We woke to the sound of car tyres on very wet roads outside. We would be starting today with a very wet track! I had to be up early to solve the puzzle of my front tyre. I sat in the sunroom of this 19th century double storied home, with the cat and the visiting 2yr old grandson for company. The 2 yr old chatted incessantly - he was my new little mate.
I changed the tyre, and when the new one was pumped I could hear the air escaping as I put my tools away!! So it was off again, and this time I inspected every inch of the inside of the tyre, to find a loose piece of a tiny slither of glass! So it was a second change and three tubes to repair (one from a previous day). It was breakfast time, and all B&B's provide massive breakfasts.
We left at 9:30am into the rain, which is the worst of feelings. We had some things to buy, and I needed the local bike shop for some new tubes and repair kit. Julie took one of my front panniers off to load in the few things we bought, and as she turned away, the bike fell over and banged on to a parked car, which made the occupants most unhappy. It was a brand new car, and the elderly fellow got our and gave it the inspection for damage, with constant instructions from his elderly wife. However, there were no perceivable scratches - thank the dear Lord!
At 10:15am we headed north to the little village of Trinity (pronounced 'Tarinty'), but headed initially to the more famous village of Edzell, where the great Edzell castle can be found (if you had a car!). We rode through the large stone entry arch which seemed to be part of the original village wall, discovering a really lovely stone Scottish village. The rain was consistent, and discouraged getting off bikes, so we sailed straight through. We enjoyed looking at the vast fields pass by, and occasional small stone arched bridges crossing flooded creeks and rivers. The countryside opened out to vast paddocks of potatoe crops, with great mountains now beginning to loom over us from the distant north. I kept assuring Julie we were definitely well to the east of the Grampians and shouldn't be bothered by big hills today.
We reached Fettercairn, a village not unlike Edzell. We entered through another stone arch and across a railway line, and stopped in the village square. The village was a spectacle of flags and bunting-like banners, hanging all over the place. However, on closer inspection, we realised it was neither flags nor bunting - the whole village was linked together by streamers made up of women's bras!! There must have been hundreds of meters of every conceivable bra of every woman in the village and countryside. There was no one about, so we left town with photos to prove it, but none the wiser about this strange Scottish village tradition!
A few miles further on was where we were rudely introduced to the Scottish highlands! There was a dip in the road, then the road seemed to go vertical, with a little sign that simply said '16%'." This was the beginning of the climb to 'Çairn O'Mount'. The climb started so sharply that it caught Julie in too high a gear, and after only 5 meters or so her bike came to a standstill and she elegantly flopped sideways, choosing to go down into the heather with her bike in a combined heap! I was just in front to start, and had the chance to engage my granny gear for the climb, calling back "are you okay"? I heard "Yes" followed by a faint "Ï think so". I had my own dramas to deal with, and left her to climb back on the road and start pushing her bike (it was too steep to start again). This was the beginning of the massive climb to the Cairn O'Mount. I measured between 4-5k which took us more than an hour of very hard work. It wasn't without lovely views though, despite the rain and now the closing mist the higher we got. We couldn't see the top from the bottom, but as we crested each section, it just revealed more of the same.
We stopped several times to enjoy the views of the mountains around us, the deep gulleys with strong flowing streams far below, and the panoramic views back towards the coastal regions. This was Scotland at its richest and best, but just a mere taste of the Highlands yet to come. It was very hard work, and after we thought we had struggled with the worst of it, the final pinch to the summit gteeted us with yet another sign that said '14%' for the final climb to the summit. I was not about to let it beat me, but this really tested the bike - I wondered whether the chain or the handlebard were going to stand the test.
The view from the viewing platform was spectacular, despite the rain, the cold and the close mist. Julie couldn't be bothered stopping at the viewing platform, such were the conditions, and kept going the final bit to the summit. It was frightfully cold and we were both quite wet. The sign told us we had climbed to nearly 1600ft in altitude, and it was all up from where Julie had taken a dive into the heather.
Obviously what goes up then goes down, so over the other side we were in cloud, but the road descended rapidly over the next several miles. We held the brakes because the road was wet and slippery, but the going was much easier. The next many miles were up and down, but with lovely angles and views of pine forests with moss that has gathered unhindered for decades. The views through the pines over into the Grampians were just a picture. This was great and beautiful country, but we were just a wet and frozen pair of Aussies on bikes preferring now to be in out of the wet and the cold.
We got into the town of Banchory just saturated and cold. Our feet were frozen, our shoes soaked with water, and we stopped at the Pennyfarthing Cafe for coffee. We asked permission first if we could come in - we were dripping with water, but cheery. From Banchory it was a lovely final run to Inverurie of some 30k. The rain started to ease, and the road became more 'hill and dale' once again, allowing us to stretch the bikes out a bit. Julie is turning into an excellent road cyclist. She doesn't like the hills, but on the flats and undulating roads she sticks behind me irrespective of what speed we are doing. She uses the big ring frequently now, and is capable of excellent speed, despite the load that she too carries.
The road dried out as the rain eased in the approach to Kintore, where we joined the A96 from Aberdeen for the final 10k to Inverurie. As we turned off at Inverurie to follow the signs to Keith Hall, the roads were dry and the rain now clear. Keith Hall is the estate of the Earl of Kintore, with its 14th century Castle, which is now divided into 6 private homes and 8 Home Units. We were expected by Desna and Joe Cross who live in one of the wings of the castle. Joe was in the vast gardens waiting for us after we had made the 4-5min ride up the driveway through a forest and over the vast lawns.
We were treated with the most wonderful hospitality by Joe and Desna. We were taken for an hour's drive in Joe's Rover through the beautiful countryside, a long walk around the lake and gardens of the castle, and then shared a lovely dinner. It was an incredible end to a most challenging but exhilerating day. Joe and Desna are parents of Martin Cross whom I have made friends with through the Pollie Pedal in Sydney. It was not difficult to get off to sleep in our second story bedroom in the north wing of the castle of the Earl of Kintore.
The section between Fettercairn
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