Wild camping at the Linn of Dee

18^th July 2015

WELL…..my son Duncan. I can only describe him as a “Man of the Woods”, his mum’s description. I just call him a “Tree Hugger”. He works in the Aberdeen area and his interests include hill walking, wild camping, trees, fungi and wildlife. It was our interest in the outdoors that prompted him to plan this cycling / wild camp outing to the Linn of Dee near Braemar and Duncan had just purchased a new Basha and wanted to try it out.

We were dropped of by the wife at the Linn of Dee car park around 6.30 pm. There was a slight breeze which kept the dreaded midge’s at bay, the sun was out and we were looking forward to a short bike ride, up to Derry Lodge.

                                                  Bike loaded with kit ready to start

From the car park we headed North West up through the trees on a wide path which was easy riding. Continuing on this trail you eventually come to a bridge which you cross and turn left onto a forest road. It is worth while stopping at the bridge as you get a fantastic view up Glen Lui.

                                              Lui Water as you pass through the forest

                                                            Duncan at the bridge

                                            View from the bridge looking up Glen Lui

As we headed up Glen Lui with the river on our left, I was amazed at the scenery, I do most of my cycling in the Galloway Forest which I think is amazing, but this scenery, WOW !!!!  I’m lost for words. After a short ride you pass Luibeg, which is a small house that a group of adults were using for the weekend. Just past Luibeg there is an area with trees where we decided to camp for the night.

                                     View from the forest road as you head up Glen Lui

                                                                      Luibeg

We walked round the area and Duncan picked the spot where he wanted to set up the Basha, so we set up camp. There was still a slight breeze which kept the midge’s away while we got organised. Duncan was in his element with the new Basha, I just watched as he worked away in his own little world smiling and talking to himself, about how awesome the Basha was, each to his own.

                                                    Checking out the camping area

                                                     Duncan setting up his Basha

                                                   Tent set up with bike and poncho

                                                       Duncan trying out the water

Once we had set up our tents, we decided to go for a walk round and see if there was anyone else in the area. There were two tents set up over by the Mountain Rescue Centre behind Derry Lodge, but they were far enough away, which was excellent as they would not hear Duncan snoring. He’s like an old tractor when he starts.

                                                                  Derry Lodge

                                                         Mountain Rescue Station

                                                         Looking up Glen Luiberg 

At around 8 pm Duncan started the dinner, inside the new Basha, which consisted of boil in a bag Beans and Bacon with broken oatcakes through it to give it some substance, YUM YUM. While the dinner was cooking I made some strong coffee. After dinner we sat inside the Basha and caught up with each others news as it has been a few months since we last met up.

                                          Duncan cooking dinner inside his new Basha

                                                       Our campsite for the night

 The set up that we used was Snugpak one man tents. This worked very well especially with the Basha for sitting and cooking under and a poncho set up that I had with my bike. I went to bed about 10.30 pm and was asleep in 20 min, I never heard Duncan snoring all night. I woke up around 3 am with the rain bouncing of the tent. I dozed on and off till around 6.15 am when I decided to get up. Big mistake, no breeze, rain and the dreaded midge’s, by the time I managed to get all my gear packed away the little shits had breakfast, lunch and dinner from my face and were coming back for seconds. Duncan got up about 7 am, we decided to give breakfast a miss and get on our way as soon as possible. The rain had stopped while we were getting organised, we took one last look around to check the area and leave it as we found it and we were on our way.

                                            The next morning looking down to Luibeg

                                         On our way back to the Linn of Dee car park

As there was no phone signal in this area we had made an arrangement to meet the wife in the car park at 10 am. As we cycled back down through Glen Lui I was thinking to myself that as we are early, we could not sit and wait at the car park because the midge’s were hungry for our blood, we could cycle down the tarred road towards Braemar. What a surprise I got when we arrived at the car park to see the wife sitting waiting for us. She got up early because of the weather. (I knew I married her for some good reason).

This was a fabulous overnight wild camp and cycle which I will certainly do again for the scenery alone.  

