The Highlands, Day 9

Former station.

Last day in Scotland then.  I eat a substantial breakfast and then head east, straight on to the Deeside Way once more, unsurprisingly given my route follows the river all the way to the sea at Aberdeen.  The path is pretty much arrow straight and die flat, following an old railway line that once linked Ballater to the coast.  It makes for fast, if not terribly exciting walking, but there are pleasant views across the Glen o' Dee, and at regular intervals I pass through old stations in various states of reversion to nature.  At one point there is even a working station, with a heritage steam line running alongside my route.

Aberdeen docks.

Eventually I reach Aberdeen, somewhere I've long wanted to visit - as much as anything because I like the sound of the name.  It is grey, solid, and as I expected not particularly amazing.  In any case I have only time for a beer or two before getting a bus to the airport - where again my flight is delayed.  I guess one reason the Scots might want to consider voting yes is that they'd then get the rather classier, and it seems more reliable, 'international passenger' experience at airports.

Back in England, and I can appraise how this walk went.  Pretty well I think - practically no rain for one thing, and not a single blister either.  The route was good, from the moors and lochs to the south of Inverness, through the majesty of the Cairngorms, and the tranquility of the Glen o' Dee.  I would amend it a little to avoid private land issues... and maybe do something about the twenty miler over Ben Avon, although as much as anything my misstep at the start was the problem there.  Otherwise yes, I'd do it again :)

Made it!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

There should also be a link on the right somewhere to my Munro Map Page, with links to photos from the summits I got up on this trip, and many others besides!