Scottish C2C MTB: Days 5-7

Day 5: Braemar to Glen Tanar

Easyish day to Glen Tanar leaving Braemar by track past Lions Face then short road section before picking up forest tracks following R Dee to Balmoral.  Over hill to Easter Balmoral then back roads (close encounter with Buzzards) and forest trails to Ballater for lunch. After a snooze on the green,  took Deeside way to Dinnet then roads and farm tracks to start of Glen Tanar for leisurely (and in places not so leisurely) ride through more Caledonian pines by sun dappled Water of Tanar.  Halfway Hut seemed a bit too cosy for the night so camped in woods by the river and in the company of a lot of flies!
35 miles today. Total 131 miles.  39 miles to Montrose. 

Day 6: On to Glen Esk

After a wet night we faced down the morning  midgefest by encasing ourselves in thick clothing and headnets and sweated our way to the foot of Mt Keen. If you ever read a book which says it's a good idea to take a mountain bike up here,  tear out the relevant pages, douse then in petrol and burn them under an oxy-acetylene flame. Then if there are any ashes left, crush them and give them to a hobbit to throw into the fires of a volcano. The lad in the Ballater bike shop said we could look forward to a 2hr push. We scoffed. Even after 45 minutes and half the ascent done, we poopooed the idea. At 2 hrs we crested the shoulder and decided we should probably listen to the local knowledge in future. The continuing route to the summit looked like more of the same and we (mostly) rode the singletrack round the side, finally crossing into Glen Mark. The descent was full of excitement with screaming brakes and the momentum of the trailers pushing us on. We came to rest opposite Queen Vic's well and snoozed in the sun for an hour in this beautiful glen whilst the Blairgowrie ladies walking group went up and back. Some pleasant riding to a house advertising tea and ice cream which we eagerly partook of before skirting the Hill of Rowan (? The one with the cone on) to Tarfside, encountering a large grouse shooting party a bit too close for comfort.  A sign advertising hot food until 6, 1 mile down the glen tempted us on, only to find that during the week they shut at 5 (but apparantly it needed more paint to write that!)
We had one more hill to cross but after the shooting party incident,  we decided to lose the last 6km more off road and carried on to Glenesk campsite and a shower. 25 miles.

Day 7: The Sea

Lots of rain night but sunny morning. I'd promised Hilary breakfast in  the Tuck Inn (I know how to show a girl a good time) but when we arrived at 9.30 it was shut. A chap on a bike pointed us at a cafe further along the road and we had an unsatisfactory cup of tea and yesterday's scones. Then roads to Montrose and the beach, including a green lane that prematurely ended in a field of barley. 

Total distance,  including a back track on the dead end track this morning,  175 miles.

Scottish C2C MTB - days 3 & 4.

Yesterday easy start from Newtonmore to Kingussie,  Ruthven Barracks, Tromie Bridge and through to Glen Feshie. Some new bike (?) track on east side of river was in places challenging with trailers. Stopped at Ruigh Ateachain for lunch and shelter from rain then past land slips and up and across the feshie and back followed by more up  to camp above waterfall (can't remember name). Lots of rain and black clouds of midges last night rather spoilt the plan to sit out and watch the sun set whilst sipping a chilled pinot.

Rain had stopped by morning but midges still thronging outside tent. Broke a spoke just after setting off. It wouldn't break off at rim so is currently wrapped around a good spoke out of the way.  Took 4 hrs to cross bealach between Glen Feshie and The Geldie Burn including a navigational anomaly which resulted in 1km push through heather. Oops. Start of LRT was welcome sight though trailers performed really well over boggy sections and on river crossings. Another 2 hrs saw us outside Taste.. and 5 minutes later slurping juice and tea. Pitched tents, done washing and sitting outside curry house. Off to Fife Arms next if one of us can stay awake! Ballater tomorrow then Tarfside and Montrose on Friday. 96 miles done. 74 left.

Scottish C2C MTB

Set off from Corpach yesterday morning.  Followed canal to Gairlochy, then Spean Bridge where Hilary got thronged by a group of road bikers doing a lejog and admiring her new Cotic BeFe. Eventually dragged her away and headed for Roy Bridge where we sampled fine coffee and cake before riding up Glen Roy. Met some lads (16 and 17 yrs) who were just finishing Aberdeen to Ft William C2C on MTBs in 4 days. Impressive.

Spent cosy night in Luib-Chonnal bothy. Notes from TGO challengers in book ( you know who you are!) Farmer called by this morning to ask if we'd seen his cows. They'd surrounded the bothy last night in a slightly threatening way but had mood err moved on this morning.

Took about 40 minutes to get bikes, trailers and bags across stream and over the stile followed by strenuous ride (in sideways rain) and push up to watershed and down to Shesganan where there were more cows having shenanigans.  Nice ride to Melgarve bothy for lunch and short snooze. Then onto Garva Bridge. Road towards Laggan then popped over to Strath Mashie.  Called in at Laggan Wolftrax for a brew and venison burger (omnonnom) then more road up a never ending hill to Glentruim to meet national cycle route 7 by A9 into Newtonmore and the ever welcoming Hostel. Clean again and off to pub. Glen Feshie tomorrow, Braemar Tuesday.  Will post pics when we get home. 58 miles so far.