Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Having made our way through Aberdeen we headed down the coast to the camp site marked on the map at Cove Bay. After much looking around and asking we established that there was actually no camp there. This was the first time the maps had let us down. No trouble we thought. We will just get a hotel for the night. The first big hotel we found was fully booked but the girl rang around and eventually after some anxious moments found us a room at the Cove Bay Hotel- our first night in a bed since we left the hotel in Colchester. Making our way down the coast we passed through the town of Stonehaven, where we walked up to the remains of the Dunnotter castle, which is built right out on the coast. All these towns were old fishing villages with protected harbours still used today. Approaching Dundee we banged into Colin who was a local cyclist who helped us negotiate our way through the city. He also took us to see Captain Robert Scott's ship 'Discovery' which was built in Dundee and visited Port Chalmers on the way to the Southern Ocean. We decided that we didn't want the hassle with all the traffic coming into Edinburgh so we caught the train the last few kms into the central city. We were lucky to have somewhere to stay, as it is right in the middle of the internationally famous Edinburh Festival and Military Tattoo and accomodation is almost impossible. Chas' friend Trevor, rang an old friend in Edinburgh and she has put us up for three nights, which has been wonderful. Without it we would have to have caught the train straight through Edinburgh and out the other side without stopping. More on Edinburgh in the next post.

"Our tent" for the night in Cove Bay

Stonehaven harbour

Stonehaven Harbour

Dunnotter Castle

Dunnotter Castle

Fields of grain, abundant in this area

Still on the route...!!

Scotts' Discovery

The route onto the Tay Bridge at Dundee involved going up a lift!!!

Tay Bridge looking towards Dundee

Obstacles encountered by cycle tourers.....

Small town of Burntisland

Forth Road bridge into Edinburgh

Inverness to Aberdeen... mostly in the rain!

Travelling from Inverness to Nairn was terrific riding on back country roads but always with threatening rain clouds and the occasional sun breaking through. Making our way east through small villages like Hopeman and Buckie we experienced extremely rough weather and the North Sea showed a little bit of its fiery nature. We had to smile at a small advertisement which said " our wool is spun into organic sweaters, cardigans and rugs". Continuing east along the northern coast the weather into Banff was horrific, with the sea crashing over the sea walls onto the road. However it cleared later for a really pleasant ride through a valley to Turriff. The weather this summer has been one of the worst for a long time, with Aberdeen having twice its August rain in the first 10 days of the month, and major flooding all over Scotland. Despite the inclement weather we have kept on pedalling through some magnificent country to reach Aberdeen and hope to be in Edinburgh to enjoy some of the events during the Edinburgh festival.

Inverness

Inverness castle

Black Isle organic beer brewed near Inverness

Carvings of the Gruffalo and other creatures in the woods

Impressive rail viaduct near Nairn

Chas enjoying some brief sunshine

Elgin cathedral ruins

Does this picture tell a story??? Yes the weather was a trifle inclement

North Sea fury

Gidday...

Buckie fishing village

View from our tent at Portsoy

Buckie waterfront

Interpretation panel on an old rail trail we followed

Rail trail- a bit greener than Otago Central  rail trail

Into Aberdeen

Bridge across the River Dee, Aberdeen

Aberdeen harbour

How's this for a fog horn!!!  Aberdeen harbour entrance

Last day Orkney ... onto the Scottish mainland

The sun finally came out as we made our way down South Ronaldsay to John O'Groats ferry terminal. What a fantastic place the Orkney islands are. Small villages, islands joined by the Churchill barriers from WW2 and very lush farming country- lots of happy cows. Sorry to have left the Orkneys. We arrived at john O'Groats and then headed across the northern coastline towards Tongue. Lots of hills, very remote roads, crossing wind swept highland country. Great bike riding, travelling through some old Scottish villages. The task ahead is to work our way down through mainland Scotland, leaving Inverness tomorrow after a day off.

St Marys, Orkney

Churchill barriers, Orkney

Churchill barriers, Orkney

Ferry to mainland Scotland

Leaving Orkney behind

The other side of the ditch... mainland Scotland

Sunset at John O'Groats

Thurso

No need for a parking place !!

Wild camping beside Loch Nevar

At least this hill is going down...

Over "one of the most remote roads in the highlands"

Old stone bridge

Shin Falls- famous in the area for salmon spawning

Another old bridge

Guess where Chas is?

Tain main street

Tain primary school

Picking wild raspberries

8th century Pictish carving

Last ferry of the trip from Nigg to Cromarty

We are still on the right route...!!!