Cycle Rides from 2024

Great cycling tours, routes, cafés and anecdotes

Haltwhistle to Alnmouth

Saturday 21st - Monday 23rd September

Eight of us met at Haltwhistle on the Saturday morning. Barbara and I had cycled in from Carlisle the previous day; Anna, Grace, Phil, Iona, Euan and Stewart arrived that morning.

We set off and puffed up the hill towards the Milecastle Inn where we met a decorated sheep sculpture. We learned later that it was part of a sheep trail along Hadrian’s Wall. An opportunity for another MV ride perhaps?

The weather was kind for the route across the hills on the NCN68. The group waxed and waned according to who needed a snack and when, all gathering at Hetherington for the final leg into Bellingham. We arrived at nearly 4pm to discover that the Fountain Cottage café had decided that it was winter (in September!) and had reduced its hours. However, they did allow eight cyclists to purchase coffee and cake while trying to enforce the last orders at 4pm. (The hospitality industry doesn’t help itself at times.) Afterwards we stocked up at the co-op and rode to the upmarket bothy at Tarset Tor Bunkhouse three miles away. (25 miles)

Sunday dawned and we set off for a circumnavigation of Kielder Water. We took the main road to Leaplish for an early lunch at the bistro there. The lakeside way does start at the dam, but it is a lot tougher than the road and would make a very long day. After lunch and a photoshoot on an outsize bench, we headed along the lakeside way towards Kielder viaduct. The viaduct not only offers a great view down the valley but has an interesting set of ironwork panels depicting its past industrial heritage.

 

On the north side of the reservoir, the sculptures on the trail are sadly not being kept in good repair. A couple of pieces were damaged, one missing and the signage to some others non-existent. The path itself however, has had recent repairs and offered a variety of views of the water, grassland, forest, and newly sprouting fungi amid the mosses. We had a short pause at Robin’s Hut before the midges drove us relentlessly on.

We arrived back tired but happy at the Bothy at around 6pm (37miles)

 

Monday dawned rather grey but not forecast to rain. We set off on the hilly NCN68 towards Rothbury. By Woodburn the rain started and was to continue on and off till mid-afternoon. At Elsdon we piled into the pub for a warming cuppa and chance to dry a little.
The pub was very welcoming and offered a cyclist’s breakfast as well as a selection of cakes. I guess they are hoping to keep happy the stream of cyclists who called at the now closed Impromptu café.

Though the rain had eased, it was still dreich all the way to Rothbury. We avoided the scenic loop, visibility not being good enough to enjoy the vista across the valley. At Rothbury we phoned the café at Longframlington to ask if it was OK if we arrived early and set off in the increasing drizzle for the six-mile journey.

The B6344 is busy and unpleasant to cycle, but appears to be unavoidable without pushing the bikes along a footpath on the south side of the river. Now soaking once again, we arrived at the Running Fox café. Its part of an excellent group of cafes of the same name. For some reason they thought we would be having afternoon tea with scones, cakes etc. but were happy to change the table settings for bowls of soup and toasties! Stewart left us here to catch an early train back from Alnmouth.

We emerged sometime later to find the rain had stopped. Our route to Alnmouth took us along the B6345 through Felton and Acklington where we turned off to head towards Warkworth and the NCN1 into Alnmouth. Those on the 7pm train arrived in plenty of time to catch it, and the remainder to have a pint in a local pub before catching theirs. (49 miles)

Many thanks to Anna for finding out that one can create a route in Map My Run and download it to a gpx/kml file which can then be uploaded into the online map of choice.

Tiana
Photos: Tiana and Barbara

Hadrian’s Wall (Carlisle to Newcastle)

Saturday 31st August - Sunday 1st Sepember

As the date for the trip drew near, LNER threatened strike action affecting our return travel from Newcastle. Two opted to cancel whilst others made hasty plans for alternative routes home including considering a night in Newcastle. The strike was called off the day before we set off but the two trains the majority of us were booked on had been cancelled. Tickets had only ever appeared on the Trainline website which had seemed odd at the time.

