Mainly rainy weather for our final day in Ballater, but we managed a couple of walks – the first this morning down a path we had noticed leading off Golf Road and signposted to Old Line Road. As it turned out, this led on to the golf course, and we failed to find the continuation of it, eventually emerging through someone’s garden on to the riverside path. Further research from that end revealed another unknown path leading back on to the golf course but not including so much of it. And avoiding people’s gardens.
Following this discovery we returned to the main road, called at a holiday cottage for two and were shown round it (not bad), then found Larks Gallery open at last and bought two small items. We continued to the chemist, where I left Dot and returned home feeling very hot (too many clothes on). She meanwhile called in at the Deeside Inn, recently reopened under new management, and was quietly impressed. Maybe next time…
We drove down the South Deeside road to my favourite riverside spot with a view down the river to Morven. The river was quite high again, and it started raining, so we went back to the cottage for lunch, then drove to the Crathie-Gairnshiel road, where we took advantage of a small break in the clouds to walk a half mile or so down the hill track. We had intended to reach some ruins in the valley, but the sky was very ominous, so we turned back. But we probably could have made it – just.
After a bit of reading we returned home by the back road and are now in the process of packing – a slightly difficult process because Dot has two P4C events to take in before reaching home, and so she needs smart clothes to be available. We are also stopping tomorrow night at Killington Lake. Before that however we have booked a final meal at the Glen Lui, scheduled for 7pm.
There was still a black cloud hanging in the sky over towards Aboyne as we headed for Riverside Cottage – me for a repeat of the brownie with ice cream, Dot for mushroom soup followed by flapjack and ice cream. Obtained flyer to leave in the cottage here, then headed for Crathie, where we did a shortish walk out past the cemetery, over the suspension bridge (a first for us) and then back on the South Deeside road by the golf course.
It was warm. We headed up the Crathie-Gairnshiel road, intending to take a short walk down the hill track, but almost as soon as we stopped, another car pulled up beside us and a family of four headed out in the same direction. Not what I had in mind, and there were more threatening clouds building over Lochnagar, so we moved up the road a bit and read. Soon it started raining, and got heavy, with a fierce wind. I could see through the binoculars the family down in the valley getting a soaking, and was glad I was not them.
Eventually they got back and we left for home, Dot driving (as she had been all day). Back in the house we had a meal of cheese, bread and fruit with a few little extras, and watched Life of Pi on blue-ray. A mysterious film, beautifully made. Then we went out for a walk in the town to lift our mileage to four a day this week in Dot’s case – almost four in mine. While she made for home I bought tea from the co-op.
Sheep in charge of a footbridge near the Well of Lecht
The weather got gradually chillier during yesterday: still sunny enough, but with a sharp wind. So when we parked on the Lecht, after a lunch stop at the Log Cabin, we found it too cool to walk up along the ridge as planned and opted instead for a stroll down to the Well of Lecht in the valley. Pleasant enough, though alarming for the sheep. Rediscovered, having forgotten a number of times, that they mined iron and manganese there. Also found evidence of flooding of the river there recently, with grass knocked flat and tussocks uprooted. It’s quite a small stream really; evidence of really severe rain in the area is everywhere.
We parked up top and read for a bit, but people kept stopping next to us (it was a nice spot), and eventually we drove home. In the evening we went to La Mangiatoia again.
This morning the promised rain arrived, together with the promised rise in temperature. Clouds are black as I write, but the sun has just popped through. Hooded crows are feeding on leftover bread in the garden.
The Eagles left at 10.30 on Monday, and we took it easy for a while, buying a newspaper and writing postcards in the cafe on the corner. It was sunny and warm; so we decided to drive down to the loch. At first we intended to walk up the Capel Mounth path, but instead we did the four-mile circle (or more accurately rectangle) at the head of the loch. It was quite windy but not unpleasant, and it came as a shock to turn on the television in the evening, after our fish and chips, to discover that the cricket had been rained off in Bristol. Bristol had better sort itself out before we get there on Sunday.
Plenty of people about, and the machines were in the process of being replaced, so parking at the loch was free. On the minus side, there were tick warnings all over the place.
Yesterday we were slow to get started. No surprise there. It was warm again; eventually, and for no good reason, we had an early lunch at the Station restaurant (mushroom omelette and chips; croque monsieur), having bought a pie for supper. Oh well. Work on the bus station – converting it into a new co-op – is proceeding remarkably quickly: today a massive lorry crane was in place, visible from miles away. By the evening it had departed.
