Wednesday, 7 August 2019
Biked 32 miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, to Dunbar, Scotland
Accommodations: East Lothian Bolthole, booked through Airbnb, host Bei. Entire flat with washer, well-stocked basics in kitchen, and spectacular views of the sea--right on the beach. Clean and comfortable.
Dinner: Volunteer Arms a couple blocks away. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the food.
We are in Scotland! Not a lot has changed. It is still raining, drizzling, and gray with periods of brilliant sunshine to lift the spirits. The cycle path has more frequent signage, which is helping us stay on the route. People are friendly! We were ready for morning coffee in Ayton, which is a cute little (very little) village. The pub was closed, but we saw a sandwich board outside the community hall advertising "Coffee, tea, scones, and blether. Wednesday 9:30-11:00." It was 11:02. A group of people leaving the hall called to us that we were too late for the blether but there were still some scones and coffee--"Go straight through to the garden, quick, before it's all gone!" So we went straight through to the garden. We had in fact missed the coffee and scones, but a few people were cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the tables and chairs. The next thing we knew, we had steaming mugs of instant coffee and a plate of packaged cookies and were sitting and chatting with the cleanup crew. "Blether" is a weekly coffee and chat for the community, especially the older ones who don't get out a lot. One 90-year-old comes to town to get her hair done and pick up groceries and blether. We were urged to look for churches and community halls in every community, and join in whenever we can. One of the guys does a lot of biking and gave us detailed directions for getting out of town the best way--and they were great directions!
On our way back to our bolthole after dinner in Dunbar, we ran into a family from Wisconsin who had just finished the John Muir Hiking Trail. We don't see many Americans. Most of the tourists in northern England and Scotland are from the UK and Asian countries.
The bolthole is awesome. (A bolthole is a hideaway, a place to escape and relax.) It is a seaside holiday flat belonging to a family who rent it out when they are not able to use it. We did laundry and hung up everything to dry, had a wonderful supper, stocked up on snack foods at the grocery store, and got to bed early. Cold and wet days make us tired.
Fortunately, our gear is holding up well in all the wet and mud. We have not had a drop of water in our saddle bags or gear bags, and our jackets and pants are mostly waterproof and breathable--so they get a little damp but dry out between showers and keep us warm, which is just fine.
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| Happy to be in Scotland! |
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| Dunbar. |
Thursday, 8 August 2019
Biked 37 miles, to Portobello, suburb of Edinburgh, 2700 feet of climb
Accommodations: Private room in Victorian house, booked through Airbnb, host Ayesha. Double room with shared bath, kitchen, lounge, dining area, and garden. Ayesha and her boyfriend, Jonnie, just moved into the house last November and are renovating it. They whipped their two spare bedrooms into rentable shape for the festival month (August). Ayesha is half Lebanese, from north of Dundee, and works a technology job from home. Jonnie is a videographer with Visit Scotland and is away a lot on shoots (he was this weekend too). Ayesha was very welcoming and gracious, and we were comfortable, though the room was sparse (no hanging space for clothes to air and dry, no table for working on the computer). Night 1 of 3.
Dinner: Miro's on the beach in Portobello. Recommended by Ayesha. Charming old building but very loud music and patrons with poor acoustics, uncomfortable seating. Food was good and we enjoyed the walk along the beach.
We had the best day of riding! The sun shone and there were puffy clouds and a light breeze. We stopped in Haddington about lunch time. Ken spotted Mike's Bikes (
https://www.mikesbikeshaddington.co.uk/) as we turned the corner in the middle of town, pulled in, and found brake pads. Mike replaced our wornout brake pads while we waited, then recommended a perfect cafe across the street. We sat outside in the sunshine and ate delicious soup and sandwiches and chatted with other bikers and dog owners and travelers and locals. The city was charming, the buildings lovely. We would have been glad to spend a day or two there. But we had reservations in Portobello, so we moved on.
Not far away we found Hailes Castle ruin and spent a while exploring. This was the first of our Mary Queen of Scots sites. It was the home of Lord Bothwell, whom she married after her second husband, Lord Darnley, was assassinated. Some thought Lord Bothwell had killed the second husband.
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| Hailes Castle ruin. The grid structure is a dovecote, added by a farmer in a later century. |
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| The Great Hall entrance is on the middle floor, now accessed by a wood staircase. A bakery and ale-making room are on the ground floor. |
Friday, 9 August 2019
Sightseeing day in Edinburgh
Accommodations: Private room in Victorian house, night 2 of 3.