Saturday was glorious. We arrived on three different trains - Jan, Judith, Karen and Keith - and set off from Carlisle into Bitts Park and out into rolling open countryside via Rickerby Bridge, largely following NCN72. We passed a cosy-looking thatched cottage on a corner at Linstock and various picturesque villages including Cosby on Eden with its enormous sign hanging from the Stag’s Head. Stopping for a breather outside the Eden Golf Club the huge electronic gates opened as if to swallow us up.

The old bridge just before Lanercost offered a river view before our lunch stop at Lanercost tea room where we sat outside, ate well and enjoyed the sunshine.

After a climb we reached the first sections of the wall – Banks East Turret and, close by, Pike Hill Signal Tower. The road gives sweeping views here following the course of the River Tyne and the Carlisle-Newcastle railway. Further on, a long section of wall leading to Birdsowald Roman Fort – all opportunities to admire the views, read the information boards and step back in time. Poltross Burn Milecastle at Gilsland, unusually large, and one of the best-preserved milecastles on Hadrian's Wall is tucked away but well worth the short walk.

The café at Greenhead had unfortunately decided to stop serving hot drinks early but we sat at the outdoor tables for a while in the sun before the steep hill out, compensated for by the sweep down to Haltwhistle that followed.

 

The stunning Sill hostel, part of the Sill complex has a large open-plan communal space including the reception, with a café and bar. Modern security separates the bedrooms where we had ensuite twin rooms. Two opted for a meal at the Twice Brewed Inn after all but it was fully booked so we ate together in the hostel, making use of the bar.

Sunday was a little misty. We took the short walk up to the top of Peel Crags for the impressive views of Hadrian’s Wall as it drops down, veers right, then rises up towards Winshield Crags.

Back at the hostel we visited the Whin Sill grass roof planted to replicate the natural grasslands of the area and unusual due to the local geology. The view was partly shrouded in mist but still a memorable vantage point.

We peeked at Vindolanda as we passed, enjoying further views looking back on the climb to Muckle Moss and Crindledykes limekiln. At Fourstones I was surprised to meet a cyclist I had met on the reccy.

Due to the re-booking of trains some wanted to be in Newcastle by 4.30pm so we cancelled morning (and afternoon) coffee and continued on to Corbridge, stopping for a brief view of the Corbridge Roman Town as we passed. Corbridge is a stunning village worthy of a quick loop round on our bikes before lunch at the Corbridge Larder, which was surprisingly quiet despite the drizzle, or perhaps because of.

We emerged fortified onto dry streets and continued on the fairly flat route through Ovingham with its picturesque footbridge and riverside park, passed the white stone cottage where George Stevenson was born that sits alongside the disused railway cycle route, through Tyne Riverside Country Park and into Newcastle following the River Tyne.

The station was busy with football fans who had also spent the day drinking. Hesitatingly, I pointed out to one holding a piece of white paper another piece of white paper on the spot he had just walked away from. He came swaying over to thank me as it had in fact been an envelope containing £50.

Anna
Photos: Judith, Keith

Pitlochry Loop

Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st July

Four of us (Eibhlin, Iona, Jenny and me), plus bikes, caught the train on the Saturday morning, heading for Pitlochry. John came in his car and had also generously agreed to bring the ingredients for the evening meal, plus an apricot crumble.

The four of us were to get off the train at Pitlochry but it didn’t stop long enough for all the people, bags and bikes to get on the platform. Three of us were left on the train, with two bikes when the doors locked and we were quickly heading north. Iona, Eibhlin and I were allowed free tea and coffee and a trip to Kingussie station. In the meantime, Jenny at Pitlochry had met up with John and they were able to get bikes and bags to the hostel to wait for the rest of us to return.