In the afternoon we went to the Muir of Dinnet, stopping en route to look inside the old AA box, which has been converted into a mini-museum. We then walked to the Burn o’Vat, disturbing a photographer who was taking pains to get a picture of the waterfall from outside the cave entrance. Although the water level must have fallen a lot since last week, it was still the highest we had seen it. We told the photographer this, and he was dismissive. A Yorkshireman, I believe.
After looking round the new, improved visitor centre we walked down to Parkin’s Moss, a bog boardwalk that’s strangely seductive. Very quiet in the Muir, and after a while hot too; we were tired when we got back to the car park. So we called in at Crannach in its latest incarnation, which is Riverside Cottage – open for only a couple of weeks and run by a Glaswegian and his wife. Had a long talk about football and his hopes for Celtic, who sadly lost in the Champions’ League last night.
The food and tea were excellent. I had a warm brownie with raspberry ice cream, and Dot had a flapjack, after which we were replete in a big way. It was an incredible early evening; so we drove up to the Crathie-Gairnshiel road and parked to read in the sun. We both went for a short walk independently, and I ventured into the Invercauld Estate down the hill track. Had an amazing experience of silence: stood for a long time and just listened to the occasional bee or distant lamb.
Came home as the sun dipped behind a distant hill, then watched Celtic disintegrate and ate a small steak pie.
This morning it was sunny and warm again, and we decided to climb Craigendarroch, which we did in under 45 minutes as usual. Rang David on the top.
The Eagles have just left for Skye, generously providing us with the perfect opening sentence. Our sky is blue, and the temperature almost warm. Had a really good week with Sue and Roger, who are very much on our wavelength.
Yesterday was dry and a little warmer than it has been. We travelled to the Linn of Quoich in the Eagle car, which seems to have got over its tyre problem. Quite dramatic changes at Quoich Water, where the river has changed course and brought down trees and undergrowth. At one point we saw grass rolled up like a carpet beyond where the water normally reaches. A large tree was lodged under the bridge, and there was a notice warning that the upper footbridge had been washed away and some paths were no longer usable. Needless to say, the water was considerably higher than we had seen it before, but the level had clearly dropped from its peak ten days or so ago.
We spent some time there, but there were midges in the air, and we eventually retreated to Braemar, where we lunched in the Fife Arms. I then thought it might be fun to go up the Cairnwell chairlift, and so it proved, Sue being particularly enthralled. Despite her asthma she managed to walk with us to the summit (3045 feet). It was a clear day; so the views were excellent.
We took the old road back into Braemar, then drove straight home, taking it easy for a while before our farewell meal at what was the Green Inn but is now an Indian fine dining restaurant. Very odd experience: the food was excellent, but the staff seemed quite hesitant and never got round to offering us dessert. Dot and I had sambuca, which was particularly hot and a peculiar blue colour. They seemed surprised we would want it.
Halfway through our fortnight, and some blue in the sky yesterday morning. In fact the forecast was quite promising, and we set off for the Lonach Gathering in optimistic mood after I bought some petrol. We even remembered to take food for the picnic at the last moment.
We arrived slightly late, and Ella was off looking for us in the grounds. I went to look for her, missed her and returned to find everyone stuck into the picnic. I joined in.
The weather turned out to be astonishingly varied. At one point I was so hot I took everything off but my shirt. At another everything was on again as it rained and turned extremely chilly. At the end of the afternoon it rained quite hard and was very cold on the way back to the car park.
The Gathering itself was traditionally good, with the marching bands especially moving. One of our group of Ella’s friends competed in the hill race and came in sixth in the women’s race, winning £5. Total entry (men and women) was 90, plus two dogs. The setting is pretty magical, though a mite muddy on this occasion. Of the gathered friends, we remembered Anne and Gareth, Ian and Trish and others by sight. The traditional picnic, to which we contributed wine, cheese and other goodies, was as usual far too big but delicious.
In the evening we got takeaway Chinese on a whim. Nothing to write home about.
This morning it could almost be described as sunny, and we’re heading towards Braemar and the Linn of Quoich.
In the end a man with a low-loader arrived from Huntley and took the BMW to Aberdeen, the nearest BMW dealership, to have a new tyre fitted. The old one had a screw in it. We hung around Ballater most of the day, awaiting a call from said dealership, which eventually came, vouchsafing that the car would be ready for picking up latish on Thursday.
Meanwhile we had done the golf course walk, interrupted briefly by a shower and two men with strimmers. Plenty of evidence of the river surge the previous week – uprooted trees and shrubs scattered on the banks. Later we went down Glen Muick and walked part of the way to the loch, but encountered some small insects and retreated. Returned to town and haddock and chips, excellent as usual.
