by bw
I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland. My great, great grandfather, David Wright, was born in 1812 in the small town of Glamis (pronounced glams). According to History of Ryegate, Vermont, when he was 16 he enlisted in the British army 77th Highlanders. His regiment was ordered to Quebec where his parents were living. In 1836 he married Margaret Sullivan who was from Limerick, Ireland. They moved to Ryegate, Vermont where my father was born in 1922. David became a tailor. In 1861 when David was 50 he enlisted in the 6th Vermont Volunteers. He served for two years when his wife asked him to return home, which he did after the battle of Mine Run. He reenlisted shortly afterwards and fought in the Wilderness Campaign where he was nearly blinded. He never recovered from his wounds and was buried at Ryegate Corner, VT. According to the history, “His bravery and patriotism deserve a fuller biography.”
May 22-23: Flight to Edinburgh – To reach Glamis I decided to bike there from Edinburgh. I would ride about 40 miles each day in a loop, returning to Edinburgh 7 days later. Much of the route was part of the National Cycle Network, “a UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking, wheeling, cycling and exploring outdoors” developed by the nonprofit organization Sustrans. I used Strava, Ride With GPS, and other sources to put together the remaining parts of the route.
The nonstop flight from Dulles to Edinburgh left at 10:30pm and arrived the next morning. Still being concerned about catching Covid and other respiratory diseases I wore a mask for the entire flight. I also avoided crowded indoor spaces. My caution paid off as I was not sick during the trip.
May 23-24: Edinburgh – Edinburgh is a wonderful city for walkers and cyclists. I spent a full day walking the city on foot. First stop was to climb Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano on the edge of the old downtown. It’s a vigorous hike at the very top where the wind was so strong I couldn’t stand up without holding onto something. I next wanted to explore the castle set atop another extinct volcano not far from Arthur’s Seat. Reservations are usually needed and the earliest I could get in was 1:30. I walked to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery, with free admission at both. After a brief rest at the hotel (Residence inn Edinburgh located next to the university), I walked to the castle and spent about an hour that included an audio tour. Time for one more museum, the National Museum of Scotland. I next assembled my Bike Friday and packed the panniers to prepare for the ride to Markinch the next day.
May 25: Edinburgh to Markinch – I left my two suitcases at the hotel where I would return in a week. There is something very freeing about setting off on a bike trip loaded with everything I would need for a week. Since I would be staying in hotels I didn’t need to bring camping and cooking gear. The total load was almost 30 pounds plus the bike that weighs just under 30 pounds and my 145 pounds. Once rolling on flat terrain riding requires little effort. Climbing hills is another story, especially climbing the short, very steep Scottish hills in a strong headwind.
The route consisted mostly of off-road cycle paths, some of which were unpaved. It rained briefly but the weather during the following week would prove the saying that if you don’t like the Scottish weather, wait 15 minutes. I left Edinburgh shortly before the start of the Edinburgh Marathon which meant many of the downtown streets were closed to motor traffic. Hoards of runners were making their way to the ride start as I left town.
There are 3 adjacent bridges across the Firth of Forth. I took the cycle path on the E side of the Firth Road Bridge. The bridge is limited to buses, cyclists, and taxis. I then followed cycle paths along the coast, several of which were unpaved and fairly rough. At one point it started to rain. Once I had rain gear on the rain ended, a common theme throughout the trip. The route then headed inland to the small town of Markinch where my VRBO lodgings were located. With few dinner options I got a meal from a popular Chinese takeout place.
May 26: Markinch to Dundee – The route today would pass through St. Andrews where I planned to stop for lunch and do some sightseeing. The city is a major golfing destination and I saw what appeared to be many golfers from the U.S. (their accent was obvious from their loud conversations). I was able to walk my bike through the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. I was ready for lunch. My guidebook mentioned a good place to get fish & chips, Tailend, where I got an excellent meal of lightly battered haddock and fat, delicious chips. I found a bench overlooking the water and savored my meal.