Dinner: Malvaros. Spanish restaurant in Portobello. Delicious kid-friendly (nonalcoholic) sangria, assorted homemade breads with spreads, seafood paella. The owner moved to Edinburgh from Madrid 20 years ago and, he said, "did what immigrants to the UK do--opened a restaurant!" The food was great, the atmosphere very cozy and fun.
It absolutely poured and blew all morning. We took an Uber to Edinburgh Castle and played tourist. Continuing our quest of Mary Queen of Scots sites, we walked through the royal apartment rooms, including her bedroom and the room where her son, James VI, was born.
We had a pretty bad lunch on Royal Mile, just ducking into the nearest cafe when it started raining hard. Once the rain let up a little, we found our way to the National Museum of Scotland and worked our way up the floors through the years of Scottish history beginning with the Romans.
Ubered back to the house in Portobello and then walked down to the beach area for a great dinner.
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| Edinburgh Castle in the rain. |
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| We had to take photos of the armor for our grandsons. They love armor. |
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| We also had to take photos of these famous chess pieces carved of ivory for our grandsons. They love chess. |
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| View of Edinburgh from the castle. |
Saturday, 10 August 2019
Sightseeing in Edinburgh
Accommodations: Private room in Victorian house, night 3 of 3
Lunch: Borough, in Leith. Three-course set lunch menu. Reminded us of restaurants featured on
Chef's Table. There were two options for each of the three courses, so each of us ordered a different option and we shared the resulting six plates. Incredible food, beautifully prepared, locally sourced, all homemade including sourdough bread and butter. A young couple are the host/server and chef, and co-owners. She immigrated to Edinburgh from Poland as a teenage runaway and started out washing dishes in a restaurant. The restaurant has been open just 5 months. It is a lovely space on a corner with windows overlooking a park and a beautiful old apartment building.
We took the bus to Leith and had a long, leisurely lunch at Borough. Really enjoyed the food and chatting with the host/server. Then we walked about a mile to the
Britannia, the decommissioned royal yacht, and toured it. Interesting slice of history. Took the bus most of the way back to the house, walked the rest of the way.
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| The royal yacht Britannia. |
Sunday, 11 August 2019
Biked 40 miles to Wester Balgedie, near Kinross; 1700 feet of climb
Accommodations: Careshall Farm, booked through Airbnb, hosts Nick and Caroline. Double bedroom with private bath in annex with large lounge, private entrance. The annex has a second bedroom with its own bath, which was empty the night we were there--so we had the whole place to ourselves. Immaculate, just six years old. Caroline was superfriendly and stayed to chat while we drank hot tea. Would love to stay here for several days--beautiful area with lots of bike routes, and wonderfully comfortable annex.
Dinner: Balgedie Toll Tavern, just at the end of the drive to the farm. Family run and family friendly, very comfortable, good, hearty food with locally sourced ingredients. We had venison sausages with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed seasonal vegetables; breaded scampi, chips (french fries), and salad; and sticky toffee pudding (our new favorite dessert).
We followed mostly cycle route 1 through Edinburgh and all the way to the farm. It was a great route through the city--in and beside parks much of the way, just a bit on side roads and residential roads. Sunday morning was the perfect time to cycle through the city--lots of people out walking dogs, cycling, running. And the rain held off until after we had stopped for a light lunch in Inverkeithing. We rode the last hour and a half in a fairly steady rain, but it was not blowing and not too cold. Still, it was lovely to pull in to Careshall Farm and be met with big towels, steaming mugs of tea, and a dry storage shed for the bikes.
A short walk up the lane to the tavern on the corner for dinner. Back to our cozy annex by seven, ready for bed by 7:30. Not too exciting--but we are loving this routine.
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| There's only one bridge that cyclists and pedestrians can take across the river near Edinburgh. In the middle of our crossing on it (1.6 miles from one end to the other), Ken got this photo of a newer auto-only bridge , with sailboats and windsurfers out on the river below it. Scots treat rain like we treat snow: just put on the proper gear and go have fun! |
Monday, 12 August 2019
Biked 22 miles from Wester Balgedie to Kinross Pier to Perth, boat ride to Loch Leven Castle on the lake
Accommodations: Attic room in 1800s house, booked through Airbnb, hosts Kenneth and Andrew. Double room in attic with shared bath on the floor below. Our hosts were very nice and friendly, the room was very comfortable. We had access to a lovely large lounge on the floor below, the full kitchen with dining area, and the gardens. A quiet location less than half a mile from the town center. Very comfortable and low priced.
