📌 Rothes, Moray
★★
🛠️ Upper (west) part of circuit closed due to forestry work following storm damage. A local diversion bypasses this section, significantly shortening the route (checked September 2023)
If you’ve just sampled a dram of whisky at Glen Grant Distillery in Rothes (or even if you haven’t), the Dounies provide the perfect leg-stretcher. These intimate, deep glens stretching back behind neighbouring Glenrothes Distillery are full of wildlife and waterfalls (and the distillery’s water source), ripe for exploration. If you return via the hillside golf course, you’ll pass the single remaining wall of 13th century Rothes Castle. Though not worth a visit by itself, the circuit goes right past the structure, which pre-dates the town by some way.
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on New Street (A941) near bridge over Burn of Rothes, Rothes village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NJ 278492
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.527317,-3.207978
🚌 Bus to Rothes
🚗 Street parking
📝 Key info
▶ 5 km / 3 mi | ▲ 140 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr
Features: 🥃 Glenrothes Distillery (private); 🌊 Muckle (big) Dounie; 🌊 Little Dounie; 🌊 The Linn waterfall; 🏰 Rothes Castle; 🥃 Glen Spey Distillery (private)
⬤ Easy | Good earthy footpaths and clear tracks.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – Glenrothes Distillery – Muckle Dounie – Little Doune – The Linn – Rothes Golf Club – Rothes Castle – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Just forest birds and sheep – but look out for red squirrels.
Weather: Mostly cloudy but dry; humid with little wind.
August 2013
