Dava Way
The Dava Way is a long-distance path 23½ miles long that mostly follows the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in Morayshire.
The railway line opened in 1863, built as a route between Inverness and Perth, and closed in 1965. The route of the line was reopened as a long distance path in 2005. It is listed as one of 'Scotland's Great Trails' by NatureScot, and links directly to two further Great Trails: the Moray Coast Trail and the Speyside Way.[1] This is currently the shortest of the Great Trails, but can be combined with sections of the Moray Coast Trail and Speyside Way to form a circular route of 95 miles through Morayshire and Banffshire known as the Moray Way.[2]
Trailheads
Route
The route begins in Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms and runs down to Forres, mainly following the old railway line.
Starting from Grantown and heading north, the path crosses Dava Moor where it reaches its summit of 1,052 feet above sea level.
Continuing to Dunphail, the River Divie is crossed by the old railway viaduct, used today as the symbol of the Dava Way.[3]
Between Dunphail and Forres a new bridge was installed in 2004 to cross the Altyre Burn.[4]
History
Although in 1860 Inverness had a rail link to the south by way of Aberdeen, this was circuitous and involved a change between two railway stations in the town. A more direct route south bypassing Aberdeen was planned leaving the Inverness to Aberdeen Line at Forres and heading south to Grantown and then via the Pass of Drumochter to Perth.[5] Work started in 1861, with the line between Forres and Aviemore opening on 3 August before the complete line opened on 9 September 1863.[6] The line was built and initially operated by Inverness & Perth Junction Railway, which became part of the Highland Railway in 1865.[7] The line north of Aviemore was bypassed by the current more direct route via the Nairn Viaduct in 1898.[8]
The Beeching Axe fell in 1965, with the closure of the rail network's least used stations and lines: this included the line between Aviemore and Forres and this subsequently closed in 1965.[9]
The Dava Way Association was formed in 1997 to create a walking and cycling path along the former railway. Negotiations and purchase of the former alignment were necessary before the clearing could start in 2003. The way was opened in 2005, although this at the time included a diversion along a minor road.[10]
About 3,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 400 complete the entire route.[11]
See also
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Dava Way) |
References
- ↑ "Dava Way". Scotland's Great Trails. http://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/trail/dava-way/.
- ↑ "The Moray Way". Moray Council. http://www.morayways.org.uk/routedetails.asp?routeid=202.
- ↑ "Dava to Dunphail". Dava Way. Walk Highlands. http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/moray/dava-dunphail.shtml.
- ↑ "Dunphail to Forres". Dava Way. Walk Highlands. http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/moray/dunphail-forres.shtml.
- ↑ Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 17–18.
- ↑ Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 18–20.
- ↑ Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 22–23.
- ↑ Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 38–39.
- ↑ Vallance & Clinker 1971, p. 184.
- ↑ "Dava Way Association". Dava Way Association. http://www.davaway.org.uk/support.html.
- ↑ "Scotland's networks of paths and trails: key research findings". Scottish Natural Heritage. August 2018. p. 6. https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2018-09/Research%20Consolidation%20Report.pdf.
- Vallance, H.A.; Clinker, C.R. (1971). The Highland Railway. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-330-02720-5.
- Vallance, H. A. (27 June 1991). Great North of Scotland railway. The History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands vol 3.. David St John Thomas. ISBN 978-0-946537-60-0.
- Bardwell, Sandra (1 March 2011). Moray Coast Trail: With Dava Way and Moray Way. Rucksack Readers. ISBN 978-1-898481-40-9.
- Castle, Alan (1 October 2010). The Speyside Way. Cicerone Press Limited. ISBN 978-1-85284-606-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=0tyL4XRTyaUC. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- Thomson, Norman; Pamment, Katie; Stirling, Helen (28 April 2013). A Dava Way Companion. The Moray Way Association. ISBN 978-0956534910.
