- On trail 11.0 mi 17.6 km
- Walking time 4–5 h
- Ascent 70 m 250 ft
- Descent 60 m 200 ft
- Difficulty Easy
From a fishing town on the Moray Firth to where the Spey meets the sea.
Section 1: Buckie to Fochabers map
Example stay The Gordon Arms Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Cross-check: Speyside Way route sections . Opened 5 November 2026. The official page gives each section's published miles, which the FAQ uses. The distance at the top of this page is measured along the trail between these towns. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
The walk
The walk starts by the sea, in the fishing town of Buckie, and the Speyside Way keeps the coast for the first miles. Old railway and woodland path lead to the shingle of Spey Bay, where the river finally reaches the Moray Firth. The Dolphin Centre café sits there beside a salmon ice house, the largest in Scotland. Narrow paths twist up the riverbank to Fochabers.
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Official start
Buckie
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The start
Buckie
A fishing town on the Moray Firth. The Buckie Fishing Heritage Centre tells the story of the harbour before you set off.
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Lunch
Tugnet ice house
The salmon fishery at the river mouth packed its catch in river ice inside this vaulted store, the largest ice house in Scotland, used until 1968. The Dolphin Centre café is beside it.
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Fochabers
In 1776 the Duke of Gordon moved the old village out of his castle grounds and had this grid of streets built a short way south.
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End of section
Fochabers
Section 1: Buckie to Fochabers overview
The ground
- Coast path
- Old railway
- Riverside
Flat coast and river walking, with a few narrow, twisting woodland paths. The easiest start to any day on the Way. Ballindalloch to Grantown is the section that asks for effort.
Stops
Refreshments
- Buckie
- Portgordon (shop)
- Spey Bay (Dolphin Centre café)
- Fochabers
Toilets
- The official route page names no public toilet on this section
Before you go
Opposite direction
Fochabers to Buckie
Walking north, the riverside woods come first and the sea opens out at Spey Bay. The last miles are flat coast path and old railway into Buckie.
Official finish
Buckie
Buckie to Fochabers FAQ
How long is Buckie to Fochabers?
It is 10.7 miles (17.2 km), nearly all of it flat.
How do I get to Buckie?
Buckie has no railway. Take a train to Elgin and a bus from there, or to Keith and a taxi. Check bus times before you travel.
Where can I eat on this section?
Portgordon has a shop, and the Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay has a café about halfway. Fochabers has hotels and cafés at the end.
Walk this as a day
Used as Day 1 on the 7-day. Open the planner on that preset, then export a full-trip or per-day GPX.
Open in planner Read the 7-day itinerary
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