My Adventures 3: Kirkmichael

GPX File Here

DAY ONE 1st June 2023

On Thursday the 1st June 2023 Myself, staff and the Police Cadets set off at 3am to drive to Blairgowrie to help the Cateran Yomp, a charity supporting BF The Soldiers Charity. Five staff and four cadets plan to walk the Bronze 22 miles through the mountains. They are the first young people to be given permission to do so. You can donate here if you care to support the fantastic charity!

As we drove up the A1 the iconic Angel of the North came into view.

The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world and is viewed by an estimated 33 million people every year due to its proximity to the A1 and A167 roads and the East Coast Main Line. The design of the Angel, like many of Gormley's works, is based on Gormley's own body. The COR-TEN weathering steel material gives the sculpture its distinctive rusty, oxidised colour. It stands 20 metres (66 ft) tall with a wingspan of 54 metres (177 ft), larger than that of a Boeing 757 aircraft. The vertical ribs on its body and wings act as an external skeleton which direct oncoming wind to the sculpture's foundations, allowing it to withstand wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).

Rothbury

We divert off the A697 for an emergency toilet break down to Rothbury, a pretty place.

Rothbury emerged as an important town because of its location at a crossroads over a ford on the River Coquet. Turnpike roads leading to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Alnwick, Hexham and Morpeth allowed for an influx of families and the enlargement of the settlement during the Middle Ages. In 1291, Rothbury was chartered as a market town and became a centre for dealing in cattle and wool for the surrounding villages during the Early Modern Era. Later, Rothbury developed extensively in the Victorian era, due in large part to the railway and the industrialist Sir William Armstrong. Between 1862 and 1865, Armstrong built Cragside, a country house and "shooting box" (hunting lodge) just outside Rothbury, and extended it as a "fairy palace" between 1869 and 1900. The house and its estate are now owned by the National Trust and are open to the public, attracting many visitors to the area.

Rothbury

We cross the border over into Scotland and arrive at our planned diversion to Coldstream for one of our Staff member Mal, who was in the Coldstream Guards Regiment.

Coldstream lies on the North Bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the South Bank.

Coldstream is the location where Edward I of England invaded Scotland in 1296. In February 1316 during the Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir James Douglas defeated a numerically superior force of Gascon soldiery led by Edmond de Caillou at the Skaithmuir to the north of the town. In 1650 General George Monck founded the Coldstream Guards regiment (a part of the Guards Division, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army). It is one of two regiments of the Household Division that can trace its lineage to the New Model Army. Monck led the regiment to London, helping to enable the Restoration of King Charles II.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Coldstream was a popular centre for runaway marriages, much like Gretna Green, as it lay on a major road (now the A697). A monument to Charles Marjoribanks (1794–1833), MP for Berwickshire, whose ancestral home was in nearby Lees, stands at the east end of the town, near the Coldstream Bridge. Alec Douglas-Home (1903–95), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964, is buried in the churchyard of, the ruined, Lennel parish church, just outside the village.

Each year, during the first week of August, Coldstream hosts a traditional "Civic Week" where it includes historical aspects of the town's history such as the Torchlight procession and horse-rides to the Battle of Flodden battlefield.

We went to the monument which marks the spot to where the Coldstream Guards regiment was formed.

The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonial occasions. The Regiment has consistently provided formations on deployments around the world and has fought in the majority of the major conflicts in which the British Army has been engaged.

The Regiment has been in continuous service and has never been amalgamated. It was formed in 1650 as 'Monck's Regiment on Foot' and was then renamed 'The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards' after the restoration in 1660. With Monck's death in 1670 it was again renamed 'The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards' after the location in Scotland from which it marched to help restore the monarchy in 1660. Its name was again changed to the 'Coldstream Guards' in 1855 and this is still its present title.

We leave Coldstream and continue our journey and pass through Edinburgh across the Queensferry crossing with views to the Forth Bridge. We eventually arrive at Blairgowrie and set up camp. We drive into Blairgowrie to get our Fish n Chips supper along with the Scottish delicacy of Battered Mars Bar.

