Day 18 - Blairgowrie to Ballater

Wow! What a B&B we stayed in last night! Wonderful!!

https://www.glenshielinghouse.co.uk/

Greeting the drowned cyclist on their doorstep with reassurance there was plenty of hot water, towelling robe, slippers and tea & cake waiting for me was just wonderful!! The team running the B&B had moved here from Brighton six months ago and completely renovated it during lockdown, with such opulent decor and interior design! What a find! Such a treat to be sitting on a sofa rather than a saddle, reading a magazine!!! IS this what normal people do with their weekends?!

I discovered a fabulous magazine, https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/, I'm tempted to start a subsccription to maintain my Scottish connection from the South! In muchthe same way Ive started a subscription to French country living to sate my love for France!

Fully rested and restored I was ready to tackle the cycle; a truly hilly route, taking in the first of my ski station stops en route, Glenshee.

The day started gloriously sunny and for the first time in weeks I was so warm I had to strip kit off! A novel experience of late! Also throwing in some hilly climbs helped warm me up!

Stunning scenery cheered me along the Scenic Snow Route of Scotland,and indeed thanks to the atypicall cold spell snow adorned the peaks which was cheering to see.

I happened upon a little coffee shop beside the road, perfect timing and stopped in; my mum spied the bike outside and stopped in too so we enjoyed a rare cup of morning coffee together. I am delighted that it is permitted to be indoors in Socttish establishments which is a real blessing given it is rather cold outside here!

Back on the bikeand the rain started; so quick stop for reapplying the waterproofs (overshoes, trousers, jacket, gloves) and I recommenced the climb up towards Glenshee, up the Cairnwell Pass  the highest main road in the United Kingdom, reaching an altitude of 670m (2199 ft).

The rain was torrential and I have to say photos from today are few and far between! But wow was it beautiful, and again, nature saved my  morale as I trudged upwards, with the varying calls of birds, Curlew, Lapwing, Oyster catcher, I even saw an ermine of some description scuttle across the road!

At the top of the pass I was delighted to see mum and the van; I dived in the back, stripping off my wet top kit, towel drying before dressing in new dry kit including my spare waterproof. Ready now for the next challenge I enjoyed a wonderful descent to Braemar.

I was particularly excited to visit Braemar, as there is a wonderful outdoor shop there, which had remotely sold me my first pair of skis in 2009, which I took to Antarctica. 

https://www.braemarmountainsports.com/

It was a fab shop with a great cafe, and a terrilbly kind chap who worked there, Paul Davies, generously sponsored me on my current challenge! Wow!

As I left Braemar village I spied Braemar Castle, which was hosting an art installation outside, brightly coloured neon lights writing, "Everything is going to be alright"! I burst into tears, smiled and continued cycling onwards towards Ballater.


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