A Wet Triumphal Arch

Dover - Shetland Day 27
St Cyrus to Clatterin Brig, Nr Fettercairn

Distance cycled: today 22.6km, total 1758.9km
Ascent: today 239m, total 10,866m

Lowlight: only making a short distance today to the Clatterin' Brig tea room at the southern side of the Cairn O'Mount. The ride was curtailed due to atrocious weather with torrential rain and up the hill thick mist with appalling visibility. These conditions, combined with a dodgy and increasingly loud front wheel bearing and brake pads nearing the end of their life, made for a simple if disappointing decision to hitch a lift with Christine in the car for the 20 miles home. Back on Sunday to complete it.

Highlight: sitting in a warm car being driven home through torrential rain, flooded roads and thick mist.

What else? Fettercairn, the Mearns village at the foot of Cairn O'Mount, had lots of excitement in 1861 when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived from an expedition from Balmoral to Glen Esk via Mount Keen on foot and pony, before taking a carriage for the last leg. They stayed overnight incognito in the Ramsay Arms, where I had a very welcome hot coffee today. They left the following day by carriage in thick mist across the Cairn (which I can relate to). Apparently they covered an impressive 131km over the two days, without a bike!

Photo: whilst the royal visit was incognito, the ornate arch erected by the Fettercairn villagers at a cost of £250 (around £20,000 in today's money) to commemorate it is anything but. This would also suggest that the visit wasn't that incognito after all.