 

The planned route that day was around 43 miles (69 km) and by now we didn’t have the time or energy to do the full route, despite our best intentions. We shortened the route to a loop of Loch Tummel, a DIY lunch stop at the now-closed Queen’s View visitor centre and a coffee stop at the Inn at Tummel. From there we could see several sailors on the loch. The weather until then had been dry and warm, and we enjoyed the cycle along the narrow lanes with light traffic.

A drizzle of rain began to get heavier as we approached the hill up to Clunie Dam, and it was heavy by the time we reached the entrance arch to the dam. Very soon after that we took the short walking track called Bealach Trail that took us to a minor road and the main street through Pitlochry. We were pretty damp by then and pleased to be back at the hostel. It wasn’t long before the preparation for dinner was under way. Distance cycled 43.35 kms.

On Sunday morning most of us paid for a continental breakfast at the hostel, but not all of us were cycling that day. John decided to head home and Jenny decided to do her own cycling before heading off home on an early train. That left three of us to climb the steep hill up to Moulin Moor in dry weather. The scenery was lovely up there and the traffic was light. Cycling down the other side, towards Kirkmichael we passed several road bikers coming up the hill in the opposite direction, doing their hill training. We were soon at the village shop in Kirkmichael and consuming chocolate and orange cake before heading off on the same road to Blairgowrie.

The Cateran Cafe that we used for lunch in 2017 closed a few months ago and we had to rely on the local branch of Subway for lunch. Leaving the town I mis-judged the roads and we left on the wrong A-Road. I quickly realised the error and we probably only lost 20 minutes getting lost. We were soon heading off towards Loch of the Lowes and spotted a few birds of prey along the way, including the now sole Osprey.

We made it into Dunkeld in time for a first lunch for some, and a second lunch for others, at a very nice deli on the main road. Navigating our way from there to the train station proved to be the trickiest part of the whole day.

Only Iona had booked her bike on the train from Dunkeld, Eibhlin and I were booked to get on it earlier at Pitlochry. The conductor took some convincing to let all three of us on, but thankfully the better side of his character won out and he let all of us on. The cycling on Sunday was longer at 60.64 kms.

Jan
Photos: Jan and John

 

Dalwhinnie

Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July

We had two nights at the quirky but very well equipped Old Schoolhouse hostel. There are three direct trains a day from Edinburgh which catered for all our needs, except that the late one stopped at Perth (broken down Tesco train on the line) so sadly Anna did not arrive. On Saturday we headed for Inverdruie on the lovely route 7, having on the way got Peter kitted out with gloves, trousers and a wool jumper at Kingussie charity shop (£13!). An hour in to the ride Anna appeared - a very early Scotrail minibus brought her to Dalwhinnie with bike. Much rejoicing.

The grub at The Barn at Inverdruie was good. On return to the hostel warden Lee fired up the wood burning stove to dry our kit.

 

On Sunday we headed south on Route 7 which feels downhill all the way to Blair Atholl. We lunched there, and looked round the working mill.

A family of seven ducklings had jumped into the lade and looked sure to be swept away, but no, Keith rescued them in a fishing net.

We parted ways at Pitlochry. Keith cycled on to Perth.

 

 

 

Peter meantime at Drumochter summit had left the cycle route and took the A9 to Blair Atholl. Not for the faint hearted. He is still in one piece.

Peter' s comment on this - the so-called cycle path down Drumochter is also not for the faint-hearted; indeed, even more so. Having done it once, some years ago, I was appalled, and vowed never to use it again. Cyclists should be warned in advance. Actually, being a Sunday morning, there wasn't much traffic on the main road, and it all gave me a wide berth - I suspect I'm not the only cyclist who has given up on this dreadful piece of path dis-engineering.

