Day 2. 1/6/2014. Cycle Glen Esk to Cruden Bay. Distance cycled 132.9km. Ascent 904m. Cumulative distance cycled 208.0km. Cumulative ascent 1625m.
Upper Glenesk.
A wonderful morning with clear blue skies and 17 deg made a great start to the day. The downhill section to Edzell also contributed to the easy start. The bird song all the way down Glen Esk and beyond was quite amazing with many different songs detectable. Cuckoo, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Oyster Catcher were the most common. The weather was kind just about all day with the increasing wind blowing in the right direction especially at the end of the day for the lumpy bit from Newburgh to Cruden bay.
From just north of Edzell we headed for Auchenblae where the hoped for new cafe in The Old Police Station was still a building site. We bought some bits and pieces from the local shop and sat on a bench in the sun by a fountain while we had our break.
From Auchenblae we made for Stonehaven where we lunched at the Kirkton garden centre. From Stonehaven we went north to Maryculter where we crossed the Dee and joined the Cycle track on the old railway line along Deeside to the western outskirts of Aberdeen. This made for good progress with the comparatively flat alignment and no traffic.
We followed quiet roads around the west of Aberdeen but had to make an on foot crossing of the A96 at one point. Cycle tracks beside the road to Dyce led on to another old railway line that we followed for quite a while before turning off it to head northwest to Newburgh and then Cruden Bay.
Katherine and Gavin had been watching our progress via the Tracker software so they knew exactly when we would arrive. Katherine was outside, camera poised as we came up their drive. We had a very pleasant meal and night with Katherine and Gavin.
Woods at Invermark.
Deeside cycle track.
Cycle track north of Dyce.
Arriving at Katherine's.
Click map to see full details of this day's ride in Ride With GPS.
