The Desolate and Dramatic Dava Moor
My walk began at the Dava junction, where the ward boundaries of Highland and Moray meet. The junction is also where the A940 to Forres begins. I wandered through woodland and was eventually rewarded by the views of the Dava Moor. It is my favourite part of the Dava Way. The landscape is dramatic, with big sky, brown land, and misty in-betweens.
The path followed miles of brown heather with patterns created by Muirburn. The landscape heightened my sense of solitude. Occasionally, my aloneness was broken by curious sheep, random bird calls, and crossing the paths of two other walkers going in the other direction. (The only humans I met on this journey.)
The Muirburn process of burning heather improves moorland by encouraging new heather growth to feed red grouse and livestock. The preventative practice is also used to stop wildfires from having devastating human and environmental consequences. Yet, the Muirburn process is fiercely debated. Over recent years, academics, landowners, and politicians have argued about the process. They question the traditional practice and the environmental impact is closely monitored by Nature Scot.
“In future Muirburn will only be permitted under licence from Nature Scot, regardless of the time of year it is undertaken. And there will be a statutory ban on burning on peatland, except under licence for strictly limited purposes such as habitat restoration.”
Gougeon, M. (2020). Independent Review of Grouse Moor Management: ministerial statement. [Online]. www.gov.scot. Last Updated: 26 November 2020. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/werritty/ [Accessed 27 December 2022].
The Mystery of the Moor…
Regardless of your opinion on the Muirburn practices, it has shaped the remote moor’s barren landscape. For miles, you can see the baron wilderness broken intermittently by an iconic lone tree. The place has a sense of mystery and captured my imagination. I thought of tartan-clad Highlanders wandering, weary drovers navigating their herds and crofters surviving the unforgiving winters. I continued walking, yet, my daydream was interrupted by a wee railway hut. The hut is named the Halfway hut and is cared for by the Dava Way Association. It is a lovely place to stop, gather my thoughts, and sign the visitor book before continuing on my way.
The Divie Viaduct
As I got close to the end of my walk, I crossed the Divie Viaduct. This amazing construction has seven arches underneath that are not visible as you cross. You can see evidence of drilled holes in the stone, created to hold the explosives needed to cut the stone at the quarry. I am always in awe at the vision, engineering, and labour needed to create these immense structures.
For more information on walking the Dava Way, please click on the link below.