River Ericht in Blairgowrie

DAY TWO: 2nd June 2023

The Cadets and staff help set up the event, putting up banners, filling goody bags. Then the participants start to arrive and we help with car park duties and registering them all.

That night there was a pasta party for the walkers to bulk up on Carbs before the event tomorrow.

DAY THREE: 3rd June 2023

Today is the day of the Yomp, we have breakfast and get ready for our set off time, whilst the remainder of staff and cadets get ready to help man the Bronze Checkpoint.

The Cateran Yomp is the biggest, toughest event of its kind. Every year, hundreds of Yompers gather in the Scottish wilderness to battle through the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains, walking continuously for 54, 36 or 22 miles over 24 hours. Based on an infamous long-distance military training march, it takes every ounce of grit you possess. And every single step helps our mission: to be there for soldiers, for veterans, for their families. For life.

The Yomp takes courage. Discipline. Integrity. Teamwork. It’s not easy (understatement). But we promise, it will be 24 hours that you’ll never forget.

At 0630 hrs we set off, across the road then stand aside to let the hoards surge ahead of us.

Once the crowd has gone we set off, we immediately climb up a very steep hill, no warm up! Straight up, I think this actually be the worst of the entire bronze route!

Half way up and we can see back to the Event start in Blairgowrie.

We walk on alongside fields and pass East Gormack Farm where the path is on diversion from the usual track.

Walking onwards we eventually pass another farm at West Gormack where there was a toilet stop.

We continue on at quite a pace and it is certainly hot now, we cross Bridge of Drummad and the uphill.

At the top of the Serjeants Hill we follow the path around through the Blazing heat.

Another 10 miles till we reach the first Checkpoint in Kirkmichael, but there is a water stop to look forward before that!

We can see a lake that the Glasclune Birn flows through, How I would have loved to have stopped for a cooling dip in there, but no such luck and we march on at a rate. I am lagging behind in this heat.

We walk along through Cochrage Muir with amazing mountain views beyond.

We walk into Blackcraig Forest and to the first water stop, this was very much needed and we grab something to eat and drink and pull off our boots and socks to cool our feet. The oranges and cake was welcome too!

Boots back on and water bottles filled we walk on through the Blackcraig Forest.

The path takes another diversion and we are transcending down a very steep slope.

Down the bottom we are back on the trail and passing some pretty farmland with plenty of livestock to look at.

We take another break to take on fluids and something to eat.

We walk on along the path pass Crowhill.

After walking for quite a while we go uphill by Dalnabrack, thankfully it didn't go too far or steeply.

We cross a bridge over a small waterfall that carries the Pitcarmick Burn along its way.

We all seem to be feeling the heat now, but the checkpoint is still 4 miles on, so we push on.

We pass Dalvey Lochand cross another small burn where shortly after we take another break for more fluids and food, not far to checkpount one now.

We are now heading down into Kirkmichael.

We cross the Balnard Burn and walk alongside the River Ardle.

Now we follow the track into Kirkmichael.

We stop and check dip in at the checkpoint at Kirkmichael. We have food and drink here and a much needed rest. Here I seriously considered bailing out as I thought I was holding the rest of the team back as I struggled with the pace being held in the intense heat. But hey no I wanted to complete this and I will. So decision made to continue and a promise that the pace will ease.

Harvey the youngest ever participant meets the oldest here!

We walk on and down to the River Ardle, wish I'd known it was so close, I'd would have had a paddle!

We follow some paths an one behind some houses where the residents had kindly left out lemon water for the walkers, very much appreciated.

We walk through the bottom of Kindrogan Forest and its very barren here.

We stop for a group photo before pushing on.

We walk into Enochdhu pass some lovely cottages.

We cross the River Ardle again and to the road, where there is another water stop.

Crossing the road we walk uphill along a road, a passing car kindly stops to give us all water.

At the top of the hill we pass Dirnanean Farm and shortly after here was a ice cream stop, yay now that was very much appreciated. We are told we are the last and the sweeper team is behind. How is this so with so with a few wavs behind us? Maybe a lot had dropped out, who knows!