Parking
Use the car park by Explore Abernethy Visitor Centre on Dell Road, then follow the village paths to the route’s mapped start.
Overview
About Lettoch Trail
This is a waymarked out-and-back from Dell Road in Nethy Bridge, following the River Nethy upstream before continuing on quiet road toward Lettoch Wood and views of the mountains. The mapped trail line measures 5.27 km one way; retracing it makes about 10.5 km (6.5 miles) return and takes around three hours. Its published headline still says 8 km return, so plan for the longer distance shown by the line.
Why go
- Riverside walking and quiet roads lead to a woodland mountain view.
- Mostly gentle gravel or tarmac underfoot.
Heads up
- The mapped return is longer than the published 8 km figure.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation212–293 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Lettoch Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Explore Abernethy and the River Nethy0:00 / 0:35
“You're coming up on Explore Abernethy, the small visitor centre inside Nethy Bridge Community Centre. Stop here for forest maps and a look at the wildlife sightings board before choosing a walk.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Castle Roy and its Courtyard
- The Redstart’s Quivering Tail
- A Flood for the Timber
- The Treecreeper’s Upward Spiral
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Lettoch Trail
UnderfootMost of the walk is on gentle gravel or tarmac.
Most of the walk is on gentle gravel or tarmac. A few stretches narrow to earthy, muddy path, and the route includes kissing gates and a cattle grid. It is rated moderate, but there is no high open summit section. If you want a shorter outing, turn around earlier and return the way you came.
The river and the viewThe route follows the Nethy upstream through the village before the quieter road leads toward…
The route follows the Nethy upstream through the village before the quieter road leads toward Lettoch Wood. The walk’s payoff is the change from riverside trees to a more open view of the mountains. When the woodland opens, keep some of the tree edge in the frame beneath the distant skyline for depth.
Timber on the NethyBefore the mid-19th century, timber cut in Abernethy Forest was floated down the fast-flowing…
Before the mid-19th century, timber cut in Abernethy Forest was floated down the fast-flowing Nethy and Spey toward sawmills or the coast. Guiding rafts and loose logs through the river was hazardous, skilled work; the river beside the path was once part of the local timber trade.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