The route to the bridge to Dundee was unpaved and rough through Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. The bike was taking a beating. Tay Road bridge has a cycle path in the median. Cycling is taken seriously in the country. My destination was the Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa in Dundee, not far from the bridge. There was no problem taking my bike up to my room (for the last time). The room overlooked a water park in the quay where Wild Shore Dundee offered Wakeboarding sessions, my entertainment for the afternoon. Unfortunately the highly rated design museum V&A Dundee was closing as I arrived as was the ship RSS Discovery. from Wikipedia: “Her first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, and highly successful, journey to the Antarctic, known as the Discovery Expedition.” I returned to the hotel and splurged on an excellent room service meal.
May 27: Dundee to Forfar – I had hoped to stay in Glamis but there were no accommodations that I could find. The closest were in Forfar, about 5 miles east of Glamis. The Royal Hotel is located in the center of town. I started my ride after a good room service breakfast, following National Cycling Route 1 toward Arbroath, almost entirely off-road.
Arbroath is a coastal town famous for its smoked haddock. Rather than purchase a pile of smoked fish I opted for another fish & chips meal, covered in vinegar and salt with Ketchup on the side. It brought back memories of the many fish & chips meals wrapped in newspaper that I ate when living in London in the late 60’s. I took the time to tour the ruins of Arbroath Abbey, famous for its association with the Declaration of Scottish Independence written by Robert the Bruce.
From Arbroath I was on my own, leaving the cycle network and taking back country roads. The UK has a very logical although complex road numbering system which helps when trying to locate less important and lightly traveled roads. Most drivers use the faster major roads designated by at the letter A and 1 or 2 digits. I kept to the Axxx roads and encountered very little traffic throughout the trip. Almost all drivers were very considerate when passing and I discovered later that UK law requires: “leaving at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.” People drive very fast on all roads but they always slowed and gave me plenty of room when passing. On the major roads I doubt that would be the case.
There was very little traffic on the way to Forfar. Once there I was told to put my bike in a hotel hallway that I could access at any time. After the filling lunch meal I decided on a light dinner of yogurt, fruit and nuts.
Kerie would have loved these first 3 days of riding on relatively flat trails and roads with a tailwind. I thought about her often and missed being able to share experiences, good and bad, with her. I would occasionally talk to her anyway and tried not to miss her too much.
May 28: Forfar/Glamis – Today was the day I have anticipated for many years since I learned that great, great grandfather David Write lived in Glamis. The downside to visiting the town and castle was that the main direct route was on a busy major road with no shoulder. Looking at maps I found a circuitous route on back roads that avoided A94. I neglected to study the profile. It was an extremely hilly route, riding into a headwind. I left much of the weight and one pannier at the hotel but it was still a struggle getting up the hills.
As usual I was up very early and decided that before riding to Glamis I would ride about 5 miles east to view the Aberlemno Pictish stones. While there I had a nice chat with a gentleman from Austria who had been touring Scotland for 5 weeks in his small camper. Then it was on to Glamis. Glamis is a very small village. Glamis Castle is the main attraction that draws many summer tourists. The Queen Mother lived there in the 1920’s and Princess Margaret was born there in 1930. You reach the castle via a long tree-lined road. Several other cyclists had made their way to the castle as evidenced by the e-bikes in the rack. A staff person offered to put mine in a small shed.
I masked up and joined the tour that consisted mostly of American tourists. Shakespeare mentions Glamis castle in MacBeth although the real Macbeth had no connection to the castle. The 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghome currently lives in the castle. He is the second cousin once removed from King Charles III. It was a very engaging tour and well worth the £16. After lunch I strolled through the gardens that contained many large old trees. I then rode into the village and walked through the two cemeteries looking for Wrights and Crichtons (the surname of the wife of David Wright) and found two headstones and took pictures to check out later.
The ride back to Forfar was on the busy A94 but with a tailwind and a slight downhill I made good time and had no problems. After dinner I walked to Forfar Loch and along the lakeside trail, watching cricket batting practice. Most towns have large, green open areas used for soccer, cricket, and rugby.
