Abandoned

Since it's the holidays and I'm stuck working, my fiancé and kids are spending a few days in their hometown with their Granny. It works out well because there's some nice MTB routes in the area, so I can visit mid-week and also have a sneaky wee blast on the trails.

So arriving home to an empty house, much like the one photographed, my attention turned to local maps, trails and routes. I absolutely loved the bike and hike combination I did to Struie Hill last week - but with the evening drawing in and me completely unprepared; I couldn't settle on a route.

Instead I took off on the mountain bike up Glen Aldie, which is a smooth ride on a really decent forest trail which also has some great views over the Cromarty Firth and beyond. My initial plan was to then head north, and drop back down to Edderton before heading home.

Plans can change however, especially when there is outside influence. After bumping into a fellow rider, I was talked into believing there was a nice route that dropped back down to the Scotsburn road. Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to try something new, I picked up on the trail mentioned and set forth.

Things turned nasty, very, very quickly. The trail disappeared and I ended up following a wet and muddy carve in the landscape that looked like it had been made by a herd of deer or cattle alone. I would have turned back, but had reason to press through; bike tyre marks were set out in the mud before me.

Believing the route would improve at every turn I slogged mostly on foot for over 2 miles before arriving at the Coag Cottage featured. There was an forestry commission notice which confirmed my suspicions that it had been the Strathrory to Scotsburn Drovers Trail I had been following.

Still, I got a wee adventure all the same. One I won't be repeating.

Click here to see route, tracked on GPS