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Ralph Cox•Follow
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September 10, 2022

Corner to Corner, Day 41: Buckie to Tarves

https://www.cycling4charity.org.uk To change all unpaved or rough gravel sections: to preserve tyres which have cuts, indentations from 1880 miles / 3026 km so far. Start of Moray Coast Cycle Route was very rough, so went by road into Banff, though once there, could see cement-surfaced sea path. Post-trip research via YouTube videos suggests Portknockie to Cullen, rugged and Whitehills to Banff, fine. To revise mistaken section before Cuminestown which is unsuitable and not part of Route 1. Noticeably hillier today.
Distance
58.4 mi
Elev Gain
3,855 ft
Time
6h 12m
Struan House breakfast table for all guests - last seen and with a similar sideboard spread on our first trip in Tiverton in 1998
Gifford (Giffy) and Robert used to run West End Hotel in Kirkwall, Orkney with 28 staff - Tripadvisor still records glowing reviews - and down-sized to Struan House. Once again refurbing snd upgrading it. You note we only took photos of excellent hosts. I think Giffy said an ancestor lost ownership of the Orkneys, or part of it, in a card game.
Struan House on the right.
Giffy had encouraged and organised members of the community to take over and plant these and other flower beds, and keep the street clean of litter. Buckie Roots: https://www.facebook.com/BuckiesRoots/ & https://www.northern-scot.co.uk/news/heart-of-the-community-buckies-roots-have-grown-into-role-274388/ Moray appears to have several community groups. Its council is offering £30000 to community groups in 6 towns for sprucing up their landscapes: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_144988.html We met a member of Friends of Cullen Toilets who look after the public toilets in the town centre. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079621276158
1876 All Saints Episcopal Church, right of Struan House on Cluny Square. Designed by the same architect as did Skibo Castle:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Ross_(architect)
1879 North Church to the left of Struan House on Cluny Square. http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4200/name/North+Parish+Church%2C+Buckie+Buckie+Grampian
Cluny Harbour built in 1874-80, named after the main funder. Extended in 1888 and 1921. Canmore entry has more photos to put it in context: https://canmore.org.uk/site/133251/buckie-harbour
Port and shipyards
To change route to embrace the harbour
Buckie cast-iron leading light, built as part of the harbour, 1874-80. Use Google Maps' Streetview for a close-up. https://canmore.org.uk/site/170815/buckie-cliff-terrace-leading-light
Findochty - its primary school being nearest and beside playing fields - and the NCN Route 1 path out of Buckie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Findochty
Welcome to Portknockie. Route 1 joins the Moray Coastal Cycle Route here to Cullen. The start looked too rough for our tyres. We went there via A roads. From Minute 11 to the end of this YouTube video shows its surface: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WZCOHSjy_g
Cullen Viadict used by the Moray Coastal Cycle Route. https://canmore.org.uk/site/103499/cullen-castle-street-viaduct https://www.morayways.org.uk/routes/moray-coastal-cycle-route/
Harbour of Cullen, 2001 population: 1327. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullen,_Moray
I noticed a chimney behind a house in South Deskford Street. A local resident said it was for a wood-turning factory, bending timbers for boat-building. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB23774
Portsoy parish church. http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4174/name/Portsoy+Parish+Church+Portsoy+Grampian
Looking back to Portsoy having climbed a hill.
Enjoying this lovely FLAT road, only to find the route turns down to the coat Ahhhh! The OS Explorer map shows one version of the route climbs back to this road!
Whitehills. Route 1 turned left off a speedy road, DOWN a hill to Whitehills. I wondered why.
We had a break here - photos next - I was paranoid about punctures so did not even try the Route 1 coastal cycle path from Whitehills to Banff. This YouTube video of cycling to and from shows good tarmac all the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpxNWCbx0Jo
Cheesecake with custard and a black coffee
1773 Whitehills parish church. on our road route out of the village. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehills
Lorraine looked down and saw the route we could have gone was decent.
River Deveron entering the sea at Banff, viewed from Banff Bridge, constructed 1772-80 and widened in 1881, designed by John Smeaton (we saw Smeaton's Bridge in Perth on Day 29 and his North Pier in Aberdeen on Day 43). https://canmore.org.uk/site/110832/banff-banff-bridge
Eden Castle, possibly from 1542 with repairs in 1676-77. Canmore entry has more photos including aerial. https://canmore.org.uk/site/18380/eden-castle
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