May 29: Forfar to Perth – Rain was forecast for the morning so I hung out at the hotel for as long as possible to try to wait it out. I finally got underway in full rain gear just as the rain was stopping. After my short, fast ride on A94 to Glamis there was more moisture on the inside of my gear than outside. It was another day of steep climbs into a headwind. At one point I was riding uphill so slow that my Garmin GPS unit paused, thinking I had stopped riding. I even got off and walked up a short stretch. I had so little energy that day that I later figured I must have bonked, the cycling term for the body not having enough resources. From then on I tried to eat as much as possible. I ended up losing a few pounds by the end of the trip.
There was a wide sidewalk on the bridge over the Tay River into Perth. The Parkland Hotel is on the edge of another large green space where cricket and soccer were being played that evening during my walk. I had an excellent dinner in the hotel restaurant. My bike was stored in a spare room adjacent to the lobby where 2 e-bikes were parked. I later had a short visit with the owners of the bikes, a couple from the Netherlands who were just starting their bike tour.
I had some time to tour the city and visit the Perth Museum where I learned more about the Pictish stones and culture. I also wanted to exchange some dollars for pounds since I learned that my credit card had been hacked at some point during the trip.
May 30: Perth to Stirling – Another city, another castle. Stirling Castle played a large role in Scottish history. It’s also located atop an extinct volcano. On the ride to Stirling I encountered a very strong headwinds and many more hills. The terrain reminded me of northern Vermont where I was born and where the family cabin is located. While many of the open agricultural fields in Vermont are now forests, the Scottish countryside I rode through was still very agricultural, with lots of potatoes, winter wheat, and oats being grown. There was also a lot of livestock that I tended to talk to as I passed.
I had plenty of time to walk from Victoria Square Hotel to the nearby castle. Several Scottish kings and queens lived in the castle and several battles in the war of independence were fought in the vicinity. I talked briefly with a German woman who was waiting for her companions to start their tour of the country. They planned to camp and she had an impressive-looking load on her bike.
May 31: Stirling to Edinburgh – My last day of riding was back on another National Cycling Route. Route 76 extends from Stirling to just W of Edinburgh where I took Route 1. Much of the route was off road that consisted of large pieces of gravel, making for a very rough ride. The bike was taking a beating, with almost all of the weight over the rear wheel. When I stopped at an outdoor table in Queensferry (Orocco Pier where I had excellent smoked haddock and mashed potatoes) I noticed the rear wheel was loose. The axle nuts were loose so I tightened them and thought that solved the problem. The shifting had gotten worse during the day and at one point I stopped to wipe the chain and pulleys to remove as much grit as possible.
On the ride into Edinburgh the shifting was still a problem. I was riding as fast as I could to try to beat the expected afternoon rain. As I approached the hotel it did start raining but I arrived just in time.
June 1: Edinburgh – I had a full day in Edinburgh before heading home. I planned to ride north to Leith on the coast. I was ready to ride when I noticed the rear wheel still felt loose. That’s when I saw that the rear axle was loose and there was nothing I could do to fix it. I decided to pack the bike and just do a walking tour of the city. I wanted to visit the National Gallery Modern One and Two museums. The city is such a great place to walk that it’s possible to walk long distances and find interesting sights along the way. I noticed that people walk much more in Scotland than the U.S. I would be riding in a very rural area and often see people walking with their dogs.
I walked through West Princes Street Gardens and slowly made my way toward the museums. The Modern One was closed but it was located adjacent to the Two. There were some excellent works from the permanent collection. I prefer representational works and there were many on display. Located not far away was the Royal Botanic Garden and Arboretum. Both the museum and the gardens had free admission. I spent an hour or so wandering around the garden and then slowly made my way back toward the hotel.
Summary – I had a wonderful time cycling in the Scottish countryside. The National Cycling Routes were well-marked and mostly off-road. Some of the off road segments were over rough, unpaved sections and I should have checked the bike over more often to ensure parts were not loose. Edinburgh is a beautiful city and most sights are within walking distance of the downtown area. Scottish motorists were very cautious when passing, especially on the many narrow one-lane roads. I encountered very few cycle tourists. There were many cyclists in the cities but not in the countryside, especially away from the coast. The Lowland area in the southwest part of the country north of Edinburgh has excellent cycling conditions. I hope to return to explore other parts of the country by bike.