Friday 9th October 2020

A walk to the from Burghead to Clashach Cove, beyond Hopeman (8.2 miles).



Mairi had taken the day off work so we headed to this part of the country which is rapidly becoming our favourite. Mairi took us in her wee car and we stopped as usual at Mackenzie and Cruickshanks in Forres for a scone. It is lovely that during these COVID19 restrictions we can still do this. You are taken to your seat and waited on. The scones here are the best.

Normally on a walk there and back I take the photos as we go to the place. This time I took photos of the return journey. We got to Burghead and parked at the top of Grant Street leaving about 11.15. We then followed the Moray Coastal Trail to Hopeman. It was very cold and windy. I had left my gloves on the kitchen table. When we reached Hopeman we went to the public toilet. I so admire a place that maintains their public toilets. We then walked a bit further on to Clashach Cove where there are caves and sheltered in one of them to have our lunch. This cave actually went quite far back.





Having eaten and explored the cave we headed back to Hopeman. The views along this coastline are quite outstanding.


In the next photo you can see from right in the very north of Scotland in Caithness down to Inverness-shire, four counties. The photo doesn’t show it as well as the eye.


The bay at Hopeman.




The harbour.




And we made use of the public toilet yet again.



There were these lovely wee cabins for holiday lets.



All my photos seem to be on a lean. Maybe I’m starting to lean.


From Hopeman the path follows the old railway line. It is a super surface for walking.




What work was done in the past by navies to create these cuts. It was all barrowed out by hand. It must have been backbreaking toil. They must have suffered physically.




As you get near Burghead the view is dominated by Burghead Maltings. Malting is a process of steeping, germinating and drying barley grain to convert it into malt. The malt is then used for making whisky.

A wee Chemistry lesson

The enzyme amylase converts starch to maltose. This enzyme is produced by barley as it germinates or sprouts.

starch + water → maltose

2(C6H10O5)n + nH2O → nC12H22O11

The malt is then sold to the distilleries. In the past each distillery did its own malting which was very labour intensive.

The maltose is hydrolysed by maltase to glucose.
The glucose is then acted on by the enzyme zymase, in the yeast, to give alcohol + carbon dioxide.

C12H22O11 + H2O → 2C6H12O6

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2

That must be the first Chemistry I’ve thought about since before the summer break!


Just outside the malting was this amazing bush.




We walked back through Burghead which is a lovely village.




We went to the viewpoint at the very top or end of the peninsula.




This is looking into the Sutors of Cromarty.





Another lovely walk and day out. We were back at the car at 3.15.