Читать книгу The Speyside Way. A Scottish Great Trail, includes the Dava Way and Moray Coast trails онлайн

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The trail in springtime north of Glenfiddich Distillery (Dufftown Loop)

Walking the Speyside Way, Dava Way and MCT is best reserved for the spring, summer and early autumn months, when weather conditions are generally more suitable. Daylight hours are long at these high latitudes, 16–18 hours from May to July, so there is plenty of time for the longest or the slowest of walks. Summer has the advantage of generally warmer days, but as this is the period when the majority of people take their holidays, there will be more competition for the available bed space in the area.

Spring and autumn are therefore the best seasons. High pressure is perhaps more common during the spring in Scotland, and days during May and June often (but not always!) present ideal walking conditions – bright, sunny and not overly warm. The general freshness and rebirth of life is stimulating during springtime, birds can be heard singing everywhere and wild flower displays are a particular joy. The bright yellow flowers of the many broom bushes in the area are especially striking. Autumn is a charming time of the year in northern Scotland, with its mellow colours and general feeling of seasonal contentment. The abundance of deciduous trees in Speyside and Moray means that the displays of autumn tints are among the finest in the UK. The heather moorland is a blaze of purple, and the landscape is at its driest of the year after the warmth of the summer sun before the winter rains arrive. The romantic roar of stags can sometimes be heard during the annual rutting season in October. Accommodation tends to be less fully booked than in July and August, and days in early autumn are still of an adequate length for walking relatively long distances.