Brechin
to Westhill
Waking at Karen and Allan’s house knowing that
the hardest parts of the cycling were now done was great. Also I knew there
would be a nice breakfast and they have great taste in coffee all meant it was
a pleasant morning, except my sister had to work doing various conference calls
from her house, this actually worked out ok as I required to use the WIFI
especially for emails from work, I was expecting details on how my proposed
test for coronavirus would be conducted along with confirmation the hotel was
booked for two nights or it would be a cold park bench in Aberdeen that night!
Emails wassap Instagram along with a bit of route checking. Still gutted about
losing the map and frustrated at my inability to receive data on my phone made
navigation to the hotel in westhill an issue, easy to see the route typed up on
a screen with a simple search but that would not be available once on route,
being auld and no so internet savvy I made yet another blunder pen and paper
for directions! Screen shots would defo have been the way forward (hey ho you
live and learn) Karen made us soup and rolls for lunch it was fantastic my
nephew kenny came around to say bye, I eventually finished packing, with watch
and phone now fully charged along with a full belly all was good
Once in
Montrose I was unsure if it would be possible to get down to some shore side
cycle path I tried going down the road beside the airport museum, this is a
place I have previously visited and would like to visit again one day, no
surprise that the museum and its road to the beach were shut! a return to the
main road it was then staying on the road side path for as long as I could, It was
eventually on to the busy B-road, thankfully spotting the entrance to the start of
a cycle path a few mile out of town, it was a gravelly path but nice to be off
the road, then a huge bonus of it joining up the route of a disused railway
line that went over an impressive large viaduct looking way down on the main
road and the river far below
At the
north end of the viaduct is a millennium post then a cycle route sign post, the
sign post pointed downhill below the viaduct to the nature reserve beach, and
also onto the main road both the same route, the nature reserve being longer
with a steep uphill to the town of st Cyrus, knowing this town well due to my
sister having once lived there, I felt no need to visit especially by bicycle
along a main road, the sign also said I could get to jonshaven the next town
both ways same distance no mention of hill? Hoping for a shore path to
jonshaven I opted for the beach, at the far end of this beautiful beach a road
rises steeply from sea level to st Cyrus, a path does head along the shore
but it’s a walking path I took it a short distance and spoke to a walker, according
to him it was a no goer for a bike like mine, back i went to go up the steep hill it
was then, steep hills are no real problem for the daunder it has very low gearing, 
unfortunately
the rain came on a bit giving me the opportunity to trial the new cape I had
bought, it was a sweaty beast thick plastic which would make a good tarp for
roadside bivvy but it was a sweat factory on an uphill cycle, the view from the top
was fantastic the rain stopped the cape packed away again and photos taken of
the lovely country house and gardens no regrets with trying the beach road 
It
would have been a lot quicker sticking with the main road as I knew this road
well along with the main street of picturesque town of St Cyrus, once through
the town I was stuck on that main B road verge for a long time two hours seems
like a long time cycling on main roads, I did stop briefly at the big bite in
gourdon (och aye the noo) which was unfortunately shut, but I managed to get a
shop in Inverbervie for snacks and drinks and photos of the cutty sark bow, which brought back happy memories of previous
visits to that town in Grassic gibbon country, who is the author of my second favorite audio-book if any of the readers can guess my favourite audio-book of all time? I shall buy them a beer/dram or wine of their choice
As I
cycled along this route I came across some cows very close to the road they
were all looking at me but seemed unafraid and stayed their ground which was unusual
this close, the very next field had some horses they all had winter blankets on
even though it was June, there was two girls stopped and were stroking their
noses feeding them with something just walkers obviously that had stopped to
pet the lovely horses, I wondered by what fate of history did these two similar
mammals get the difference between a good deal and a shit deal cows are used but horses are worshiped its bizarre to me!
The
pleasant country road came to a strange end as the road went on to join the
busy A90 where the cycle path went back on itself 220yds according to a sign to
cross the road, I could clearly see Stonehaven way down at sea level in the
distance and the area I wanted to be to pick up the B979 at the far end of town
near the new section of A90 which you are not allowed to cycle on, it looked a
long way away to town, I guessed (wrongly) the cycle path would go down and
through town to come back up the other end and join this road (partially true)
without going into too much detail I ended up cycling along a short section of
the old A90 before finding the roundabout where I could join the B979, some
motorists were a touch irate about this I got a couple of toots argh well!
The signposts
at the roundabout were great for motorists I could clearly see where I should
drive for my destination, but the old backroad had no sign for my next
destination Peterculter? I went up a hill decided I better go back and be sure,
I stopped a girl who was cycling up she was uncertain about Peterculter but
knew that road I had come back from would take me the back way to Aberdeen, off
I went a pleasant enough back road except for two boy racers, after two or
three mile on this road a cycle sign for cycle route number one appeared at a
turning to the right under the new bypass road A90, I stopped at this junction!
I know Aberdeen well and know that national cycle route one goes right through
the centre down by the harbour, whereas I was heading to westhill at the far
end of town!? Dilemmas no data no map no screen shot? was I on the right road
should I just take the cycle route then head for Dyce and westhill once at the
town centre?
Karen
had gave me two boiled eggs with some chopped onion in a bag I had crisps to go
with this, along with some juice from the shop I had stopped at, a wee scoff
while thinking this over was in order, after peeling the eggs I spotted a
delivery van turning into my junction! Old school ask someone was the only way,
I flagged it down as it slowed for the turn and asked for help very politely
explaining my dilemma, the van driver looked like the TV chef Ainsley Harriot.
He was very helpful he checked his mobile phone for directions, stick with the
road you were on mate the B979 don’t take this one as it goes into town the
AB39. Excellent it helped me enjoy my lunch all the more in the knowledge I was
on the right road, and ponder if other people ever stopped to ask strangers for
directions anymore?
The country
road had no signs saying westhill I passed a few roads shooting right and left with
absolutely nothing but the occasional farm house left or right for five or six
mile I came to a roundabout, yet again no sign for westhill I took a guess at turning
right towards Aberdeen came to a garden centre then a big welcome to westhill
sign YESss now to find the hotel, I first came to the huge industrial estates
with firstly totals offices and then many of the other major players in the north
sea but no hotels I discovered a big Tesco and remembered that from the last
time I had stayed there and went for a jog around town, I’ve stayed a few times
at different hotels and always had a jog around, yet again I resorted to asking
a couple if they knew where the hotel was they did and gave me good directions
to the service station along the main road sure enough that’s where it was, I had
arrived it was half seven, around six and half hours cycling,
First thing
first I went to the service station spar for beer and discovered they have a
truly wonderful selection of beers I purchased a few for my room, once at
reception due to covid many things had changed you never went near reception
you were pointed to a table to retrieve an envelope with your name on it, I asked
if it were ok to take my bike to my room so as to prepare it for going as hold
luggage which was fine, up the elevator to the third floor for me and the
daunder some team
Days work done beer and text time
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