TGOC 2005 Braemar (Inverey) to the Finish (Montrose)

So after a hectic start it was time to relax and bimble to the coast at a leisurely pace.

YES, IF ONLY! 🤦‍♂️

Hit that Play button and DRIVE to the Coast
IT IS PART of the Experience Baby
No background Music , the journey ain't right!
AND - Jeez look at the thickness of those strings 😨

Day 07 Thu - Braemar Inverey to around the Stables of Lee 
(Glen Lee) [44km 1500m]

So we set off about 7.00 am, into a crisp morning.
Taking the road all the way to Braemar.
Yes I know, when I became sooooo much wiser I went via the wonderful woods.

I left Bruce in Braemar and went for a cup of Coffee at a small shop inside the courtyard that was luckily open.

A brief cup and then I headed off over the Lion's Face and down the road to cross the Invercauld Bridge.

Headed off through the forest trails to Gelder Shiel (I would visit here again on Stormy Monday a few years later)

My pictures drop off now.
Don't know why.
Banging out ridiculous hard yards I guess.

It was a warm day despite the clouds, and TBH I had no idea what my final destination would be.

I even contemplated heading up to Lochnagar from this side and camping high, but in the end I didn't.

I cracked on down the wide rocky LRT to come out at the Spittal.
You'll know that track if you've been there.
A real knee thumper.

Luckily for me with a sodding great pack, I hadn't reached the knee operation phase of my life (that was going to start in 2007 and finish in 2010, so far, although about my current RIGHT niggling cartilage 🤦‍♂️).

Had I actually planned any of this route?
TBH, I don't remember.

I headed on up the Allt Darrie, with the intention of going over and stopping at the Sheilin of Mark Bothy.

Had a sit down by that rock

My first attempt at navigating this bit, I took a bearing (the number now eludes me, but was one of 105 deg, 111 deg or something else from where the river splits), that had been given to me by the rather wonderful David Towers.

No idea how I managed it, but it was BANG on, and I dropped down to the bothy at approx 17.30 hrs, on a sunny evening.

Not a sole about, so I had a decent rest here, sitting outside the bothy.
When I say NOT a sole about it wasn't exactly surprising was it.
This was the 1st Thu (day 7) of the TGOC, and I was already at the Sheilin of Mark bothy 🤷‍♂️

It gets worse...

I decided as it was still lovely, I would crack on and ignore the pain.
I felt sure that the little pimple of Muckle cairn would go easily, so I headed off, without a thought of where I would camp...

And thus it was (no pictures sadly), I headed up.
This turned out to take rather longer than I had expected, what with carrying a sodding great pack still, and also being totally buggered.

BUT, up and over I went....

And down and down those bloody LRT tracks the other side.

And down and down until I got to the bottom the other side.

Now I mention the stables of Lee, but I think I actually stopped somewhere about 1 km short of here, OR it may have been just past.
TBH I have no bloody idea.
By the time I got to where I put up the wee Saunders tent, it was about 19.45

I was totally shattered, and found a tiny patch of grass just big enough off the left of the main track, with a smidgen of water flowing nearby.
I have been tis way several times since, and have never really worked out where it was.

Maybe a brighter sole than I, that can remember these places can give me an idea.

The image below shows another dreadful pitching of the tent.

I didn't even cook food.

I remember eating my entire supply of Mars bars (which I believe was 5), and then falling asleep, waking up only to feel somewhat sick, and then about 4.00 am by the sound of several Land Rovers thundering by on the wider track, and then I was asleep again.

Day 08 Fri- Somewhere up Glen Lee to Edzell via Tarfside (31.5 km 380m)

I was up early (mainly because of thundering vehicles), didn't bother with breakfast, and headed on up the valley towards the loch.

Past the end of the Loch to Kirkton

A beautiful day with beautiful skies, and hot.

Carrying on , I headed up the road and then the track to Westbank, for some reason here, taking the wrong track round the bottom past the house, not the route I should have taken.

I can't remember what time I got to Tarfside.

Last time I had been here was in 1995 on my 1st TGOC and then I had stayed at St Drostan's in a lovely bed.

Today (being the 2nd Fri) it was shut.
Now't here.
I tried to borrow a coin from someone to use the phonebox to phone in, but the only person I saw didn't have one.

There was nothing for it, but to crack on via Glen Esk.

BUT, not spotting the 1st bridge, I carried on up the road all the way to Milden Lodge. I had seen this bridge on the map, but there appeared no way in.

I carried on past, and then climbing a gate, I walked up the path (DRIVEWAY 🤦‍♂️) and then via what I expect was the garden to go across the rickety black bridge. The one with the warning on it NOT to use (yeah, yeah...)
At the other end it was padlocked shut, but I had come this far...
So taking life in hand, I climbed over the side of spiky bits and round.
Dropped my pack from a tottering position and then jumped down.
Somehow all without injury, death or being shouted at.

I scurried across the ground and up to the track the other side of the Esk.

And then, ON and ON into Edzell.

I went all the way to Edzell coming in via the well ploughed path to Lochside.

It was still Fri, and obviously no Challengers.

I made my way down the high street and found a B&B near the post office.

This as it happens was rather fine, and my first chance for a wash in a couple of days.

I peeled my socks off and replaced the huge quantities of tape on my feet after a really good soak, then went out to the pub for a solitary meal.

NOTE to self :  Try to find more company in future

Day 09 Sat - Edzell to Montrose (21km 141m)

Not much to say today really, and NO pictures.
At least, NONE that I can find

I was up by 08.00 for breakfast, said goodbye to the lovely landlady, and headed off directly out of town, under the arch and along the road to Montrose.

It was just banging out hard yards at pace now.
The fun was gone and I just wanted to get to the end.
All road, and some main road 🤦‍♂️, my only stop was a shop on the right hand side as I headed down the hill at Hillside to buy some chocolate and some Irnbru

Then a horrid noisy smelly bit of main road into Montrose over the bridge.

I was back in Montrose at the Park, signing in and out by just after midday.
Grabbed my goodies, had a beer, and by 14.30 I was already on the train home at what even today, would be a bleeding expensive fare. I think it was just over £100.

Nobody to talk to, no post TGOC banter.

I changed at Peterborough, and then Ely, and was collected from Cambridge.

It was the 2nd Saturday (Braemar Saturday, singing and fun Saturday)
and I was back home in my own house by 20.00

It was my 2nd successful crossing.
My feet were in tatters on the heels.
BUT I had done it.

That was it, off the bucket list.

No need to do any of that shit again EVER was there?

HOW LITTLE I KNEW

HOW MUCH I HAD TO LEARN

AND

HOW MANY FRIENDS I HAD TO MAKE

(2006 is pending when ....... Wait and see)