Glentrool Big Country Route

14th July 2015

This is one of those cycling bucket list rides that you think about but never do. So here we go full of enthusiasm. Glentrool Visitor Centre acts as the starting point for this 58 km ride.  

From the visitor centre you should take the tarred road towards Bruce’s Stone. But as I know the area I decided to follow the foot path up behind the visitor centre and make my way over to a waterfall that sits above the tarred road and brings you out at  Culdons which is an old campsite from years ago.

                                                      

                                                                 Waterfall 

Follow the road towards the campsite, go over a bridge and stop at the notice board. At this point you could make a small detour to the  Martyr’s Grave,  which is a grave of a  Covenantor. From the notice board you follow the road up to a junction where you keep right, this takes you up into the hills towards  Ferrach Burn. Follow the forest road up over the hills and you eventually come to the  Wood of Cree road. At this point you can turn right and go to the bridge where if the water is high you can get spectacular photo’s.

                                   View from the highest point overlooking Glentrool

                                          View from the bridge on the Cree road

At the Wood of Cree road turn left and continue on the road for a few miles. You pass a picnic area on the right called the Wood of Cree car park where there is a raised platform, from it you might catch a glimpse of some Otters. The next car park you come to on the left is called Barclye. There is a few forest walks here which you could enjoy if you have time.

                                             Wood of Cree car park / picnic area

                                Poster on the raised platform at the Otter viewing point

                                                   View from the Otter platform 

Eventually you come to a church which is in Minnigaff. Follow the road round the right of the church and down hill to the junction where you turn left. Continue on this section of road till you come to “ Glenhoise Cottage “, watch at this point as there are no signs or waymarkers to inform you of the direction to take. The only sign is a “ No Through Road “. Take the “ No Through Road “ and follow it to the next junction where there is a house called Auckinleck. Turn right at this point onto a forest road. From here right over to Loch Dee the hills get tough as they are long and steep and zap the strength from the legs.

                                                       Church at Minnigaff

At the next junction keep straight then at the waymarker number thirty turn left on to the Old Edinburgh Road. That’s you half way round. WHOOPEE !!!!! the legs are knackered.

                                                         The half way marker

                                                  The Old Edinburgh Road sign

The next section is quite boring with lots of hills and some nice views, as you cycle parallel to the New Galloway Road  ( A712 ). You pass a track that takes you over to Kirroughtree 7 Stanes Black Route and you also pass Murray’s Monument. Eventually as you rise up over one of the many hills you get your first view of Black Loch. As you descend the hill you come to an open area. At this point if you look over to your right you will see some old sheep pens where if you look closely there are stone sculpted heads. (the sheep pens are marked The Quorum on the map)

                                     

                                                  View from the Old Edinburgh Road

                                    

                                             Another view from the Old Edinburgh Road

                                      

                                                      The first sighting of Black Loch

I first heard about the stone heads from my son. He was out hill walking and wild camping in the area and came across them be accident. The information he gave me was that the stones were part of a wall next to the forest road. WELL he tends to exaggerate a bit, as the stones were in fact down a path next to a burn inside the sheep pens. I think he takes that from his mum. Anyway, the stones are worth a visit as they are very interesting. 

                                                             The stone heads

From the Quorum continue down hill to Black Loch which has a sculpture called the Eye. It looks more like an upside down cone than anything else.

                                                              Black Loch

                                                              Black Loch

                                                                 The Eye

After you have taken the obligatory photo’s continue uphill following the side of the loch past Poultrybuie Hill and Munwhul where again there are fantastic views. Don’t turn off this forest road and you will end up at Loch Dee. As you pass Loch Dee there is a Bothy called White Laggan which is basic but alright for a night out in the wild. As you ascend the forest road away from Loch Dee towards Loch Trool you pass one of the 7 Stanes sculptures which is called the Axe Head.

                                                Lunch break where I fell asleep 

                                                    First sighting of Loch Dee

                                                         White Laggan Bothy

                                         View of Loch Dee from the Glentrool side

                            The Axe Head sculpture with Loch Dee in the back ground

From here you follow the waymarkers up through the Glen till you get to Buchan Bridge which is named after the famous writer John Buchan. It’s uphill from here to Bruce’s Stone where you get a good view over Loch Trool. This is where Robert the Bruce fought the English army in 1307.

