TO THE WINDFARM

A twenty mile circular route on some very nice and grassy forestry tracks, taking in the Carn Uish windfarm above Elgin, and some other viewpoints. A all-day ride for the longer summer days - take a pic-nic with you! Horses do not seem to be at all bothered by the turbines whizzing round.

Location: Rothes Estate woods to the west of Rothes and Carn Uish hill south of Elgin

Map: Landranger #28: Elgin and Dufftown

Distance: Twenty miles; allow five or six hours.

Going: Generally on very nice and soft grassy forestry tracks, some open moorland tracks are a bit rougher.

Access & Parking: There is a small muddy area where you can park, with room for two trailers, at the end of the public road at NJ 259465, just off the B9102 Archiestown road.

From the parking area follow the forestry road northwards. After half a mile you go downhill and turn left just before the ruin. Through a gate onto grazing land and after half a mile through another gate back into the forest. Keep on the main forest track, (note, but go past, the first track on your left as you will turn up here on your return) i.e. more or less straight ahead at all junctions, with the burn below you on your right, until you come to a wooden bridge.

This bridge over the burn of Rothes is not level and can be slippery so it is safest to dismount and lead across.  Continue on this track which climbs steadily and veers to the north. After you pass a small pond on your left turn right at the next junction on to the Mannoch Road. Remember this junction. Continue on downhill, cross a small burn then uphill again and through a gate onto open moorland. After half a mile turn left onto a wide gravel road which you follow to the wind-farm. Keep left as you go round the wind-farm on what is obviously the main track which brings you back out onto moorland and drop down into the forest.

Continue downhill, cross a small burn and shortly after turn left. Follow this track for several miles, keeping left at the two small junctions, the second of which brings you back onto the Mannoch Road. After three hundred yards turn sharp right, back onto your outward route. Retrace your outward route for several miles

A quarter of a mile before the forest gate the road bends sharply to the left and a narrow track leads off to the right, which you should have noted on your outward route. Follow this track carefully as it is quite badly eroded in places. After a few hundred yards you come out of the forestry and follow a good path uphill, continue straight on past the track on the left to the radio mast and follow downhill through two gates. Turn left after the second gate; ride slowly past Allacrow house, keeping off the mown grass, and follow the track downhill past another padlocked gate back to the parking area.

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