Author: Lise Olsen

My next stop along the Moray Coast was the sheltered estuary of Findhorn Bay. I seemed to be the only person walking along the bay, and I thought it was a peaceful place to stop. Yet, the longer I sat and listened, the noisier it got. The distant sound of the sea and the wind …

Speyside is more than its river valley. It is a community. So, I decided to visit the Speyside Cooperage near Craigellachie, to find out more. It’s a slight detour from the Speyside Way, but it was well worth visiting. I was mesmerised by the cooper’s craft and how fast they work, but I was also …

Our walk began at Inchberry (Orton), and I had a friend’s company who kindly offered to be my guide. (Thank you!) This walk is a slight detour from the Moray Way, but I was curious to see the River Spey from the other side. It was bitterly cold as we walked past glamping pods at …

I walked through the busy little village of Fochabers, following the signs for the Speyside Way. As I navigate through Fochaberian residential areas, I seem to have moved away from the east side of the riverbank, but all the signs suggest that I’m on the right path. This gave me time to think about walking, …

Walking towards Findhorn, I saw a sign for Kinloss Abbey and wondered, did it have a graveyard? Curiously, I headed in that direction. Within the Abbey grounds was an information board discussing the history and architectural design. It revealed its story of a place founded in 1150 by King David I and colonised by Cistercian …

The path between east Burghead to Hopeman follows the old coastal railway track. The well- maintained route has a flat levelled surface making it accessible to all. The people come and go from both directions as it’s used regularly by both villages. The main hazard on the route for me, was being frightened by bicycle …

It was an early start to my walk, as I wanted to cross onto Lossiemouth’s east beach at low tide and walk along the coast towards Garmouth. I walked down to the old bridge at Seatown as I had seen people crossing there before and assumed it was not that deep. I rolled up my trousers …

The walk from Cromdale to Grantown-on-Spey is a relatively short walk of 3.5miles. My walk began at the Launderette revolution, a vending machine-style laundromat that provides a 24hr washing service. It seems to be a bizarre beginning to my last journey on the Speyside Way, before joining the Dava. Cromdale got its name because of …

My first encounter with the River Spey was at the Spey Viaduct (also known as the Garmouth Viaduct). I was surprised to see lots of walkers, dogs and even cyclists use the bridge. I listened to the water flow, and it seemed unusually fast for a river that was about to join the sea. (Later …

I followed the path surrounded by forest, field, and sky. The walk between Carron to Ballindalloch is approximately six miles. I find walking the route of the Moray Way easy (it stops me from getting lost in infinite space). The pathways ground my footsteps upon the earth. Yet, at the beginning of this walk, my …

Don’t Over-Think Before planning my walk, I was constantly overthinking what direction my walk would take. I will be starting at Forres, but will I walk the Dava Way or the Moray Coastal Path first? Over the past coming days, I changed my mind constantly between the two directions, weighing up the pros and cons. …

I saw many cyclists on my last visit to the Garmouth Viaduct, so I decided to cycle from Spey bay to Fochabers. My journey began at the Speyside Dolphin Centre, where I noticed the layers between land and sea. An in-between space of shingle, grass, and marsh. As an artist, my experience of place is …