TGOC'26 Day 14 Banchory to Peterculter (Deeside Holiday Park)

Without any breakfast I set off from Banchory into what looked like the making of a beautiful day. 

(I just noticed that I added this mornings details to yesterday's post, so you might not know why I am leaving without breakfast- See the end of Day 13)

I will also remind you of a comment I made in a post a few days ago. It is around 8:30 now and there are several coffee shops in downtown Banchory, but none are open yet. They open between 9 or 10 am. What is a person to do for coffee in Scotland before that? 🤣 

I walked back the way I had come into town. The Deeside Way follows the River Dee out of Banchory and will pick up the Royal (abandoned) railway line

You follow the path through a public park and gardens, heading East, leaving town. 

An old train trestle, where you join the abandoned line. 

You have the busy town and shops on your left, on the hill above you. The river is on your right offering great views.

Fishing Hut along the river 

About 3 miles outside of Banchory you meet a rolling stock museum as you meet the old Royal Deeside Railway.

This rail line, constructed in stages, starting in 1848, went from Aberdeen to Ballater. In 1853, the Royal family (Queen Victoria) began to use the train as a way to reach Balmoral Castle. 

The path doesn't use the rail line here, it is actually along side. You can see the path to the right of the old rail line in the photo above

The old tracks are part of a museum of the rail line that is located at Milton of Crathes. Along with the Museum there is a shopping and craft village (the coffee shop was not open)

Leaving this area, the tracks are gone and you pick up the path, still with plenty of reminders of the train infrastructure. 

You walk through the little village of Crathes and then it is out into some open fields along what is your typical gravel bike path. 

It is then just a straight walk, for about 3.5 miles, next to the A93, but not so close that it makes it unpleasant, to the town of Drumoak. I was told later in the day, by another Challenger, that there was a very good coffee shop, just off the main road (below). It appeared just like a residential building! Darn... It is amazing what you think about, or crave, while you are walking. I tend to not think much while walking, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. My mind stays quiet while walking, but I had not had any breakfast or coffee yet today. 

Missed opportunity

Internet photo

The Deeside follows a road and curls South, down away from Drumoak, and you reach a wooded area (Keith's Muir). Once you turn East again, there is a large dog park along the path. The park has benches and tables around the edges. I stopped just short of there to have some lunch. 

Some interesting "lawn" art leaving Drumoak 

The Deeside turns away from the A93 and you walk between farms for the rest of the way. Part of this section is on a paved road, until you get close to Peterculter. 

You can tell you are getting close to the East Coast of Scotland when you start to see rapeseed oil plants (terrible name but the closest thing for the US would be canola oil). Rapeseed is in the mustard family. It is a beautiful color, but I have only seen it along the Eastern side of Scotland

Gorse (foreground), Rapeseed, in the background.

Making it into Peterculter, you join up with the River Dee.

The Holiday Park is a detour off the Deeside Way, south for about a half mile. You cross over the River Dee and walk a short distance to the caravan park.

This is a very "high end" Holiday Park." The community is gated and has a reception building.

I checked in and was directed to my tent site. 

I was set up right by the duck pond, so I got to share my site with the resident family of ducks

The park was very nice. Very high end mobile homes (caravans). It had a shower/laundry room, bathrooms and a very nice community center building, which was mostly for children, judging by all the toys. It also had a billiard room in the back.... for the adults. Several other Challengers showed up later in the day, but most had rented the "Hobbit Huts" for a night indoors. In the end it was just Liz and I on the lawn. Liz is the one that told me about the coffee shop in Drumoak. 

The one draw back to this location is amenities. Not even a vending machine. It seems that everyone that stays here uses their fully stocked mobile homes, but the closest restaurants or food is at least 3 miles, round trip, away back along the busy roads.

So what is an American to do? Order delivery pizza from Dominos of course... 🤣

I put my feet up, watched a movie on my phone and ate my pizza ( Oh yes, I ate the whole thing!) 

Day 14 Summary and Stats: