Aldie Burn Walk
Attribution: unknown (Procession in High Street for Diamond Jubilee 1897)
ALDIE BURN WALKS
Travelling from Tain, turn off the Scotsburn/Lamington road beyond Quebec Bridge at the Forest Enterprise sign, “Aldie Burn” and follow the parking signs. From the car park, go through a gate and follow the path through Scots Pine woodland. The path gives a view down to the Aldie Burn and a salmon shaped pond before descending through Sitka Sprice trees and past the pond to a little wooden bridge near a ford. The pond was created by a group called Touchstone to provide added interest and a breeding habitat for aquatic life. For a very short walk (walk 1 on map) turn right once across the bridge and return to the car park by turning right when the path meets the forest road.
The path leading left from the bridge follows the Aldie Water up past the ruin of a croft house and at one point winds its way through an arrangement of rocks in the form of a snake sculpture (also by Touchstone) and like the salmon pond is based on a design found on a Pictish stone. Eventually it reaches a second bridge and fording point. Turning right (walk 2 on the map) gives a walk of about one and a half miles in total. The track goes uphill alongside an old stone dyke then turns right onto the forest road which is followed for about 3/4 mile before sweeping right, across the burn and uphill back to the car park.
Going left (walk 3 on the map) and over the footbridge the track goes uphill past an opening on the left leading to the ruins of Mineralbank and eventually meets another forest road. Turn left onto this road and return to the car park after 3/4 mile. This walk is about 2 miles long.