Torrieston

Explore on horseback

A great place for horse riding with plenty of lesser tracks and trails to discover.

Take the high road!

The Black Burn Trail is an easy, level trail that is suitable for everyone. But if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, why not try hitting the heights today? The other three trails all start with short steep climb, but once you’re past that they’re not as steep as they look – and the views at the top to the Moray Firth are well worth the effort.

Look across the Vale of Pluscarden to Pluscarden Abbey as you walk up into the woods. It’s the only medieval monastery in Britain inhabited by a working order of Benedictine monks.

A hundred years of forestry

The Douglas fir trees at Torrieston are nearly 100 years old. They were the first trees to be planted here by the Forestry Commission when we took over Torrieston in the 1920s. Today they are nearly 165 feet (50 metres) tall.

Wildlife in the woods

As you explore, look out for nibbled pinecones left by red squirrels and watch for roe deer amongst the trees early and late in the day. You might also spot otter pawprints or their distinctive black spraint (a naturalist’s word for otter poo!) on the banks of the Black Burn.

You’ll see and hear many small birds seeking food and shelter in the broadleaved trees along the start of the trails. In summer, spot butterflies flitting along the paths’ grassy verges and watch blackbirds and thrushes snacking on wild cherries and rowan berries in autumn. Listen for the mewing of buzzards circling above the edge of the woods.

Contact: Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District

Address: Portsoy Road, Huntly

Postcode: AB54 4SJ

Telephone: 0300 067 6200

Email: morayaberdeenshire@forestry.gsi.gov.uk