Dufftown and the Giant's Chair

The town's iconic clock tower was built in 1839 as a jail and features the clock from Banff known locally as 'The clock that hanged MacPherson' (referencing Robin Hood character Jamie MacPherson, whose pardon arrived too late because the Sheriff put the clock forward).

The walk heads downstream to the handsome stone buildings of Mortlach Distillery (founded in 1823 following the Act of Parliament encouraging legal distillation). Continuing along Dullan Water through woodlands of ash, alder, and sweet cicely, you cross the Linen Apron Waterfall and reach the Giant's Chair — a natural limestone seat overlooking a deep, dark moss-fringed pool and limestone ravine worn into potholes by spring meltwaters.

Looking back across the footbridge, you see Meikle Conval (an outlier of Ben Rinnes, which towers 2,755 feet / 840 metres high). Passing Dufftown Distillery on the return, the route traverses Princess Royal Park and Meg’s Widd before returning via Conval Road.

Nearby Mortlach Parish Church houses the 11th-century Battle Stone (marking King Malcolm II's victory over the Danes) and the mysterious Pictish Elephant Stone.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.