Sandie
Photos: Sandie and Anna

 

A week on Harris and Lewis

Saturday June 22nd – Sunday June 30th

Anna, Barbara, Bill, Jan M, John and Maura spent a week on Harris and Lewis based in two centres: Otter bunkhouse in Uig, West Lewis; and Drinishader 5, just south of Tarbert in Harris. Euan joined us for the first half but had to return early because no beds were available in Drinishader.

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SATURDAY JUNE 22: Inverness to Stornoway

We were collected at Inverness station by the Ticket to Ride minibus for our transfer to Ullapool. The weather was reasonable, despite a cool breeze, so we alighted at Corrieshalloch Gorge rather than drive the whole way. The site has a new café with a windy deck, where we ate our lunch. A huge poster in the toilets gave an excellent impression of the gorge but we followed the footpath to check it. The landscape and waterfall were indeed impressive and we crossed the suspension bridge to the viewing platform on our way around the circuit.
The short ride to Ullapool started with a high-speed descent of Strath More, with some riders exceeding 30 mph. The views would have made the ride enjoyable had it not been for the heavy traffic and reckless driving, particularly by the motorcyclists. The North Coast 500 has made this road hostile to cyclists and we were glad that we had taken the minibus most of the way. 13 miles at 13 mph on average – a record speed for MV?

 

 

In Ullapool we stocked up at Tesco because almost every¬thing would be closed on Sunday. We checked in for the ferry and waited in the cyclists’ shelter until we were allowed to board, last as usual. The passage was uneventful and a short walk in Stornoway took us to the Heb hostel, where we had a room to ourselves.

SUNDAY JUNE 23: Stornoway to Otter bunkhouse

We started the day with the hostel’s ‘basic self service breakfast’, which was adequate, before setting off along the Pentland Road. The headwind was to be a feature of the trip! Some recently cut peats were stacked to dry and we wondered how much extraction is permitted nowadays. The views of Harris to the south were glorious. We passed a few honesty boxes, all of which claimed to be open but were in fact firmly padlocked.

 

We got a surprise after turning on to the A858: the café was open at Callanish Alpacas so we piled inside for soup, macaroni cheese, toasties and coffee. We first had to get past the peacock, who displayed to everybody who approached the cabin. The alpacas had been sheared and looked gangly without their wool (although some still had a furry topknot). Other animals included four-horned Hebridean sheep and tame pigs. Eventually we dragged ourselves away and rode the short distance to the Callanish standing stones, in an atmospheric setting overlooking the loch.

 

Tourism over, we rode along the lumpy B8011 towards Uig. This has been rebuilt in recent years and we sometimes rode along the old track to have the road to ourselves. There was no café so we stopped at some sheltered rocks and I offered cheesejacks – a savoury alternative to flapjacks. A sign “Otter Bunkhouse Bothy 1 mile” gave us energy for the final stretch. 34 miles.

 

Otter Bunkhouse is delightfully located on the shore of West Loch Roag and we had it to ourselves. The sofas in the sitting room give a view across the loch, although a huge picture window would have been even better! We got fleeting glimpses of an otter and better views of the birdlife, including a heron. Donald, who owns the bunkhouse, told us that the otters live in the boulders that were dumped to support the road where it crosses a nearby burn.

MONDAY JUNE 24: Traigh Uig and other beaches

After breakfast, the first job was shopping. We laboured into a headwind up Glen Bhaltois to Timsgarry, where the web page for the bunkhouse promised a well stocked shop. The description proved accurate and the range was far better than at Tesco in Ullapool. The shop overlooked the enormous beach of Traigh Uig so we went to explore. The lumpy road passed Uig Sands restaurant, where we did not make a reservation for their 5 course dinner at £85 per head. Down by the beach, a wooden carving of a king marked the spot where the Uig chessmen are said to have been discovered in 1831. We walked around the expanse of sand but the sky was heavily overcast so we didn’t see the water at its most blue.