We decided to drive to Pennan yesterday and pick up the BMW on the way back. It poured most of the way there, but miraculously on arrival the rain relented and we were able to enjoy the visit, including some fish cakes and drinks at the hotel, which is under new management and looks wonderful. Many other houses in the village have been smartened up following the landslide, and the whole place is marvellously revived.
We went on to Aberdeen, where we got caught up in some horrendous rush-hour traffic but did manage to collect the BMW. Our satnav then directed us unerringly (though slowly) back on to the South Deeside road while the BMW unsurprisingly lost us, headed for the A93 and took a quarter of an hour longer. Nevertheless we all managed to reach La Mangiatoia for supper just after 7.30pm, the appointed hour. Quite a tiring day, but great to see Pennan again.
Today, egged on by a positive weather forecast, we set off for Cairn Gorm in the BMW, under grey skies full of rain. Happily by the time we got there the sky had relented somewhat, and we enjoyed a coldish break of three hours plus, during which we went up in the funicular, had lunch in the restaurant, bought me a pullover and took some quite good pictures. As we looked round the camera obscura the rain started again and we headed home. Fortunately a warning on the way there that one of the tyre pressures was low proved to be a computer error. But we checked pretty carefully.
On the way back we happened on the scene of an accident with thousands of police and a helicopter in attendance. We deduced that a man on a stretcher was a motorcyclist, but at least he was alive.
It was the Eagles’ 44th wedding anniversary; so Dot bought cakes when we got back.
We are now securely ensconced in our house at Ballater. According to the plan, we should have been on our way to Aviemore, but unfortunately the Eagle BMW had a flat tyre, so we turned back – fortunately before we had actually got out of town. Roger is now ringing for assistance, and we are drinking tea.
Before their arrival, we woke rather late on Sunday and scraped into church by the skin of our teeth. I forgot my glasses, but could just see enough of the hymns to navigate the service. Afterwards we bought pie and sausage roll for lunch and drove up the Tomintoul road, returning via Balmoral in rain and wind. Got a few nice pictures during breaks. In the evening we ate at La Mangiatoia, and very nice too.
On Monday we bought a watch for Dot at Byzantium and visited the station, where I bought another map. The Eagles arrived mid-afternoon with a delicious quiche, which we had for supper after a walk round the town. Weather still cool, windy and with frequent showers.
Yesterday after some deliberation we did the Seven Bridges Walk and were lucky with the weather, encountering a couple of light showers only. Oh, and a small deer. Later we drove to the Log Cabin and had a lovely light lunch; Dot bought me a shirt, which I wore to the Glen Lui in the evening. Another excellent meal with first-class service.
I have been feeling a bit under the weather off and on, and was quite shivery this morning, so have started a course of antibiotics after much consideration. All very odd.
Here we are in Ballater, in a beautiful cottage near the town square, and it’s just stopped raining. It’s markedly cooler than it’s been for weeks in Norfolk, and we have the heating on, though the wood-burning stove remains unlit. We’ve just been to church, which is roughly two minutes away, and had an early lunch: pie and sausage roll from the bakery.
We arrived yesterday at around 3.15pm after filling up at the petrol station, and the owner of the cottage – a youngish woman called Sue – was here to meet us. She was very pleasant and was clearly keen not to intrude. She left us a bottle of nice merlot and some chocolate biscuits. The cottage is pretty near perfect, except for the lack of a tumble drier. I suspect it has been completely refurbished very recently. We have the downstairs bedroom, with an en suite bath and shower. The Eagles will be upstairs, which is only right.
Last night we bought some food from the usual place and visited the river, which apparently burst its banks last week. The woman in the bakery said she had never seen it so “angry”. Some sandbanks are still lying around, and the river is quite high, but there are no longer any sheep being washed down to the sea. We booked meal at La Mangiatoia for tonight and failed to book one at the Glen Lui for Monday, when it is “residents only”. Then we bought some Indian from the takeaway directly opposite, which was fine but far too much.
TV reception is good, and so is WiFi. We watched Match of the Day (or most of it) in bed and caught up with Norwich this morning on iPlayer (Norwich 3 Watford 0).
The journey was mixed. The first part, from Norwich to Lockerbie (Annandale Water) was pretty awful. We followed our new satnav and took the direct route via the A17 and the A1 for a change. Never again. The A17 was funereal, averaging around 40mph and too many cars to make overtaking feasible. The A1 was even worse, continually stop-start until we took the M18 to avoid a nervous breakdown, stopped at services and came back on the M62, rejoining the A1 further up, where it was much clearer.
