TGO Challenge 21/05/26

Day 14, Brechin to Scurdie Ness (Montrose)

A grey morning that started to rain as I packed up my tent, unfortunately wet, but it cleared up after an hour or so and it was a pleasant, warm, day.

A glimpse of Kinaird Castle

Not much to say about today's walk really. There was a short stretch on the main road from Brechin to the locked gate at Kinaird Park which was easily climbed.

The stables behind Kinaird Castle 

I was walking with John Sanderson who had also stayed at Brechin campsite and we continued through the park and past the castle to the nearest exit which unfortunately had an unclimbable gate.

Montrose Harbour 

A short detour then took us to the road for the walk to the main road. At the main road John went a different way to his finish at Elephant Rock and I continued towards Ferryden.

Fishermen's cottages Ferryden

There is a Scottish Wildlife Trust visitor centre and look out for bird watching on the Montrose Basin which advertised coffee. I didn't take much persuasion!

Scurdie Ness Lighthouse 

Out to Scurdie Ness on the road through the old fishing village and then the path to the Lighthouse.

TGO cairn

There is a cairn at the point that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Challenge in 2005 which makes it a good finishing point.

Mouth of the South Esk

The dolphins were feeding in the river mouth and I sat on a convenient bench and watched them for a while before retracing my steps to the main road for the walk into Montrose.

Montrose Rail bridge 

Central Montrose

The Park Hotel was full of Challengers old an new discussing their exploits over the last fortnight and I checked into my room to prepare for a good night tonight.

Challenge Dinner 

TGO Challenge 20/05/26

Day 14, Kirriemuir to Brechin.

A bright and beautiful day with the wind behind me and a few showers that stayed in the hills.

Brechin in the morning 

It was an easy walk today just along the quiet minor road to Brechin. It was a great walk though, the warmest one of the challenge.

Spring colour 

Colour contrasts

The bright colour of the rape fields contrasted well with the distant showery hills and grass. I saw my first Orange Tip butterfly of the season as well.

Quiet leafy lane

Old bridge over the River South Esk

Halfway 

I arrived in Brechin just in time to get to a café before it closed before walking down to the campsite where there were two other TGOers already in residence.

The tree doesn't think it's spring yet 

I passed a house where I was invited in for a cup of tea when I passed several years ago. At that time it was inhabited by an old man and many cats, there was nobody at home today.

No sign of any potatoes coming through yet

Spring is very late here and the crops are definitely a week or so behind.

Brechin

Campsite 

We all retired early, after a swift half at the pub around the corner, to lie back and listen to the birdsong. Ready for the last bit to the coast tomorrow.

TGO Challenge 19/05/26

Day 13, Glenisla to Kirriemuir 

Very heavy rain overnight and still raining hard in the morning. The forecast was for rain all day and the clouds were low on the hills.

Tartan wrapped Reliant at the Glenisla Hotel

I decided not to go over my last hill, Cat Law, in the pouring rain with no visibility and just walked the road to Kirriemuir.

A wet morning 

I was happy with the decision even though the rain eased and stopped altogether by lunch time. The cloud was still very low and the visibility would have been terrible on the top.

Thank you very much for the coffee and conversation Ian.

I walked past a house and said hello to someone in the garden and he stopped me, asked if I was doing the TGO and invited me in for a coffee. Great hospitality.

Carpenter Oak

He was a retired blacksmith and had worked for the last twenty years at Carpenter Oak, a company specialising in oak frame buildings, based a bit further down the road. An interesting man.

Sky clearing

It was a pleasant road with little traffic and I soon reached Kirriemuir, just in time before the café closed.

Highland cows and oilseed rape

Kirriemuir is the birthplace of J M Barrie the creator of Peter Pan. There is a Peter Pan statue in the square which has some good, old buildings but I couldn't find anything else very interesting.

Acres of peas just coming through 

There is a traditional music session in the 'Three Bellies' pub tonight which will be worth checking out.

Peter Pan

The Airlie Arms Hotel had a nice big room with a comfy bed.

Session in the 3 Bellies

The session was excellent, only about four people in the bar other than the nine musicians! And we all got spiced coriander and carrot soup🤤

TGO Challenge 18/05/26

Day 12, Lair to Glenisla.

It was a cold night and the morning was mostly overcast with some low cloud but this lifted and there were some sunny intervals. Again I didn't get wet although there were some rain showers about.

Good thing that I wasn't going that way

Today was slightly odd in that I walked a long way and climbed a lot but didn't actually go very far.

Path up Mount Blair 

There were three hills that I wanted to climb here so it was a good chance to do them all. 

Communication tower on Mount Blair 

Mount Blair was just a short road walk and then a steep path up to the radio/telephone aerials at the top returning to the road by the same path. Why didn't I leave my pack at the bottom?

Looking back to Mount Blair along the wall from Duchray Hill

Across the road then for a rather mor convoluted route up to Duchray Hill. There is a lot of new forestry planting here but I found a way up starting on a new track and ending by climbing a deer fence onto the upper hill.

Too big, heavy and awkward to carry ☹️

There is a big drystone wall all along the ridge here which I followed to the top of the hill and then descended by a different ridge to Forter.

Castle at Forter with ancient roadsign

I found a gorgeous antler and was very tempted to bring it home but after carrying it for a short distance I decided that it was just too heavy and awkward, shame, it was good one.

Looking back to Mount Blair from the track up Badandun Hill

There was a short track that went down to Forter where there's an old 'castle'. The castle is really a fortified house, this one appeared to be a private house and I have never seen a better maintained one.

Windy on the top

But a great view

The last hill was a long walk but relatively easy as there was a track all the way to the top and another one to take be down the other side.

On the way down 

Hill loop completed

Looking back

A couple of hours walk down to Glenisla with it's little unstaffed hotel.

TGO Challenge 17/05/26

Day 11, Pitlochry to Lair.

Another fairly bright day with showers although, once again, I hardly got any. The wind was lighter as well, so a very pleasant day.

Pitlochry in the morning 

The Tay

Pitlochry was nice in the morning with nobody about as I walked out of town before turning onto a little road that climbed up to the forest edge before turning into a track 

Open forest track

The track went for nearly five miles through the forest in wide spaces between the trees making a very pleasant walk.

A deer fence to climb (at least there was some help on this one)

Coming down from the top

I had to climb a deer fence to get out of the forest onto a steep climb with deep heather. Unpleasant to get through but I reached the ridge and it was easier walking then round to the top.

Good track down through the forest

A steep heathery descent then and another deer fence to climb but in the end I reached the end of a track that continued all the way to Kirkmichael.

"Hut" blending into the hillside 

There is an interesting community of timber "huts" above Kirkmichael. Not what I would call huts but high quality Scandinavian log cabins all blended into the landscape, very nice.

Kirkmichael 

Kirkmichael Hotel

There is a community shop and café at Kirkmichael but unfortunately it was shut however the hotel was able to supply coffee and biscuits.

Over the hill

There is a path from here to Lair that is labeled as a mini Cateran trail track. The first part was straightforward to the track past Ashintully Castle but after that it becomes confusing, heathery and wet. I went the wrong way several times.

Where's the path?

I was beginning to despair of finding somewhere to camp before reaching the road but just before I got there I found a level bit beside the path. Perfect.

Sanctuary