ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Peaceful walk from Avoch is fine chance to hit reset
It’s easy to forget how lucky we are. Living in this part of the world offers so much in terms of the great outdoors.
This doesn’t mean we have to climb a Munro or run a marathon. Sometimes it can be a nice wee wander somewhere new with beautiful views that can help you hit the reset button and give you a moment to appreciate what we have relatively close by.
My wife and I are consistently encouraging our kids to learn about the environment, including how important it is to have a healthy respect for nature. So getting out and about as a family is the best thing we can do to escape the high pace of daily life.
On this occasion we decided to visit Avoch. I admit, I’d never appreciated this hidden Black Isle gem. On a clear day, like the one we were lucky to have, you could see for miles getting lost in the moment while gazing over the Moray Firth.
Starting at the stony beach, our route was toward Ormond Castle. When the boss told me about this, I thought ‘is there a castle in Avoch?’
Anyway all would become clear as I followed a few paces behind (forgive me but it was leg day in the gym a few hours earlier so I wasn’t going to be setting any speed-related records!)
Leaving the coastline, we moved inland on single-track roads, past farmland. Intriguingly there was a collection of golf balls beside one of the gates. I’m still none the wiser as to why they were there.
We then went off-road onto grassy paths toward Ormond Hill.
Constantly ascending, we saw a sign for Ormond Castle which explained it was one of the largest medieval castles built in the Highlands. I still couldn’t see it, but it explained that ruins remain after masonry was removed in the 1650s to provide stone for Oliver Cromwell’s fort in Inverness.
The sign stated: “Dating from the 12th century, it was originally the seat of the De Moray family. In 1297, Andrew De Moray raised his standard at the castle to rally his forces before joining William Wallace as part of the Scottish army, which defeated the English at the battle of Stirling Bridge.
“After the death of Andrew De Moray, the castle passed to the Earls of Ross, before being forfeited to the Crown in 1455.”
Reaching the top of the hill, there was a flag pole and stones – it deserved respect. It was a shame to see a few bits of litter lodged between the stones, obviously done deliberately. It gave us a chance to remind our young ones to take litter home as we found a spot nearby for our picnic with a stunning view.
Leaving the hill, we continued on our circular route, not seeing another person as we strolled along through woodland and on more single-track routes.
There was little by way of wildlife and I’m no good at recognising plants and trees, despite the numerous nature documentaries we watch as a family.
Our peaceful jaunt of around 6k took us a leisurely couple of hours, including stops along the way. It was just the tonic, although if we’d wanted to, we probably could have done it in half the time.
I can imagine this could be an enjoyable run or jog on a dry day, possibly even a nice cycle ride with the right bike.
For us though, it was a welcome reminder of what we have on our doorstep and that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Walks like this may not be brag-worthy but they are still worth a try.
Route details
Ormond Castle from Avoch
Distance 4 miles / 6km
Terrain Paths and roads
Start/finish Avoch beach
Map OS Landranger 27; OS Explorer 432
Short family walk with views over the Moray Firth.
