Walking the Line.......Day 1

After the successful walk on the Formartine & Buchan Way with no ill effects for my shoulder I decided that an effort to walk more of it would be possible and enjoyable.  Disused railway tracks are like 'secret passages' that take you quickly through the countryside, usually with great views and interesting historical connections. The 'green corridor' effect means that there is often plenty of wildlife; plants and animals, to see. The walking is generally easy, and most of all, flat.....ideal for John to cycle a bit too.

{Heading North, a 'secret passage'}

The van was packed up and the weather forecast was looking fairly favourable - however, you can't hurry a man playing sudoku on his mobile so it was nearly lunchtime before we left home. Inverurie Garden Centre provided us with delicious soup and sandwiches and we arrived in Ellon in the middle of the afternoon.

I had hoped to be able to walk the Way to Maud on the first day but there didn't seem enough time to go as far as that so it was agreed that John would drive to Auchnagatt and park up so he could cycle back towards me.

It proved quite difficult to find the start of the way in Ellon, so we drove a little further on and found a place to park beside the old line, where a bridge had been removed and there was an access from the roadside.

{Starting place for me, North of Ellon}

The Aberdeenshire countryside is famous for its agricultural land, especially the raising of cattle and big fields of crops. There are small villages dotted across the hills and at one time the railway provided the major way of moving goods and people around. 

{Crops already harvested}

Once I got into my walking rhythm, I began to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the day and, as usual, started spotting places that would be good for a quiet wild camp. The nature of a railway line means the banking is often too steep or overgrown for a tent but from time to time there is a great spot.

{Perfect pitch!}

John appeared, cycling easily towards me, and decided to carry on back towards Ellon, then catch me up at Auchnagatt where he'd parked the van beside the Village Hall. 

{Crossing the road in Auchnagatt}

I arrived, found the van, and waited......

{Intrepid cyclist....}

We decided to camp the night at the caravan site at Aden Country Park, this has a special rate for pensioners. The food I'd packed for the evening seemed to still be frozen (!) so the obvious choice was to find a curry - so we set off to Peterhead..........