide’s suggestions, I planned to visit the Findhorn River Valley today. Sue had said this was one spot I should not miss and at the end of the day I was inclined to agree.

Waking up just after 6 am I made a quick decision to follow Sue’s other suggestion and see if I could find Black Grouse at nearby Dava Moor, just 15 minutes drive from Grantown so easily do-able before breakfast

Dava Moor

I followed the instructions given and parked at a lay bye then walked a short distance to a farm gate with a view across an expanse of field, with a few sheep wandering about. I spent a patient half hour scanning the field, but there was no sign of the grouse so I returned to the car, but not before taking in the beautiful sight of rows of pink flowers bordering another open field with a dam and hills in the distance

At the lay bye where the car was parked, a few birds were active and I spent a while watching their early morning activity and tracking some with my camera. I found the first of many Meadow Pipits that I would see that day

Lochindorb

I carried on to the turn-off to Lochindorb a few kms further and followed the single-track road to the loch, passing an unusual sign along the way – one that did not fill me with much confidence …… but I got across safely and encountered some birds and other wildlife before reaching the large open loch.

At the loch the water was bird free, but I had the place to myself apart from a couple of camper vans in the distance and happily soaked up the early morning freshness while having coffee, counting my blessings for the chance to experience such beauty and solitude.

The day was still young, but I was in danger of missing the fine hotel breakfast, so I headed back without delay and enjoyed fresh fruit, egg and bacon and toast with marmalade then returned briefly to the room to prepare for the rest of the day.

Before venturing out again, I walked down the neat, well maintained main street of Grantown on Spey to a small supermarket to get a cheese wrap for my lunch later on, suspecting that I would be far from any villages or other meal options during the course of my trip today.

A few motorbikes were parked near a coffee shop and I took a fancy to this one’s unusual design – a mechanical work of art

Strathdearn – Findhorn River Valley

Armed with a flask of tea and the cheese wrap I had purchased, I set off to visit Strathdearn (Findhorn Valley), using the hotel’s map and instructions. The route took me through the villages of Dulnain Bridge and Carrbridge then onto the A9 for a few miles before turning off at the sign for Raigbeg and Balvraid (love the names).

I stopped for a while to have a walk across the Findhorn Bridge, which is of a design I have never encountered before – quite stark in appearance and I wondered to myself what, if anything, had ‘inspired’ this particular design.

In contrast to the bridge, the river below was a fine sight, as are all the Scottish rivers I had come across so far – wide, fast flowing and inviting you to dip a glass in and drink straight from it.

Just after the Findhorn Bridge I turned left at the signpost for Garbole and Coignafearn onto a single-track road which I followed for the next 10 miles to the parking area at the end

I was becoming accustomed to the single track roads that seem to be a feature of the Scottish Highlands, but this particular road needed full and intense concentration as there is no warning of oncoming cars where the road bends or rises or drops and it does that continuously.

Fortunately I was one of few cars using the road and only had to take avoiding action or stop completely on a handful of occasions over the 10 miles.

The road initially wound its way past a few small farms, then the landscape opened up to reveal a scene as striking as I’ve seen anywhere in my travels

Along the way I made a few stops at interesting looking spots such as this one – I noticed a White Wagtail flying to the river and back and on closer inspection found it was taking food to its youngster on a rock at the water’s edge

At the same spot a European Goldfinch flew down and perched for a moment on a colourful Thistle, just long enough to capture it on camera

It was a memorable experience all round being all but alone in such a stunning environment and I soaked it up by enjoying the sandwich and tea down by the riverside watching the rushing brown waters go by. The only other life of note was a flock of Common Mergansers, which paddled off down the river as I approached

I don’t usually bother about selfies but this setting just had to be put on record – I balanced my phone on a nearby rock, set the timer and dashed (OK I walked rapidly) to another rock and pretended to have been relaxing there for a while – not sure that I pulled it off but at least I have it on record.

Shortly after I came to the end of the formal road at a parking area with one other vehicle but no sign of the owner ….. or anyone else in fact.
Once I had parked, I set off down the walking/cycling track which disappeared into the distant hills in a dead straight line.

I couldn’t help wondering whether the world came to an end on the other side of those hills, but never did find out as, after 2kms of strolling along and enjoying the magnificence of the valley, I decided to turn back. Oh, and I actually saw two people on their way back to the other vehicle and we briefly shared our thoughts on this special place

There was no shortage of interesting things – birds, flowers, butterflies and the ever present pristine river with smaller streams flowing into it from the sides. Meadow Pipits were plentiful before coming across the cousin of a well-known species back home – a European Stonechat.

Reluctantly tearing myself away from this memorable spot, I returned along the same road, encountering just one other car in the 10 miles back to the main road, then taking the same route to the hotel in time for dinner