For lunch we returned to Timsgarry and pedalled on to the Uig Community Centre. This has the primary school for about 30 children at one end, a museum at the other and a café between. We heard about the network of buses that brings the primary school children to Timsgarry and transfers older children to a bus for Stornoway; the logistics are complicated in such a sparsely populated area. Some of us visited the museum while the others lingered over their coffee.

We returned down the glen and split, some returning to the bunkhouse while the others explored a peninsula with some famous beaches. The first was at Cliff, whose sands were a mixture of dark and light bands. This was followed by Reef, another enormous sweep of white sand where some of us went for a paddle.

Continuing the loop brought us to the shore of West Loch Roag opposite the bunkhouse, although it was barely visible through a shower. 19 miles.

 

TUESDAY JUNE 25: To Mealasta and the end of the road

The wind had eased so we felt able to take a more ambitious ride to the end of the road along the west coast. Again we started with the climb of Glen Bhaltois but we were able to enjoy it this time rather than concentrating on the wind. We rode around Traigh Uig, passed the Abhainn Dearg distillery and tackled our first hill with a gradient arrow on the OS map (14% to 20% gradient). The coastal roads are all lumpy! The first stop was when deer with fine antlers were spotted on a rise towards the cliffs. Next, we admired the rocky coastline, the sea stacks of Mangarsta and the Flannan Isles in the distance. Some other visitors claimed that two bumps on the horizon were St Kilda but it’s hard to believe that we could see them at 60 miles, although the direction looked plausible.

The road continued through the hamlets of Islibhig and Breanish, where we spotted a smart new building that we thought might have been Scotland’s Home of the Year. It wasn’t, in fact – that was in Stornoway. Almost nothing remains of the next hamlet, Mealasta, which suffered in the Clearances only to become a busy base in WWII with cinema and dance hall. This is now hard to believe but numerous ruins of WWII buildings dot the moor. The road ended at a slipway with a view of the island of Scarp.

Conditions there were too windy for lunch so we returned to a sandy bay with sheltered rocks and another opportunity to paddle.

 

 

The wind helped us a little on the way back but Euan had trouble with his gears and found that the front derailleur cage had snapped. He took a direct route back to the bunkhouse while others explored Mangersta. At an unhelpful signpost we chose This Way (having come That Way), passing a curious spring fed by a bottle in a sculptured arm. The road led to a NATS radio station with views of more cliffs. On the way back we saw two families of geese swimming on the loch: parents at each end of a line of goslings. 30 miles.

The sun had emerged by the time that we had finished eating and we sat outside although it was cold enough for fleeces. Anna explored the sea loch on a kayak and met an inquisitive seal.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 26: To Aird Uig and Drinishader

Our transfer would leave the shop at Tims¬garry at 14.00 so we spent the morning exploring Aird Uig. The painted wall of a disintegrating concrete building welcomed us to the village and set the tone for the structures to come. The most populated area had been a military base during the cold war and the concrete living quarters each had a water tower, which reminded me of Balnakeil by Durness. Some had been gaily painted although one looked as though they had run out of paint! The road continued to Gallan Head, which was once covered with radio aerials but now has only disused military buildings.

We descended to the Edge Café, where we were served coffee and cakes after long conversations with the staff and other guests. Revived, we returned to Timsgarry, bought food for the next two days and rushed to the café for lunch. 11 miles.

Alan from Hebridean Travel (ATS Taxis & Couriers) loaded the conventional bikes on to a trailer and stowed the e-bikes in the van. The sky had now clouded over and rain began to fall during the journey. We crossed several groups of cyclists on the main road through Lewis, presumably following the Hebridean Way. Alan unloaded the van so hastily that he drove away with Jan’s bar bag. Communication was difficult with no phone signal at the hostel but the bag was returned the following afternoon.

Alyson, who owns the 5 Drinishader hostel, greeted us and showed us around. The four women had an ensuite bunkroom downstairs while Bill and John had beds upstairs. The hostel is a short distance from the shore and we could see a jetty, islands and a fish farm through the murk.