Dinner: Bothy Perth. Good food, nicely decorated, reasonably priced.
We started out by biking back to Kinross and taking the boat to Loch Leven Castle ruins, on an island in Loch Leven. We had lunch and coffee on a bench in the town center while waiting for our boat. The castle ruins are well cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.
Then on to Perth. The temperature had dropped and our feet were cold by the time we got there--so, after hot showers, we walked to a bike shop in town and bought boot covers. Where there is a problem, there is often a solution!
Perth is a nice-sized town, very walkable. Our room was in the perfect location, just on the edge of the town center.
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| Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in the tower on the left in 1567-1568. |
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| Loch Leven Castle ruins are located on an island about a 10-minute boat ride from Kinross. Directly across the lake is an estate built in the 1800s. |
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| The few cars we see on roads with this sign are mostly very polite, going around us at a safe speed and distance. We've been told that Scotland has been working hard to educate drivers the past few years, to make the roads safer for those who are no in motor vehicles. |
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| The farther north we go, the colder and rainier it gets! We have pulled out all our cold-and-rain gear, but our hands and feet still get wet and cold. |
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Biked from Perth to Pitlochry, 31 miles, 1541 feet of climb
Accommodations: Morag Cottage Guest House, booked through Airbnb, host Maureen and her husband. Double room with private bath. Small but immaculate, with everything you need for comfort. A wonderful full Scottish breakfast served in the sunroom downstairs. Maureen and her husband were very nice and welcoming. They have been running the B&B for 38 years. They were one of the first B&Bs in Pitlochry. Their three children were small, and all of their guests and their family shared one bathroom. This is their last year running the B&B--they are retiring to spend more time with the grandkids.
Lunch: Dunkeld, the Scottish Deli. Good sandwiches made to order.
Dinner: The Old Mill Inn in the town center. Good food, nice ambience with large windows overlooking the old mill wheel, which is still working.
It rained, and it rained. But we were biking along the River Tay on little roads and trails, through parklands and forests. Every once in a while the clouds would part and the sun would come out. It was beautiful.
We managed to find the Scottish Deli in Dunkeld in the middle of one downpour, and stayed warm and dry while eating.
Maureen's husband met us at the door of our guest house and helped us store the bikes and get settled in. As we were putting our bags in the room, he disappeared, returning in a moment with fresh towels. "Don't tell Maureen I forgot to put these on the bed before you came!" He and Maureen were incredibly nice.
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| We biked along the river |
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| This guest house across the street from ours reminded me of home and my friend Kathie Westlund--who is not Scottish and is not a Westland, but you get the connection....Every once in a while, we do miss our friends and family back home. Skype, iMessage, email, and FaceTime have made being gone for several months so much easier than it used to be. |
Wednesday, 14 August 2019
Biked from Pitlochry to Kingussie, 45 miles, 1541 feet of climb
Accommodations: Avondale House, booked through VRBO. Double room with four-poster bed, bathtub and sink in room, shared toilet in hall, breakfast for an additional fee. Comfortable and clean but a bit expensive for a shared bath.
Dinner: We wanted to eat at the Tipsy Laird, but there was a sign in the door saying "No Food Today." So we joined everyone else in town at Joes The Chippy on the Corner, for fish'n'chips. The food was good, and we sat with another couple who were from a small town near Glasgow and were on a little holiday driving around the area.
Have I mentioned the rain? And the colder weather? We are not complaining, but this is our new norm. Once in a while I shake everything out of my dry bag and stuff the bathing suit and shorts back in the bottom of the bag. I haven't even thought about wearing them for at least a month!
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| The bridges in Scotland are built to last. |
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| The heather is just beginning to bloom on the moors. The landscape reminds us of Wyoming, with rolling hills and rocks, cattle and sheep. But with heather instead of sagebrush. |
Thursday, 15 August 2019
Biked 27 miles from Kingussie to Carrbridge, 820 feet of climb
Accommodations: Clunes guest house, booked through Airbnb, hosts Fiona and John. Wonderful family home set just off the main road through Carrbridge, next to a church and the village hall. Fiona and John mountain bike and rent out the two bedrooms on their second floor, each with private bath. Spotless and comfortable, with comfortable chairs and a desk even! No breakfast, but the village is small and there are cafes and restaurants and a small grocery store within a few blocks. Fiona was fretting over a potted plant that had tumbled down the steps in the middle of the night before we arrived, leaving a trail of muddy water on the carpet. She and John met us each time we came and went from the house, and we enjoyed our conversations with them.
