Day 13 Gartley Moor to South Redbrigs
Tuesday 23rd May Day 13 36km 230m ascent
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| Today started bright and sunny which allowed me to dry everything before packing for the first time since the west coast, there were showers around but I was only caught by one heavy one, with hail, later in the day.
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| Gartley Moor is a beautiful area with the trees thinned out to allow plenty of light through to the forest floor and is obviously being well managed as an amenity area. When I left the forest track it was to take to the roads for the next day and a half on my way across Aberdeenshire, I had tried to find a route on minor roads and was very succesful in this as I worked my way across the Glens of Foudland round the, what are by current standards, small wind turbines and down the road to Kirkton of Auchterless as in 19km, apart from the crossing of the A96, I was passed by only six cars, one tractor and a post van.
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| The road to Towie and the A47 was still relatively quiet and the walk continued to be very pleasant if hard on the feet and it was nice to take a small detour along the wide soft grass verge of the main road to look at Towie Barclay Castle. Towie Barclay is a 16th century building but not really castle anymore as in 1792 the turrets and embrasures were removed, two stories taken off and the ditch filled up. The castle is now privately owned and occupied.
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| My journey resumed along the back roads, some so far back that the grass was growing luxuriantly down the middle, to South Redbriggs where I managed to find a place to pitch beside the forest although the ground felt a little like lying on a bag of coal I was glad to get the boots off and relax for the night.
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