brechin & montrose

My sister had made me part of the plan to get big Al out the house so Karen could prepare the house for us (socially distanced) friends and family, the plan was myself and nephew Richard would take big al for a long walk, then have a couple (in Scotland a couple of beers could mean a dozen!)of beers at a local boozer, while Karen got help from her other sons kenny and Charlie to put up the gazebos balloons and BBQ, I thoroughly enjoyed this walk along the shore of the river Esk, the river was properly in spate the angry looking fast brown water was scary, the river in spate added A thrill factor to the walk, we went over a shoogly wire bridge then the path was close to the waters edge, a narrow forest track very close at times to an edge where you could fall into that angry river, this walk was part of what’s known as the blue door walk, which is at the border between the districts of Angus and Aberdeenshire, I loved it was great to be out walking instead of cycling also out in company, most great walks end with a walk right into a boozer, once at Ricky’s local in Edzell we were on instructions from Karen not to let Allan have too many, she would text Ricky when the coast was clear for his return for his surprise

Karen and Allen having sold their Scottish home were packing up their belongings into a big white van that they would be driving to Bulgaria soon, they were busy! They still looked after me those few days, Karen making sure I had everything I required, My friend Andrew knew my plans and asked if we could meet for beers in Montrose, I readily accepted that offer and told him a few places he could stay, this was fine with Karen also as her and Allan would join us out for dinner then leave me out on the beer, they could then get on with organising a life’s worth of stuff into one van load, dinner was really good and so was the evening out, it seemed like the world was returning to normal, there was music on and drunk people it wasn’t quiet Mo`fest the excellent towns annual music festival yet, but definitely a step in the right direction

Even though I had gave my nephew kenny the two front panniers of the daunder meaning I was carrying much less, it still as always seemed to take me an age to pack in the morning, perhaps this was due to the rain outside! Karen had checked the weather forecast and said it was going to be on and off rain all day, I wasn’t overly bothered about that I knew this next section of cycling well all the way into Dundee, where I would briefly cycle over the road bridge into a section I had not yet done, putting on the cape almost immediately I set of the back road towards the house of Dun then into Montrose, just before midday

Pondering briefly which part of Scotland I had spent the most time in except home, the town of Montrose is up there, I nearly bought a bar there once I visited that often, family visits and firefighter training mostly, I think it’s a great place I chose my route to pass by some memories as I went through, with Karen and Allen going away and me not doing firefighting will I be back? Montrose basin is a nearly circular tidal basin which makes up part of the estuary of the River South Esk covering 750 hectares, home to over 80,000 migratory birds the water from this basin fills and empties under the railway bridge then the road bridge daily, I smiled as a train went over the rail bridge as I cycled the roadside path over, stopping to text a few former workmates who laugh due to me saying the same stuff on the happy train home as we had end of work beers, I would apparently always say at this point in the journey, I’m texting my sis and did I tell you I nearly bought the bar down there! Very happy memmories

The rain came on heavier as I cycled out and through Ferryden as the road undulated and weaved through farm land, then the wind picked up it wasn’t always in my face but it was never at my back, some of the small rivers had burst their banks, it was half past two in the afternoon when I arrived into Arbroath, the weather was if anything getting worse, when Karen said it was raining all day I never thought to ask (and she never said) about the wind, when I check a weather forecast it’s the wind that’s more important to me, wind and rain combined is never an enjoyable day on the bike, I had previously cycled all of the next section of the route to Dundee, its reasonably flat and traffic free I could do it easily and make Dundee to find a place to stay?

At the start of the day my end goal was to cycle to St Andrews then camp, no way would that be happening now, as I felt neither of these two choices were gonna be fun in this weather, I decided I would have a pint near Arbroath train station, where I could price a return train ticket home from Arbroath? Thirty-two pounds seventy pence for a return with my auld boy discount card. I could be home in a couple of hours have a pint at my local pub that night and be in my comfy big bed, then use the return ticket to come back to the route in a few days, or I could continue on in the wind and rain for two days?

It was approaching six months since I was last home, the thought of getting into my big heavy duvet after a few hours down my local boozer was too inviting! I couldn’t resist, psychologically I found countless ways to justify getting that train, promising myself I would return to complete this mission, while reminding myself that I had previously cycled this section anyway, the ticket was bought and I boarded the big LNER train, the lady that was a train guard sent me to the wrong door originally, I had to make a mad dash and a rushed boarding to get on the right door for bicycles, this cost me a good glove; I only noticed I had dropped it once the train had left the station, these trains cycle racks are the type you need place the front wheel on a high up hook, I didn’t want to do this as it would mean taking of all the pannier’s for a reasonably short train journey to Edinburgh, I shoved the daunder into a slot next to another bike where it was secure enough but the back end hung out a bit, when the guard approached he was initially unhappy about this, he asked me if I had made a bike reservation which of course I hadn’t, because I had made my booking though my scotrail app minutes before boarding and had not seen if there was a way to make a bike reservation on the app, I told him I would happily get off the train if another bike came on, he was ok with that and it justified my not taking of the paniers, he instructed me that I had to stay next to the bike for the duration of my journey if I was to remain on his train! Nae bother pal;

At Leuchars a couple were standing at the platform with drybags! I initially thought these were for cycles when they boarded! I was getting ready to get off but fortunately they had no bikes, I asked the fella what the big dry bags were for? Turns out they were pack rafts him and his girlfriend had been having a Packraft holiday in Scotland on three different rivers, he stayed standing chatting with me next to my bike all the way into Edinburgh, where I switched platforms and trains for the final thirty minute train journey home, on this train I got chatting with a young polish cyclists who had been living in Bo’ness the last few years but was going home to Poland soon, I’ve learned that having your bicycle on a train is often a conversation starter with like-minded folk and explorers,