River Spey
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The River Findhorn is without doubt the most beautiful river in the Highlands, and also one of the very best spate salmon rivers in Scotland. It rises in the Monadhliath mountains and flows for more than sixty miles to Findhorn Bay on the Moray Firth. Throughout its length, there are few settlements and it even bypasses Forres, the only large town within the catchment area.
The Findhorn catchment is narrow, but spans more then 500 square miles (13,000 km^2). It has not been developed for hydro-electric generation and there are no impoundments.
There is just one tributary of importance, the River Divie that, with the Dorback Burn sub-tributary, drains a large area of upland to the north of Grantown-on-Spey, which can provide enhanced flow to the lower beats when rainfall has missed the upper catchment.
Despite the size of its catchment, the Findhorn is very much a spate river, as there are no lochs in its headwaters or on the main river stem. There are just 2 lochs of note; Loch Moy on the Moy Burn and Lochindorb above the Dorback Burn. The river is therefore prone to sudden rises in water level and periods of drought.
The Muckle Burn is also considered part of the catchment, although it only joins the main river in the tidal reaches of Findhorn Bay, and therefore has no effect on Findhorn river levels.
River Findhorn Catchment During its course, the River Findhorn traverses some of Scotland’s most varied and magnificent scenery including two steep gorges; Altnahara and Findhorn. The beats running through both gorges offer spectacular water with sequences of shaded runs, pots and deep holding pools, nestled below high cliffs clad with Scots pine, alder and birch.
The scenery is breathtaking, but access can be challenging. The main access paths run along the top of the cliffs, with steep paths & stairways down to some of the pools. In some places it's possible to progress downstream from pool to pool, but this can involve clambering over rocky outcrops, using ladders provided, or even in some instances 'abseiling' down ropes! It is not without risk, and some of it is only for the younger and/or fitter angler.
It's important to know what's involved before booking your beat.
Spey Salmon Catches During its course, the River Findhorn traverses some of Scotland’s most varied and magnificent scenery including two steep gorges; Altnahara and Findhorn. The beats running through both gorges offer spectacular water with sequences of shaded runs, pots and deep holding pools, nestled below high cliffs clad with Scots pine, alder and birch.
The scenery is breathtaking, but access can be challenging. The main access paths run along the top of the cliffs, with steep paths & stairways down to some of the pools. In some places it's possible to progress downstream from pool to pool, but this can involve clambering over rocky outcrops, using ladders provided, or even in some instances 'abseiling' down ropes! It is not without risk, and some of it is only for the younger and/or fitter angler.
It's important to know what's involved before booking your beat.
Spey Sea Trout Catches The Findhorn can be divided into three sections based on its changing landscape and the river's characteristics. The Upper Findhorn runs from its headwaters to the start of the Drynachan valley, the Middle Findhorn from there through the hills and gorges to the bottom of the Findhorn Gorge, and the Lower Findhorn starts below the gorge, emerging to the coastal plain before outpouring to the sea at Findhorn Bay.
NB: Describing the individual beats on such a long river, is simplified by dividing them into 3 directories for the Upper, Middle & Lower Spey. Because the river flows to the north east, this is best visualised starting with the Lower Spey and heading upstream (as you go down the page), such that the maps retain continuity. For this reason, the individual beat listings are also ordered here from bottom to top. This is the same as for the Findhorn Feature but opposite of the listings in the Fishing Area pages across this site.
- Lower Spey Beats
- Middle Spey Beats
- Upper Spey Beats