Aviemore to Braemar Monday 3rd June 2002
2/6/02 biked to Crewe. Arrived 23.05 at the station for the 23.20 Caledonian Sleeper. It was late by 10 minutes and by ½ an hour arriving in Aviemore, arriving at 07.45
3/6/02. Slept all right on the train. It stayed a long while at Edinburgh Waverley. Nodded off somewhere around Warrington – a can of lager helped to bring on the drowsiness and stuffed my ears with plugs. Woke up somewhere around Newtonmoor ½ an hour before Aviemore. Weather was overcast, a little rain. Wash, shave, shorts on – and rainwear – though it had gone off at Aviemore. Wheeled bike off the station, through the waiting room and started off south then took the turning for Loch Morlich and Cairngorm. Rainwear off and biked as far as the road goes up to Cairngorm Mountain. It took an hour to reach there from Aviemore. The final 3 miles after Loch Morlich are steep and there’s no tree cover after the loch. Memories of my camping on Loch Morlich and group walk over the Cairngorm ridge in 1978, my last visit. The campsite’s still there but a lot more up-market from the simple grassy site by the edge of the loch then. Reaching the long car park in front of the day lodge at the end of the road in front of the ski station and the start of the funicular up to Ptarmigan restaurant on Cairngorm Mountain, it started raining. It wasn’t too bad though. The rain lasted until I reached Nethy Bridge at 11.15, after that the sun came out and it was glorious sunshine for the rest of the day – despite the gloomy forecast predicted. The winds must have taken a turn for the better. Took some pictures at the ski lifts. The funicular to the top of the mountain is £7.00 each way but pointless going up there in the gathering clouds. No view up there at this time. Rainwear on then descent as far as Coylum Bridge at 9.35, a couple of miles before Aviemore. All the bends and other possible pitfalls were covered with bales of straw from the extreme sports events over the weekend. After Loch Morlich it’s through the woods as far as Coylum Bridge. Headed north from here, following the Spey along the valley, great views looking back to the snow topped Cairngorms and eventually reaching Nethy Bridge, stop for cake and a drink then along a road gradually going up to reach the moorland to cut across country by passing Grantown on Spey. Steeply up at the end of this road for about ½ a mile where the main road can be seen way off from below. On to the Grantown – Tomintoul road for the road eventually leading to the Lecht beyond Tomintoul. Joining the main road there is a great view of the Cairngorms, the cloud now clearing from the tops. Worth a photo, then the ups and downs of the main road at Bridge of Brown, steeply down and steeply up to compensate. Up again from there to Tomintoul where I had a long stop 12.15 to 1.30 wanting to try out the barbecue at 1.00 as the village was celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee today. I gave up waiting and settled for a homemade pie from a local shop and a can of light lager. I asked at the tourist information office if there were any Jubilee celebrations going on in Braemar this evening. There wasn’t but there were celebrations on in Ballatar, 17 miles along the valley. At Balmoral tourist information later I asked about accommodation in Ballatar but there were no vacancies, no great surprise. Out of Tomintoul, left at the crossroads then right at the next junction and immediately out of the village of terraced streets and hit countryside again. So different in 5 minutes, the woods along here hide the town from view. The road from here is strikingly beautiful. The Lecht comes in suddenly, very steep up and a definite col – or the British excuse for one. The road summit is even marked by a chalet type building that wouldn’t be out of place in Austria. Quad bikers roaring around a circuit by the side of the road at the top. More photos, ski lifts galore radiate out from this point, mainly on the west side of the road. One was still working but there was no snow in this area, the hillsides were dark green. Took some more pictures along the road and looking back to the pass from the other side and down to Corgarff. Steeply down on a long stretch to Corgarff, past the small castle on the side road to the right but I kept on to the next road junction. Turned right, signposted Ballatar over the River Don, the valley being the Strathdon. From here immediately steeply up to Tom Dubh and over this to Glen Fenzie. The south side is very similar to Holme Moss near Sheffield but minus the TV mast. The gradient and distance are almost identical of the south side of that pass. The north side of Tom Dubh rises suddenly and the whole climb can be seen from the valley. It’s only about a mile and not really hard work. The south side is steeper. Took some more pictures, and also of The Strone over the valley