John Hesp's Hike Across Scotland 14 - The Finishing Post

TGO Challenge - A Walk from Glenuig to Montrose

Day 14 - I pretend not to hear

I was awoken by lorries roaring up the A90 at 5am, and had half a mind to pack up and head off to Johnshaven which looks an interesting little place with a great name. However, PW and I had vaguely talked about reaching the coast at Nether Warburton, and I’d enjoyed walking with PW the day before so decided to wait for her and fell asleep again to wake at eight.

The route today was straightforward enough; cross the main road, which was probably the most dangerous part of the whole trip, over the River North Esk to Gallery, then follow minor roads through rolling farmland past Marymill, where there was a view back to the hills of yesterday, and Stone of Morphie to the coastal main road, where a short lane leads down to the south end of St Cyrus beach at Nether Warburton.

Gallery

There's a very interesting junk shop on the lane down to the beach, just past Sick Man's Shade, but we didn’t have time for that. "Junk Shop at Sick Man's Shade" - there's got to be a blues song in there somewhere.

Junk shop at Sick Man's Shade

We seemed to be in a nature reserve and taking a raised walkway across the dunes we found ourselves at the top of a sandy beach with the glittering sea beyond.

Of course, we had to take shoes and socks off for a paddle.

On the beach at Nether Warburton

PW mentioned going in for a swim, but I pretended not to hear her…….

The day was actually colder than the photos suggest, and the sea was even colder, so our paddles didn't last long.

Feeling a bit what-next-ish we wandered back up the lane past the junk shop, meeting Ali, Sue and David on the way. It was odd meeting people who were still doing the Challenge – on the one hand I had actually finished, which felt good, but on the other hand I couldn’t help thinking that it would be better to be still doing the Challenge. And so it was that I decided that I’d better come back next year.