The Lettoch Trail – Up the Nethy to a View of the Cairngorms
About 5 miles on foot.
The River Nethy comes down out of Abernethy Forest and runs through the middle of Nethy Bridge.
The Lettoch Trail follows it upstream from the village to Lettoch Wood, where the Cairngorms open up ahead, and comes back by the same path to lunch at Nethy House.
- Time
- An hour and a half to two and a half hours: about five miles (8 km) there and back up the River Nethy and through Lettoch Wood. Turn round sooner for a shorter walk.
- The path
- Mostly gentle paths on gravel or tarmac, with kissing gates and a cattle grid. Some stretches are narrow, earthy and muddy.
- Where to start
- Park at the community centre on Dell Road in Nethy Bridge, where the Explore Abernethy Visitor Centre is. Parking is free.
- Set off
- From November to January, set off by noon to be back in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight, and best on a clear day. From mid October to March the path can be icy in places; from November to January set off by noon. Nethy House is closed on Wednesdays.
- Dogs
- On a lead in the forest from March to August, for the nesting birds.
- Children
- Gentle going, and you can turn back at any point. The river runs fast beside the path.
- Toilets
- Accessible toilets at the Visitor Centre on Dell Road. None on the trail.
- Before you set out
- The wildfire of July 2026 burned in Abernethy Forest, south of the village. On 9 October 2026 the National Park listed no closure on the Nethy Bridge paths; ask at the Visitor Centre if you plan to go far upstream. The Visitor Centre opens 10am to 4pm from 1 November to 31 March, weather permitting, and is often unstaffed.
The walk
The Lettoch Trail follows the River Nethy upstream from the middle of Nethy Bridge. The water runs brown and quick over the stones, with birch and old pine on the banks. Further on, the path goes through Lettoch Wood, and where the trees open the Cairngorms stand ahead.
That view is what the walk is for, so keep it for a clear day. It's about five miles there and back, by the same path both ways. Most of it is gentle going on gravel or tarmac, with kissing gates and a cattle grid, and a few stretches are narrow, earthy and muddy.
You can turn round at any point, which makes it easy to fit to the daylight or to shorter legs. Timber from Abernethy Forest was once floated down this river to the Spey, a dangerous trade for the men who steered the logs. Keep dogs on a lead in the forest from March to August, when birds are nesting.
If it rains
A low path with no open hill, so a shower won't spoil it, but the view of the Cairngorms goes in cloud and the path is soft. On a wet day turn round early and go straight to Nethy House.
Afterwards
About 2 min on foot
Nethy House
Lunch
Lunch is at Nethy House, a café in a granite house on the village street, a short walk from Dell Road. It serves breakfast, lunch, cakes and coffee from 9am to 5pm, with lunch from 11.30am to 4pm, and it is closed on Wednesdays. Tables can be booked by phone or text on 07498 151519 until 10am on the day, and well-behaved dogs are welcome inside. On a Wednesday, take a flask up the river instead.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Park Cottage in Kincraig, 13 miles away. Sleeps 6; next free Fri 23 Oct to Sun 25 Oct.
Where to eat
Nethy House, a café in Nethy Bridge.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Tollets TalesAndTrails via Google