On the way we stop off to see an old friend in Moffat where
we reacquaint ourselves with the Camping Club campsite, the Black Bull pub and the
Green Frog café for breakfast. We do try a new bar in the Stag Hotel but we have
a spot of dog trouble in there and have to make a swift exit.
Our next stop is Banchory where we are booked into the Feughside
Caravan Park for four nights. This is about 25 miles from Aberdeen where we are
doing the Great Aberdeen Run on Sunday but, for those of us who are obsessed,
we are only 10 miles from Crathes Castle parkrun. Where we are made very
welcome and they even introduce a new hilly course for us. Allegedly they’d
always been wanting to run this route since the event started in February but
had never been able to do before.
Sunday’s Great Aberdeen Run is a more serious undertaking, a
half marathon for me and a 10k for L. It is also seriously warm and we are
fortunate to find a nice shady multi-storey car park to keep the dogs cool.
The race starts on Union Street, skirts the rather nice harbour
before going along the esplanade. Then it’s over the Bridge of Don to take us
along a ‘beautiful’ dual carriageway for one those out and backs before looping
back across the River Don into ‘old’ Aberdeen complete with serious hills and
cobbles. Then it’s back down the esplanade and past Aberdeen FC’s Pittodrie
stadium, which I managed to miss, before heading back into the city centre and
a downhill finish back on Union Street.
Having survived the run in a leisurely 01:50, I then slip
off the rocks on the beach on some seaweed and twist my ankle. L tells me to go
stand in the sea until the swelling goes down. Much to our surprise Aberdeen has the most
amazing beach and it is ideal for the dogs. Although the Lad possibly preferred
an equally excellent one at Cruden Bay. He does seem to love his beach. I
thought he was a bit timid the last time he saw a beach but L doesn’t recall
the Lad ever being timid about anything.
While in the area we also take in the many sights which are
more than just legendary chip shop in Stonehaven which was the birthplace of
the Deep Fried Mars Bar and Donald Trump’s Golf Course.
We eat two nights at the Douglas Arms and once at
Tor-na-collie Hotel (collies not invited despite the name) in Banchory as well
as frequently numerous different outlets for breakfast.
On Tuesday we move on from Banchory and spend in Banff. The campsite
is right on the sea front, so that is popular with the boys too. On the way we
stop off at Cullen Bay, the home of Cullen Skink and at the Strathisla
Distillery in Keith where we buy this year’s bottle of whiskey. Having actually
brought the dregs of last year’s with us to finish off.
We then arrive in Huntly which has a nice castle and a
Nordic Ski Centre. My ankle is recovering now so we do a couple of runs with
the dogs here as we prepare for our next event at the weekend.
Huntly isn’t great for pubs or restaurants. Meaning we eat
both nights in the Gordon Arms and drink at the Crown where the real ale is on
key keg largely from the Windswept Brewery in Lossiemouth. The first night there
is great and we are persuaded to being the dogs in for the second night which
is a bad call when we find that the place is packed for a darts match.
Our next port of call is Grantown on Spey where we set up
camp for three nights over the weekend so that the obsessed can take in
Aviemore Parkrun on the Saturday and the Speyside Windfarm Challenge on the
Sunday.
Aviemore Parkrun is my worst nightmare. An out and back
along a narrow rutted track which isn’t good for my ankles, for running with a manic
dog or doing a good time. Needless to say the Lad and I run a PB - 21:11. Then
while we are celebrating with breakfast the heavens open and stay open for 24
hours or so meaning we almost get flooded off the campsite. What is worse is
when we take a drive up Cairngorm and stop briefly to feed the dogs, the entire
midge population of the area decide to take shelter in our car. That’s not a
pleasant experience but it’s thankfully the old time we come across any of the
blighters all trip.
On Sunday we head to the Margach Hall near Knockando to
register for the Speyside Windfarm Challenge. From there we have to drive two
miles out into the middle of nowhere to Kirdelbeg Farm from where the race
starts. L again opts for a 10k while I do the full distance which in this case
is 12 miles.
The mission, should we chose to accept it, is to run up the
hill known as Paul’s Hill to the windfarm and back. Those doing the 12 miler
get to do a lap of all windfarm as well. So it wasn’t flat. In fact is was 1400ft
of climbing in total.
Allegedly from the top there are views of the Cairngorms, the
Spey Valley and the Moray Firth. None of this scenery looks remotely likely as
it starts to rain again almost as soon as we get started. Amazingly though it
does fine up and some views are possible as we do a tour through the turbines
but I couldn’t tell you what I saw.
The rocky surface isn’t ideal for my ankles but I manage to
get through it without twisting anything and, in an admittedly small field, we
are both top 20. I do the 12 miles in a time of 01:41:17 which seems fairly
decent and come 18th. L was 15th in the 10k.
Back at the hall there are loads of sandwiches and cakes.
There’s also a raffle which we don’t buy any tickets for but end up with four
prizes. They take so long getting around to drawing the raffle that everyone
else on our table goes home and leaves us with their tickets. We accept two of
the prizes but ask them to redraw the others.
When we get back to Grantown On Spey we find the place in
lockdown due to the Motormania car festival they have on but by then we have
missed out on seeing what it is all about. Grantown is better for food although
busy and we eat in the Grant Arms Hotel, No. 7 Bistro and post-race go for an
Indian in the Sylhet Brasserie.
On Monday we start heading back south and stop off to break
the journey in Jedburgh with its ruined Abbey, its Jail and its Mary Queen Of
Scots was here claims and where we get a decent meal in the Carters Rest.
(Tuesday 3rd September)
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