ahead. The Strone looked a real challenge from this angle but it was just another climb to plod slowly up, nothing too difficult. The Tom Dubh sign has a 1:5 old type sign for the lower part of the descent leading down to the wide span stone bridge down in the valley. (15.45) Over the bridge then left at the ‘T’ junction for Braemar over The Strone. It’s a long way up; this was the most difficult of the climbs today. There’s great views from the pile of rocks that marks the top, to the north and back to the east over Glen Fenzie to Tom Dubh. I placed a stone on the pile of rocks, stayed ½ an hour then freewheeled steeply down through the woods to Balmoral in the valley. At Balmoral it was 8 miles to Ballatar, 9 miles to Braemar and ½ a mile away from Balmoral Castle, hidden on the other side of the Dee by the trees. I had a very quick look – was told off by the gateman for trying to get into the grounds when there was only 10 minutes before the gates were locked at 5.00pm. Followed the road round in front of the gatehouse to come to a white suspension bridge over the river and back to the main road. I was getting weary now and saddle sore – I must change this saddle! Never again will I ride on a saddle with a ‘love channel’ central groove. The humps either side are painful! Finished off today’s ride at a leisurely pace gradually up all the way along the wooded valley, slowly into Braemar. I soon found Dalmore House at 18.00, the day finished off in bright sunshine. It had been like this the rest of the day from Nethy Bridge so I’d been fortunate with the weather today. Mrs. Robson kindly locked my bike away inside the lounge. I had a shower and change and she kindly made me a cup of tea with some home made shortcake. We sat in the garden as she explained to me the difference between Munroe and Corbett heights. She had done every one and walked the Larig Ghru from here to Aviemore many times. Munroes are hills over 3000 feet, Corbetts are from 2500 to 3000 feet but for a hill to count as a Corbett it must have 500 feet clear height distance from any other hills around. For that reason Corbetts can be harder to climb than the higher Munroes that don’t have this rule.
My speedometer reading at the start yesterday was 250, then 260 at Crewe. At Braemar it was 339 so I covered 79 miles today from 08.00 until 18.00, ten hours but with loads of stops.
For tea tonight I had apple and broccoli soup followed by steak, chips and salad (£2.95 + £13.50) and a pint of blackcurrant with lemonade. Took a short walk through the village while I was waiting for a table at 8.00pm. Caught up with the diary before and after the meal and left for Dalmore House at 9.30. To bed at 10.30, I asked Mrs. Robson to have breakfast ready at 7.30
Braemar to Dunkeld 4/6/02 Queen’s Jubilee Day
Plenty of coffee, oatcakes, grapefruit, dried apricots, bananas, meusli, and a full Scottish fry up with toast and marmalade to follow – and orange juice at Mrs Robson’s Dalmore Guest House I was ready to roll again but first she wanted to show me her dog’s party trick! She laid 10 margarine cartons in a row numbered 1 to 10 and the dog placed the ball in each one in turn to the numbers. “Ah, that’s not too difficult, he’s learned the sounds and knows they’re to go into each carton in turn” Scottish pride prevailed, “Oh really, watch this then!” She then called out the numbers 1 to 10 at random and the dog still placed the tennis ball in the correctly numbered containers! I was amazed, said: “The dog can read the numbers too?” I paid my £19; dinner last night was £18, which was also very good. I was so full, and even more so this morning that I flew up the Cairnwell later on. The food kept me going as far as Straloch, 30 miles away. Mrs Robson also let me take bananas and apples away. Left Braemar at 8.45 along the quiet road to the west of the main road, passing Braemar golf course then joined the A93 five miles south of Braemar where the lane joins over the stone river bridge. From here it is gradually up the valley but it isn’t a difficult climb up the Cairnwell and its brother pass, the Devils Elbow 500 yards further south. The Glenshee ski lift and the large wool shop mark the top of the Cairnwell. I reached there at 10.00. I bought Ruth two pairs of Scottish earrings and a bagpipe fridge magnet. I told the lady at the shop I couldn’t carry cashmere as I was cycling. She replied saying that was OK, credit cards were accepted. I wondered for a few seconds but then realised either it was I not being distinct or she was hard of hearing. Took some photos at the top. Two stone figures of an old couple sit perched on a seat looking back down the valley. I expected a long sweep downhill for the Pitlochry road at Blackwater but after the initial spurt down from the top for three miles it is then up and down (undulating) all the way, a bit showery from the top part way down but