 |
Be warned. An evening spent in the hostel will ruin you. I awoke with no real desire to walk on through the forest. Sloman's verdict on the route had hagged away with me all night. I'd gone soft again. It had been such a splendid night that I felt the Challenge was now over. And so we began the slow amble down to Edzell.
In truth this is a lovely walk. The sun was shining and the valley gorgeous. we were leaving the hills behind us but another, more gentle, landscape was taking its place. We walked on with Humphrey Weightman, one of my favourite Challengers. Sloman had been at Humprehy too and had convinced him to also amble down to Edzell. We had a great time talking abour politics, the US - where Humprehy had worked for some time, life in Borders where Humphrey now lives, the Scottish Assembley and a host of other things besides.
Alan, Barbara, Vicky and Humphrey
Humphrey and Alan
Eventually we came to a stopping place wher we caught up with Alan and also with Barbara and Vickey who were also resident in Tarfside the evening before. We all gradually made our way to Edzell, Humprhey and Alan heading off to the pub before joining the rest of us at the Tuck Café. This is another fantastic place to eat in. Last year I'd watched a group of old hands tucking into huge, knickerbocker Glory-type ice creams. This year I decided to sample these for myself. I ordered something with rum in it. Imagine ice cream, cream and raisons all floating on a sea of neat rum and you'll ge the idea. Humphrey - after folowing from the pub - decided to dample the same creation. Later he confessed that he'd left the café, "completely rat-arsed".
Sloman: at lunch
Edzell Ices!
From Edzell we took the boring, and straight road, down to the North Water Bridge Campsite. You'll hear all kinds of dramatic things about this stretch of walk, but it's nowhere as near as bad as it sounds. There are garasssy verges to walk on most of the way. It's just a case of head down and watch for those passing trucks!
North Water Bridge is another lovely campsite,e ven if it is tucked away at the side of the main road. It was a lovely sunny evening and - for the first time on this Challenge - we prepared and ate our meal outside of the tent!
Nearly over now.