Dufftown – A Signed Mile Round a Stone-Built Whisky Town
About a mile on foot.
Dufftown was founded in 1817 by James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, and its streets still meet at the Clock Tower in the Square.
The Town Walk is the shortest of the town's signed paths: a mile of pavement round its stone streets, about 20 minutes. A longer walk round the distilleries, the Dufftown Dramble, starts from the same tower.
- Time
- About 20 minutes: a signed mile on pavements. The longer Dufftown Dramble, from the same tower, is four and a half miles and about three hours, and is not signed.
- The path
- Paved footpaths and roads, rising and falling a little; graded easy and accessible for all users.
- Where to start
- The free car park just off the Square in Dufftown, a few steps from the Clock Tower.
- When to go
- All year, in daylight.
- Dogs
- On a lead on the town streets.
- Children
- Short, paved and signed, with the Clock Tower to start and finish at.
- Toilets
- Public toilets by the Square, near the start.
- Before you set out
- Signed all the way round. The signs begin at Stephen Hospital, on the same loop.
The walk
Park in the free car park just off the Square, a few steps from the Clock Tower. The castellated tower stands at the crossroads in the middle of Dufftown, and a map board at its foot shows the town's paths. The Town Walk is the short one: a signed mile on pavements, about 20 minutes.
It loops round the town that James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, founded in 1817, by Conval Street, Church Street, Balvenie Street and Albert Place, between plain stone houses with wooded hills beyond the roofs. It rises and falls a little, and it's paved all the way and graded easy. Its signed start is at Stephen Hospital, on the same loop.
For a longer outing the Dufftown Dramble leaves from the tower too: four and a half miles round the distilleries, about three hours. It isn't signed and uses some public roads, so take a map. From mid October to March the pavements can be icy on the slopes early in the day, and the light goes by late afternoon.
If it rains
It's all on pavement, so rain only shortens it. The shops and cafés round the Square are a few steps from the start.
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 Callie Bothy, 15 miles away. Sleeps 2; next free Fri 16 Oct to Sun 18 Oct.
Where to eat
Sidings Cafe, a restaurant in Dufftown.
For further reading, before you go.