Distance and ascent: 24km and 500m (on the days that I record the whole day using my Garmin, those are the figures I use. I recorded this day, and I've not rounded those figures up or down - I really did finish with such nice round numbers!)
Weather: yep, more blue skies and hotness.
It was a warm night! The warmth combined with the wind kept the condensation at bay, and with the sun hitting the tent by 0530, I was able to pack away a completely dry tent.
My night-stop hadn't been far away from the Cateran Trail, which was my route for today, and having joined it it took me through woods to Bridge of Cally. On my way, it occurred to me to see if B of C has a shop, and sure enough it does - a Post Office/general store.
As I carried on towards it, I contemplated the merits versus risks of posting my tent forward to Montrose, as I should now be done with it. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of what I would do if something went awry with my accommodation in Alyth. So, tent stayed with me, and I loaded up on more pop. A can of ginger beer that I drank on the spot and a bottle of Pepsi for the road - both straight out of the fridge.
The route was, like yesterday, pleasant but unspectacular, as I went through the hamlet of Netherton, then past an Army Cadets weekend camp, where some cadets were just off for a walk and others were being instructed in something.
Beyond there the path was hemmed in between hedges, robbing me of a view and, apparently, being the local hangout for flying insects.
A 5k road section ensued, but it was a tiny lane. I don't recall any vehicles passing me. At the next junction I had a choice. Had it been cold and rainy I likely would have taken the direct route of staying on the road, rather than wiggling around a bit on a section of route that from the map looked a bit pointless. The decider for me today was shade and a softer surface was definitely preferable to hot tarmac. It was again all very pleasant.
The highlight off the day came just before Alyth where I came across the Hill of Alyth - a modest lump standing 300m above sea level, with a prominence of 101m. The summit doesn't lie on the Cateran Trail, but it's so close that it would have been remiss not to trouble to take the detour.
Such a mass of sweet smelling gorse in bloom! Such a plethora of paths!
I got my start time and pace almost right today. The earliest I could get into my accommodation was 1pm, and I arrived in town at gone quarter to.
My accommodation tonight is a whole apartment. I can't remember exactly how much the campsite was (£27 less a few pounds for being on foot rings a bell) but when I saw this option advertised for £50 I didn't hesitate. The extra money to have a bed (3 beds,actually), sofa, kitchen, washing machine, and to not have to get dressed to visit shower or toilet was well spent - and just goes to show how disproportionate the pricing of campsites has become.
Good progress. The cost of campsites varied a lot when I was doing my various long distance walks, plus ça change!
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall that in 2008 the average price we paid for a campsite was under £10 (for two of us) and the average price of a B&B was just under £60 (again, for two of us). On this trip two campsites that I may have used were over £20, whereas I had a hotel for £41 and an apartment for £50. My feeling is that £20 for a patch of grass and five minutes of hot water is completely out of proportion with how much indoor accommodation costs these days.
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