                                           View of the Glen towards Loch Trool

                                          View of Loch Trool from Bruce's Stone

There are two routes to get back to the visitor centre, one is straight down the tarred road and the other is down the tarred road till you reach a waymarker for a forest walk on your left. Follow this track and you end up back at the notice board next to Culdons campsite. From here head towards the Martyr’s Tomb and the along the river’s edge back to the visitor centre car park.

This route is a full day’s cycling but very enjoyable. If I ever do it again, I will do it in reverse so that I don’t have to go up the hill at Bruce’s Stone.

     

Newcastleton 7 Stanes

9^th July 2015

Newcastleton is the last of the 7 Stanes that I had left to cycle. So the wife, decided to book into a B&B for a two day break.

We stayed at Abbotshaw House B&B which is a working sheep farm. I can highly recommend this as an excellent place to stay. Abbotshaw House is only two miles from the trailhead at Newcastleton and well away from the busy roads.

                                                        Abbotshaw House B&B

We got up to a nice sunny morning and the breakfast was fantastic - we were spoiled for choice with an extensive menu. Could this day get any better!!

We arrived at the trailhead only to discover that it had been moved to the centre of Newcastleton village,  we decided to park at the Priesthill Car Park which is only a few hundred meters from the original trailhead.

Priesthill car park

Once organised, we headed up the forest road past Dykecrofts, to the old trailhead. Just before reaching the top of the hill you turn left and continue uphill, through a gate, which brings you to the skills area. We amused ourselves here for a short time, then followed the purple waymarker route past Castlehill. Following this route for a few kilometres you arrive at the “Border Stane”.

                                                                   Skills area

                                          

The Border Stane is a large granite stone in the shape of an aeroplane tail; it stands approximately 10ft tall by 5 ft wide and 2-3ft thick with a large hole in the centre. The stone has been placed in a way that if you stand on one side of it and look through the hole you see Scotland and the other side England. On the north facing side there is an inscription of “Auld Lang Syne” and the opposite side is an inscription of “Jerusalem”.

                                              The Border Stane with Auld Lang Syne

                                                   The Border Stane with Jerusalem

Continuing left on the forest road you will come to a waymarker and emergency post where you can either continue on the purple route or as we did, follow the single track red route. At the next forest road turn right and continue along the road till you come to another waymarker where you turn left onto a single track red route.

Once you get to the next forest road you turn right and follow the road to the junction where you turn left up the hill. Follow the waymarkers towards “Swarf Hill” and you end up back at the skills area where you can have a break at the wooden seats.

Skills area rest point

Once you have recovered you follow the forest road back down the hill and through the gate and turn right. This takes you uphill through “Dykecrofts Plantation” to a rest point with picnic tables.

                                           Picnic tables at the start  of The Caddrouns

                                                           Foxgloves ( Digitalis )

The next trail is a very nice downhill section called “The Caddrouns” which brings you to another emergency post, where you turn left. Continue along this forest road and you come to the next single track section called “Pouter Lampert”, a very long but enjoyable section. This eventually leads you back to Priesthill Car Park.

                                                   Trail back to Priesthill car park

                                                     Trail back to Priesthill car park

It was at this point that we decided to try the new section of trail that takes you down to Newcastleton Village and the new trailhead. We arrived at Newcastleton village and looked around and saw about eight bikes sitting outside a café called the Copshaw Kitchen. The wife said “would you like something to eat”, to which I replied “married for thirty years and you still ask silly questions like that”. So off we went and had lunch in the café. Lunch consisted of a BLT and coffee for me and macaroni with a twist for the wife. The cyclists that were in the café were doing a charity ride for “Marie Curie”.

After lunch we headed back along the rivers edge and over the new bridge that has been built for the MTB trails, then uphill back to the Priesthill Car Park and an end to a most enjoyable day out.  

                                               New bridge built for the mtb trails