THURSDAY JUNE 27: To Scalpay

We were barely dressed in time for the breakfast that we had ordered from Alyson. I had hoped to ride a loop around the Golden Road, which runs along the east coast of South Harris, but the wet and windy weather was not promising so we went to Scalpay instead. The ride started with the northern end of the Golden Road, which culminated in a steep climb with a cattle grid to meet the main road. That was hilly too, single track in places and exposed to a crosswind that buffeted us. A steep descent took us into Tarbert, which is a surprisingly small village.

The road to Scalpay had plenty of hills too. At Laxdale Lochs several signs marked the path to Rhenigidale, which was the only access by land to the hamlet and hostel until the road was built in 1990. Several signs advertised a gallery with coffee and “yummy cakes”, without saying where it was, but we found it housed in an unusual circular building in Caolas. Service was again slow but we used the time to admire the photos of St Kilda and the Hebridean landscape.

A short ride further brought us to the bridge to Scalpay, opened in 1997. The public toilets charged 50p but were extremely smart and offered showers as well. They were opposite the school, which had closed in the past few years. I had hoped to cross the island and visit the lighthouse, where there is a café, but that would have entailed a long walk over exposed terrain. Instead, we headed back to Tarbert in search of lunch. The wind seemed less ferocious but the hills were just as steep!

 

We ate in the Waterside Café, which was in fact opposite the bus station and not on the water at all. Rain was now falling heavily so we donned full wet weather gear for the ride back to the hostel but most people ended up with more or less sodden clothing, comparing conditions with the recent MV trip to Aberdeenshire. 23 miles. The coal stove helped to dry us out.

FRIDAY JUNE 28: Not much cycling

We ordered a later breakfast because the forecast of strong gusty winds and squally showers didn’t encourage us to plan a long ride. Barbara, Jan and Maura took the bus into Tarbert to visit a craft fair, while Anna, Bill and John set off along the Golden Road. John found the crosswinds too stressful and turned around after a couple of miles but the others continued to the Skoon Art Café in Geocrab for lunch. A closer destination, almost opposite the hostel, was the Clo Mor Harris Tweed Exhibition, mostly about clothing rather than the fabric itself.

SATURDAY JUNE 29: Drinishader to Stornoway

The wind eased this morning, thank goodness, was far less gusty and turned behind us for much of the journey! The route was simple: follow the A859 after the first few miles from Drinishader. The ride from Tarbert to Aird Asaig above the shore was hard work, almost directly into the wind. The road turned NE as it started the ascent of Clisham, which put the wind behind us. The first section was still a challenge but the gradient eased for the latter part of the climb. The first shelter for a break was the bus stop for Rhenigidale so we all squeezed inside to avoid the rain.

We still had to climb a little before a sweeping descent took us down past the Scaladale Centre, which doesn’t have a café but could surely make a fortune if they did. We rode on, passing the sign for Lewis and enjoying a tailwind that blew us along at 15 mph. We had to pedal up a hill to reach the Community Hub in Balallan, which was our first opportunity for lunch (after 26 miles). We arrived around 1300 and our party of 6 overwhelmed them! Most of us got something to eat and drink eventually. (The only other possible lunch stop in Balallan was the Island Arts Gallery and Coffee Shop, which states We especially invite weary cyclists and walkers experiencing the Hebridean Way but doesn’t obviously serve more than coffee and cakes.)

 

The wind blew us along most of the next few lumpy miles and seemed to help even when we turned north towards Stornoway. Anna, John and Maura decided that they had not ridden far enough and turned west at the junction with the A858. The first few miles towards Callanish were into the wind but this was relieved by a few interesting sights. The most notable was Crust Pizza, which was literally a pizza hut in the middle of nowhere. They were housed in a shipping container and didn’t even have tables so it was strictly takeaway food.

