Montrose to Kingussie cycle

 

There are routes that are so good that we need to do them at least once a year. This is one of them. Lucky for us, my random day off coincided with a mini heatwave. Lately we have preferred to wait until the last minute and check the weather before booking anything, a bit risky since by then there would not be affordable accommodation nor transport available, but this time everything fell into place for this mini adventure and gosh I needed some quality time out, far away from everyone. It was immensely pleasurable, nothing went wrong and we had the time of our lives (apart from the last stream crossing incident...). 

 

Montrose to Ballater via Mt Keen– 90 km

Friday 24 April

The train took us to Montrose at 9.30am. The check in was at 5pm, so we took it easy and tried to waste time every time we could (last time we got in Ballater early we were freezing waiting for check in time...). This time the weather was warm and nice but we didn't want to test our lack.

The first occasion presented itself in Edzell: the Sinclair's Larder. We stopped once before and we knew we would go safe, indeed the raspberry scone didn't disappoint.

From there it was all known territory up – we were following a tiny and scenic road up to where the road is no more. We got on the path to Mt Keen and started pushing when it got too steep. I actually enjoy pushing the bike and was having a lovely time just looking around the mountains, the higher the better. 

 

We then got on them to contour the hill and when the steep and rocky descent started we pushed again. There were no many people around, but we met 2 gentlemen walking up who looked at us like we came from the moon. “Tell us everything!” The fact that you can get bikes on train, then cycle / push up a hill and keep going to a different destination, and do this day after day, kind of blew their minds. We were officially their heroes (not least because Paul is well over 50 and I'm a women therefore I must suck by default...).

Morale boosted off we went again, having our lunch by the path (and checking out a fire in the distance, man made like controlled as it turned out), before pushing on to the bottom where we got back on the saddle and cruised along a beautiful (and rocky) track along the forest. We reached Ballater just before 5 pm, but the weather was still so good that we stopped at the park by the church to drink the recovery drink, did out shopping at the Coop and then we finally checked in one of my favourite hostels. What a spectacular day!

Ballater to Kingussie via Glen Feshie– 83 km

Saturday 25 April

We were both looking for the second day and the bit along Glen Feshie, which we have only did once like 6 years ago. We knew it was tough but it must be like when you give birth – you forget the pain and just keep the memory.

We set off on another sunny day and powered on on the road to Braemar (you don;t want to cycle that one when it gets busy...). We were still trying to waste time and we grabbed a coffee at the Coop, drank it in the sunshine and then keep going on the road to Linn of Dee where the gravel started.

It was a sunny day and we were enjoying ourselves a lot, not least because there was nobody around apart from the random cyclist. We stopped at the Bothy to eat a slice of cake, then pushed on until we got to the “push the bike” bit. From there on we didn't meet a soul. I still can;t believe that there are still places where you can walk / cycle for hours without meeting a soul, I love Scotland!

The push the bike bit was quite long and we had our lunch sitting on the path and just enjoying looking around.

A bit later we got on the rickety bridge (I'm glad we were in 2) and then started the descent on this messy path that eventually turned into a kind of gravel track. We got to the 3 streams and the water shoes went on. I didn't remember the streams to be so deep and wide, and the water was freezing cold, but we made it (just about...) and got a bar while waiting for the feet to dry out.

From there it was all cyclable and a pleasure to ride, on this tiny road that was snaking its way down the glen. We then got on another gravel track up a hill and then down. To our surprise there was a tiny stream crossing there (neither of us remembered it). I couldn't be bothered to change shoes again (despite having lots of time to kill...). Me idiot, I tried to hope on the rocks and got both shoes soaked. I spent the remaining time to Kingussie cursing myself – it was not cold but wet feet is a recipe for disaster...

We finally got in Kingussie with an hour to spare. We got some food at the Coop and sat on a bench in the sun drying out shoes and socks (water shoes back on...) until the magic Ember bus arrived. This has been revolutionary as it takes bikes (and works way better than the train). We got back home 1h later and got a full refund without even asking for it!!! Please keep the money and don't go bust!!!

Back home it was the usual feeling of “did we really do that?”. So good it can't be true!