Midsummer evening walk by the Spey

Wednesday, 18th June: 7pm

It was a cool grey evening with a little light rain, but 15 members met in the square at Rothes for the Field Club’s annual midsummer walk. Fortunately the rain stopped, and the sun came out eventually. This was a short, level, easy walk, beginning and ending in Seafield Square in Rothes. Most people drive straight through Rothes en route for Speyside and further south, but turn off the main road and there are some interesting and picturesque spots.

From the Square we walked down Green Street, past the sewage works, to the Spey, where we turned right and south to follow the Spey for about a mile and a half. Dave Longstaff gave us a short talk about the geology of the area – the Rothes Fault, associated with the Highland Boundary Fault and active from approximately 780 million to 350 million years ago. The steep hill to the north of Rothes was created by run-off from a glacier during the Ice Age, and the wide flat fields in the valley are on the site of a glacial lake.

It was very quiet, just one or two other people out walking, so it was ideal for listening to birds using the Merlin App. I recorded backbirds, song thrushes, chaffinches, willow warblers and a yellowhammer. A sandpiper was spotted on the edge of the river. The sun came out about half way through the walk and we enjoyed fine views of Ben Rinnes to the south.

Sara Marsh
18/06/25