It is a regular walk for me and a perfect dog walking route. I often take my dog Taiga on this route and he loves it. There is an enclosed section on the route where he can be off his lead to enjoy the long grass, the smells and the sounds without endangering any wildlife or farm animals. It takes about 30 minutes, but can be quite a bit longer if you stop to admire the views. However, with a young dog as a companion, it is not usually an option to linger for too long! Usually I start at Campdalmore car park at the northern end of the village and follow the gravel pathway up which runs alongside the main road. I soon pass the Victor Gaffney viewpoint which is a cairn in memory of a local historian and author of several books including ‘Tomintoul, Its Glens and Its People’. From this point I can see and be amazed by the peaks of the Cairngorms on the horizon and the beautiful River Avon winding and bending in the valley.
I continue along the gravel pathway before going left down some wooden steps to the road. On the other side of the main road I walk along a grassy path in the shade of a small wood. Through the trees I can glimpse River Avon down below. The path emerges from the trees and continues through a couple of fields to a farm track. At this point Taiga is let off his lead as it is an enclosed pathway between the fields. A farm track leads up to Cults drive and Taiga is back on the lead we walk up towards the centre of the village. A left turn by the Richmond Memorial Hall into the village square with its shops means a quick ice cream if the weather permits! At this point we walk down the high street towards the bottom end of the village and before I know it I am back at the car park.
A few days ago I took this regular walk around Tomintoul with Taiga. What made it different was that we walked it in the opposite direction. It is amazing how doing such a simple thing gives you a whole new perspective. Views were different, light is altered and even observations seem changed. It occurred to me that life is a bit like that. If you look at things from a different angle, it’s amazing how it can change your opinions.
Kerry
