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Overnight the weather was calm and the
army camp was silent from mid-evening. Unfortunately the trains
weren’t. Especially those travelling south seemed the noisiest. As
they passed the draft would shake the tent and the ground would
shake. There were none in the morning until I was starting to pack
up. I was surprised that the army camp was silent, even at 07:15am
when I set off. |
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The weather forecast was for heavy ran
but there was just a few spots as I set off. The cycle track was
excellent riding and continued following the railway. I stopped at
Barry Links Railway Station and its level crossing with pedestrian
bridge. |
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Barry
Links Railway Station |
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I passed the entrance to the fitness
centre that used to be run by Liz McColgan the Scottish former
middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete.
The business has now gone bust and Liz has divorced and moved away.
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Entrance
to closed fitness centre. |
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Then along the coast to Arbroath. This
was another of my objectives as I wanted to visit the Bell Rock
Lighthouse Signal Station by the harbour. I approached through an
area of amusement building and open air pool but there was nobody
about. |
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Bell
Rock Signal Station and
museum in Arbroath |
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Distant
view of the Bell Rock Lighthouse
11 miles out to sea. |
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I reached the signal station but it
didn’t open till 10am. It was only 08:30 and I didn’t want to hang
around for one and a half hours so headed for the harbour area so I
could see the Bell Rock lighthouse 11 miles out to sea. I returned
to the road and called in to a fish shop with Arbroath Smokies.
Being on the bike I couldn’t buy anything but the man was friendly
and didn’t mind I was there to look and not buy. I continued through
another dock area then a cycle track that looped to the west then on
a road to head east. I was now on the road and at times it was quite
uncomfortable with speeding cars and trucks. |
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I was also the official cycle trail
and with no cycle track I don’t understand how it can get that
designation. The rain was now much more intense and annoying as I
descended into Montrose as I would have liked to take some photos
over the bridge. I left the town and headed north. I would have
liked to investigate the two bridges of road and abandoned rail over
the River North Esk but heavy rain prevented it. I was on the A92,
another road of no cycle track and busy traffic. By Inverbervie I
was getting fed up of the heavy rain and constant traffic. I was
glad to leave the main road and follow the minor lanes for a while. |
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Unfortunately with it being harvest
time the roads were covered with muck as farmers vehicles trundled
from field to field. I crossed the A92 again and was taken along a
narrow country lane that started climbing gently then began a long
steep climb before starting a descent towards Stonehaven. I joined
the A92 briefly to shortly leave it to descend into Stonehaven. It
was a strange narrow road with a cycle track adjacent. The town was
fairy bland and depressing. I reached the Co-op supermarket and
called to buy water. The shelf with 2lt bottles was empty so I had
to buy a 5lt bottle, which was way too much. I carried on to a lay
bye where a small area of grass and shrubs had enough space for my
tent. |
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Road
Bridge plaque in the rain |
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Return to
Whittle Wanderer