it went off lower down. Took a slight diversion to do the road arc at Spittal of Glenshee expecting to see something interesting but except for a well advertised pub on side road there was nothing else, not on the road at least, but I wasn’t walking to find a hidden valley with a waterfall, or something. Rejoined the main road and carried on, up and down, to Blackwater. The coffee shop just before the Pitlochry road junction was worth a stop. Simple, but good. Then I turned west on a steady downhill road with the wind behind me to Kirkmichael, 15 minutes later. Down to Strathardle until I reached Enochden at 12.15 where it started raining. At Straloch it was time to put on full rainwear protection then continued on to Dalnacarn and beyond but the rain eased enough to enjoy the views along here. It is a climb up to reach the moorland here. About three miles before Pitlochry the road descends steadily into the town. I reached there at 1.30 and stayed an hour for a look around. I bought some good quality overshoes (£24.00) and a chain extractor (£7.99) from a cycle shop in the town. I really needed those overshoes between here and Aberfeldy later. I headed south out of the town looking for the road to Balmore but emerged onto the A9 bypassing the town. I found the alternative route, heading south to Logieract but would have liked to have cycled north along Loch Tummel and down to Aberfeldy that way. Along here the rain pelted down again. I met a couple on a tandem coming the other way up in the rain as I was speeding down to the Abefeldy road, poor souls looked as if they weren’t really enjoying the experience. Sodden they were, poor sods! The road was flooded further down. I turned west for Aberfeldy, backside aching. This saddle is definitely going to get changed! Up a little bit on the main road at Grandtully but then mainly down into Aberfeldy (3.00 – 3.45) Had a look in the tourist office and bought doughnuts and a large carton of orange juice in the Co-op in the town centre (£1.85). From here, mainly level, past the large span Wade’s Bridge (old military bridge) over the river to the west of the town and followed the river to Kenmore (4.30) for my last Brevet Internationale Grimpeur ‘col’ – but this one fitted the bill more than all the others these last two days. Here is a steep and long climb worthy of the title. More cream on shorts and saddle then steeply up the single-track road at the very corner of the lake. There’s no signpost here but the road up is steep from the very start. To be sure it’s the right road there is a white cottage, 200 yards up on the right, called Glen Quaich Cottage in black on a white board. The road is narrow, single track with passing places, and very steep through the woods for two miles. The cuttings in the middle of the road are thornless – spruce trees don’t have thorns but motorists coming down are a danger when struggling to stay on the bike up the very steep section here. After getting through the woods, the road gradient eases off a little but it’s obvious by the lie of the land ahead that it goes up a lot more yet. True to British passes it goes straight up, no messing about with hairpins or finding the easiest circuit – it’s direct up in military precision just as the Romans would have done it. A huge boulder to the left of the road marks the first part of the road marking the top. This is a good vantage point for the view back down but not ahead as there is a bit more to come yet. The very top is that point ahead where the road disappears around a left bend round the hillside. There is no marker indicating the top but it’s obvious when Loch Freuchie is seen way down below. No markings to say ‘you’ve arrived’ just a hump, round the bend, and you’re there. The road is only 2.25 metres (7 foot) width all the way up from Kenmore to Almuree at the other end. The view down the other side coming from the north is a sight to behold and I think I did it in the right direction for the best views. You see Loch Freuchie in Glen Quaich before you like a blue carpet on green patchwork of fields. Beware of the gate at the bottom of the very steep hill leading into Garrow – it appears suddenly round the last bend, and it’s bolted! Don’t come a cropper! Gradually down with just a few ups along the glen, raining a bit, then left along the very green Strathbran for the final ten mules to Dunkeld, mainly down and sheltered if raining. I found the railway station at Birnam at 7.00pm then went into Dunkeld for a meal of chicken Italian soup and a mixed grill and a couple of local beers – Aviemore, Ruthven and a Calders. I finished the diary there at 9.40, waited in the restaurant as long as possible and caught the 22.57 Caledonian Sleeper back to Crewe, arriving back at 05.30. That train appeared like a lifeline on that lonely station as I had no other way of getting back home and it was a workday tomorrow.