However, we then made the mistake of acting on advice from someone who recommended an east-west route through Bedales, Leyburn and Hawes. Beautiful road, but very twisty and therefore slow. Eventually we hit the M6 near Kendal and stopped for petrol at the Westmorland services. After this the going was very easy, but the whole journey still took us nine hours, and we had stopped for only about an hour in all. Distance: 342 miles. Our one lengthy stop was for lunch at The Chestnuts – favourite stop on the A17 for the Evetts and the Towns. We will probably never go there again, but it was very nice.
Annandale Water services: excellent room, with balcony and view of the lake. Pleasant receptionist. Poor restaurant facilities: McDonalds or Costa. We chose the latter, and also had breakfast there the next morning, me with sandwiches and fruit from Smiths, Dot with a croissant. the journey from there was pretty easy, though the A9 was unexpectedly slow. We stopped at Stirling services and then were held up by road works approaching Perth.
We had a sandwich by the Cairnwell chairlift and then proceeded through rain to Ballater, where it was much brighter.
I should mention a couple of events before we left. On Wednesday I had a “dress” rehearsal of Chronicle at Rob’s, which seemed to go quite well. Caroline tried on her new dress, made by Penelope, which can be seen on the Paston Heritage Society Facebook page.
On Thursday, with Dot in London for the day with Anne, I checked in at the printer to approve a dust jacket for the Chronicle book and (later) picked up Dot’s pills. In the afternoon there was a meeting at Mundesley of the PHS trustees, where I got rather annoyed with Lucy because her drive was so appalling and I was afraid I might have damaged the car. I hadn’t (as far as I know), but the drive was far worse than it was last time. Not much to report from the meeting, but I managed to write the minutes when I got home.
Holiday approaching fast. Dot is completing her packing today – or at least making a list – prior to a day in London with Anne. I will be packing too, but I have a “dress” rehearsal with Chronicle this afternoon.
Last night I met my god-daughter Holly for the first time since her wedding. She is now divorced and seems very happy: we had a lovely evening with her and her parents, Paul and Maryta, at Prezzos. The waiter was excellent, and Paul insisted on paying. How much better could it get? They also spent some time with us before and after the meal, and I discovered that Holly is a science fiction fan, especially Iain M Banks and Alastair Reynolds. I recommended Robert Holdstock’s Lavondyss and Mythago Wood, and lent her copies.
Dot was particularly pleased to have a good meal, because she had been fasting over Monday night in preparation for a blood test early yesterday. This meant that she was not able to have either the tea or the cake at Bridget and David’s during our monthly “cake and compline” gathering. Still, she could do the compline. Judy took us in her new car because she was a bit worried about parking it next to ours. So she had to park it at the Archers’, which is even more of a challenge.
On arrival home we forgot to retrieve the child seats which she had left at ours, so I took them to her yesterday morning while Dot was waiting for her blood test.
On Sunday we had another downpour or two – the biggest one as church ended. We were afraid that our living room would be flooded again, and were relieved (and surprised) to discover no water at all on the floor when we got home. The rain and wind were apparently the tail end of Hurricane Bertha – much worse in some other parts of the country.
We were a bit hesitant about fulfilling our scheduled visit to Walpole Old Chapel, near Halesworth, in the late afternoon for a poetry reading. But in Suffolk there had been little rain, and it was sunny and quite warm (though a bit windy). We were amazed at the number of people there – probably around a couple of dozen or more reading – and we all got to read three shortish poems or two long ones.
I read Something is required,Flood levels and Pelican, and they seemed to be well received. Mike Bannister, the organiser, was very welcoming and wanted me to read again at another Suffolk group. Another woman (wife of Hebridean poet James Knox Whittet) was convinced she knew me, but we couldn’t work out where or how. The whole affair lasted about 2½ hours. The chapel itself was amazing.
All this followed a full Saturday, which started with Dot visiting the doctor and getting a positive response to her complaint about her thyroxin tablets being cut. (She had been feeling under the weather, apparently as a result.) This doctor restored her former dose and said she could quote him if they tried to cut it again.
From here we proceeded to Jessie’s and then to the Gunton Arms, where we had an unexpectedly full lunch. I had been anticipating a sandwich, but we were sat at a restaurant table, so I felt I had to order a proper meal. This was a mistake, but quite typical of me. However, the shoulder of lamb was excellent. I shouldn’t have had the cheese and biscuits, though. Felt too full the rest of the day, which included Denise’s 70th birthday party in the evening.
This was fun, despite our not knowing many of the people there: it is after all 30 years since we lived in Yelverton. We chatted with the Jarys and especially enjoyed catching up with Keith, Clive and Elaine. I also had a longish chat with Barbara, who is not well but remains cheerful. It was also nice to talk to the Wrights’ new next-door neighbours, a youngish couple (though they have an 18-year-old boy who is interested in journalism).