 

In Stornoway we all visited Lews Castle. This is an impressive Victorian building although much of the wealth used to build it came from the Chinese opium trade, which is less edifying. 47 miles. Back in the Heb hostel, the women had a room to themselves but Bill and John had to take bunks in the men’s dorm. We enjoyed a meal at La Balena to celebrate a successful week.

 

SUNDAY JUNE 30: Stornoway to home

The journey home was uneventful. We were last on to the 08.00 ferry, as usual, but not the last off, which nearly caught some people out! A pod of dolphins visited the vessel during the crossing. Gavin was waiting with the Ticket to Ride minibus for the ride to Inverness station; the road seemed less threatening but we weren’t sure whether this was due to a poor weather forecast or just because it was Sunday morning. We all had several hours to wait for our trains and filled the time with a leisurely lunch at Velocity.

 

 

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Everything worked in the end – thank goodness! The only mishaps were the breakage of Euan’s front changer and the driver making off with Jan’s bar bag.

The biggest uncertainty was the weather – the wind in particular. You can see why the XC weather app is popular in the Hebrides: it shows all the data compactly with the wind most prominent. We lost one day and had to curtail the rides on another two because of the wind. Staying in bases, rather than moving on every day, gave us more flexibility to change the programme in view of the weather. People told us that the conditions had been bad this year but we could have suffered worse. The final ride from Drinishader to Stornoway was vulnerable to the weather but we were lucky and the wind helped us on the day. In total, we rode roughly 180 miles and climbed 6000 ft. Few of the hills were really steep (marked with a gradient arrow) but we were rarely on the flat.

This trip took an enormous amount of planning for both the accommodation and transfers. These factors limited the size of the party who got “full service” to six. The minibuses saved us having to ride on the busy road to Ullapool, while the 57 mile ride between the hostels would have been a severe challenge on a bad day. Otter bunkhouse was in a lovely location but was more remote than the accommodation that John had originally planned. It was a pity that we could not book the whole of the Drinishader hostel, which would have allowed a larger party of eight to participate, although two members would have had to make their own arrangements for travel (as did Euan). We cooked our own dinners in the hostels, which worked well, helped by the excellent shop at Timsgarry. Thanks to everybody for helping and making the week so enjoyable!

Text: John
Photos: everybody
PS If anybody fancies a similar trip, please ask for the detailed trip notes.

Deeside Circuit – Castles and Cake

Thursday June 13th – Sunday June 16th

The ride progressed much as hoped, eight of us meeting at Aberdeen Station on Thursday morning. Four had spent Wednesday night in Aberdeen staying comfortably at Ibis Aberdeen-Quayside. Amazingly there was no problem with trains. We set off along the Deeside Way, Sustrans route195, which mostly follows the old railway line for 41 miles from Aberdeen to Ballater. Weather was bright and dry. The first stop was at Drum Castle where we had lunch outside from a rather slow kiosk but managed to get on a guided tour of the house. We overnighted in Banchory around 22 miles from Aberdeen staying at the Burnett Arms Hotel in the main street, Burnett being the family name of the castle dynasty. It was ok apart from two rooms being windowless and the confused breakfast orders! We left bikes in the function room.

Next morning we returned along the Dee valley for 3 miles to visit Crathes castle. The tour was self- guided but there were interesting volunteers scattered around the rooms and a wonderful walled garden which was well worth a visit. We were not able to stay too long as the next section of the ride was on a woodland track, climbing well above the river’s left bank. The battery-assisted four of us (Barbara, Judith, Bill and me) had no problem of course but felt for the four purists (Keith, Tiana, Harry and Eibhlin) who gamely put in every effort with the added discomfort of afternoon rain.

There was a long descent back to the river where we next followed the B-road on the south bank of the river as far as Aboyne (17 miles) for a very late lunch which turned into an early dinner at the Boathouse Hotel. Continuing along the B976 for a further 12 miles we arrived at Ballater Hostel for our second overnight stay. It was everything expected of a well run hostel but again no windows! We were glad we didn’t have to cook.