Lunch: I don't remember where we were, but we stopped at a place with a large outside dining area covered with umbrellas (it was raining) that advertised BBQ, ordered a Scottish Sausage BBQ lunch (awesome and so big that the two of us could hardly finish the one meal).
Dinner: Cairn Hotel restaurant on main road in Carrbridge. Warm and inviting pub atmosphere and good pub food.
We had two choices for our route today: the east side of the marsh or the west side. We chose the east side, which was on smaller roads and a bit longer. Another day of rolling hills through farmland and moors. We stopped for lunch somewhere along the way (I can't remember where) and sat with a family from Cambridge--parents both teach biology at the university, daughters (or daughter and friend) in midteens; very nice, fun conversation. The mother is originally from Koblenz--a fun connection for us, as Ken and I have both been there cycling. We really enjoy chatting with people we meet. That is something we miss in countries where we don't speak the language and conversations are by necessity shorter and simpler.
Carrbridge was a treat. A very small town with a historic bridge that Ken has been looking forward to seeing. I love the small stone cottages and village churches and community centers that we here and in other towns along the way.
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| This was Ken's day. We started out by visiting the ruins of an old barracks just outside Kingussie. |
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| Walking down the path from the barracks to our bikes--typical scenery for this part of Scotland. |
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| This bridge was built in the 1700s to allow parishioners in Carrbridge to access the church when the river was high. Before it was built, they often had to wait weeks or months to bury people. High water and storms have damaged it to the point that it is not safe to cross--but there is a new bridge a few hundred feet away. |
Friday, 16 August 2019
Biked 30 miles to Inverness, 1040 feet of climb
Accommodations: Aberfeldy Lodge, booked through Airbnb, hostess Kathleen. Double room with private bath on main floor with window overlooking neighbor's garden wall. A little dark and cold, but we have a small desk and a large bathroom, and we are less than half a mile from the town center. Breakfast available for additional cost. Night 1 of 2.
Dinner: Cheese and Tomatin, four-cheese and walnut woodfired pizza. We were the only customers eating on the second floor with upholstered leather armchairs and a coffee table. Funky and fun, and delicious pizza.
We are finally at our northern destination, Inverness! It's a small city, pedestrian friendly, with fun shopping and restaurants. Our B&B is at the top of the hill in a neighborhood of accommodations, with a couple of hotels that have restaurants and pubs, a deli, a bakery, all within a block.
The cycling was beautiful. We were on small roads and cycle paths through parklands and forests almost all the way. We had a long, gentle climb for the first 15 miles, then a long, gentle downhill for 10 miles, then 5 miles cycling through parks in the suburbs.
Our cycling gloves and mittens are not holding up to this weather, so we headed to town after our showers, and visited all the many outdoor stores and bike shops. I found some waterproof gloves that I'll give a try.
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| We stopped at the Cava Cairns about 5 miles southeast of Inverness. They are ancient burial sites from about 2000 years ago, and were inhabited again at a later time. |
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| The cairns are ringed by circles of stones on end, similar to the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury. |
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| The bike trail (NCN Routes 1 and 7 combined) took us right through the Gruffalo Walk in Culloden Woods, just southeast of Inverness. The walk features a variety of statues and carvings based on the children's book The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson. Our grandsons are a bit old for it, but we will be introducing it to them anyway. The characters are amazing! |
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| The gruffalo. |
Saturday, 17 August 2019
Rest day
Accommodations: Aberfeldy Lodge, night 2 of 2
Lunch: Girvans in the town center. Excellent seafood chowder and mushroom bruschetta. We sat with a couple from Gavle, Sweden, who are in northwestern Scotland for a weeklong driving tour. They have three children ages 44, 41, and 35, and have been retired for 2 years. She has a hip issue and uses a wheelchair but loves to travel, so once a year they head out for a driving tour, usually in Europe but once in New England. They would like to drive Route 66 and spend time in the national parks out west.
Dinner: The Castle Hotel down the block. Huge and very good beef roast with potatoes, fresh vegetables, and Welsh rarebit, plus a started of potato and broccoli croquettes.Very good, very reasonably priced, and only half a block away!
Ken explored the town while I caught up on laundry, banking, and blogging. Together we went to lunch and to the castle, which is now used as a courthouse and is not open to the public. A quiet day. I liked it.