Saturday saw us returning for a few miles along the Dee, this time on Route 195 for about 5miles, briefly joining the A63 and then heading north on the B119 to very pretty Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve on Loch Kinord, where we stayed a couple of hours. The visitor centre described several trails which could be followed to ancient stones, stone circles and huts with a view of a crannog on the loch as well as the natural gorge and waterfall of the Burn O'Vat. We then followed the B-road to Tarland for a substantial lunch break at the Commercial Hotel.

A steady ascent on minor roads took us to Craigevar Castle (not to mention the horrible ascent up to the castle itself), only to be told we couldn’t get entry as they were understaffed and no more tours were taking place that day (entry by tour only). The man on the door was not for turning so we sat in the rain and admired the pink exterior with a coffee from the kiosk.

Six miles on we reached our destination of the Haughton Arms in Alford, where we were made comfortable and welcome. We ate a good meal at the Alford Bistro.

 

Next morning the rain was heavier - deep puddles everywhere. Another climb on minor roads took us to the river Don basin where it cut through the hills in a wooded valley down to Monymusk. We decided to push on to Castle Fraser where we followed a self-guided tour, again with knowledgeable volunteers adding to the experience. Lunch was in the old kitchen. Keith and Tiana left here to return to Aberdeen from Kintore where they were catching a ship to Shetland, whereas the rest of cycled to Inverurie (27 miles) to catch the train to Abeerdeen. Eibhlin managed to get an early train home by the skin of her teeth whereas the rest of us had a few hours of hanging about at Costa but everyone got home safely that night.

To sum up, good company, interesting castles, lovely scenery and amazing broom, variable but adequate accommodation. If possible, in future, try and avoid carrying luggage everyday.

Elaine

 

Borders DayRide

Saturday 4th May

The dull overcast sky wasn't the sunny sky that we had hoped for in early May but there was hardly a breeze and the rain kept off. The company was excellent with plenty banter and chat throughout the day.

We gathered in the Abbey Car Park in Melrose, 10 of us in all, 5 on e-bikes and 5 on accoustics bikes including Keith's recumbent bike. The consensus at the end of the day was that we managed the combination of ebikes and accoustics bikes well.

We headed off towards Leaderfoot followed by a climb up to Scott's View then down past Dryburgh Abbey to cross the River Tweed. Through Newtown St Boswells and Bowden and then a long climb up through Midlem to the Lindean Nature Reserve where we had our picnic and watched braver souls than ourselves emerge from a wild swim in the reservoir. By that stage we had the worst of the climbing over and enjoyed a leisurely cycle to Selkirk and onwards to Abbotsford Visitors Centre for tea, Selkirk bannock and cakes. Kamoot route

A 10 minute cycle got us to Tweedbank for the 4:45 train.

Eibhlin
Photos: Kathy

Inaugural Ride

Sunday 24th March

We were so lucky - a glorious window in the weather! Six cyclists emerged blinking into the sunshine - all overdressed as they couldn't quite believe that 10 degrees would actually feel like 10 degrees!

We started from Cramond Brig and cycled to South Queensferry via the Dalmeny Estate. We found that half of South Queensferry were out on an organised walk with kids and dogs making the final leg of the estate quite a challenge. We didn't stop there but continued westwards through the Hopetoun estate to Abercorn Church and then took the cycle route to Blackness. Having half an hour to spare, we took the opportunity to wander to the castle and back to the Lobster Pot where we'd booked lunch.

In spite of the seafood sandwich not being available, we managed to amass a colourful array of seafood and soup which we washed down with coffee and conversation.

We returned on the inland route via Philptoun and Kirkliston back to Crammond Brig. 25 miles in all.

The cyclists were Harry, Julie, Keith A, Maura, Tiana and Vic. We were joined by Sheelagh and Jenny at the venue.

Tiana
Photo: Maura

 

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