11
Dec
Cycling Into A Headwind
Sounds like a metaphor for life, but described my morning. In an act of outrageous second exercise within a calendar month, I got back out onto the Formartine & Buchan way again. This time I headed North.
Big skies in Aberdeenshire
I went pounding along at a fair pace, I’m beginning to learn the gears of my bike a little better, & trying something new resulted in a jump from 10 mph to near 20 with no extra effort. Soon enough I’d done 6 miles and stopped to have a drink & take the photo above. It was at this point I thought ‘hmm, wind seems to be getting stronger’. Oh, yes the 6 miles back were into a 20-30 mph headwind, I could hardly get above 8mph!
Logierieve Station
Although the line has been closed 30 years, bridges, overgrown platforms and the old stations still remain. This one is now a private house, but you can still see the platform clock. At least the sheep aren’t disturbed by steam trains, only panting cyclists!
Baa
There’s a certain sadness in the old abandoned buildings, and the fantastic stonework of the bridges abandoned after only 100 years of use. This last photo shows an old level crossing, with the gates still left open, and the crossing mans cottage behind.
It was a nice ride though, albeit hard work into that wind. Some of the track was pretty rough in places, I am now beginning to understand the merits of a full suspension bike! Were the local railways abandoned in your part of the world? Or are you lucky enough to still have them?
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December 11th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Nice pictures! sounds like a nice ride. We still have plenty of trains that pass through cincinnati…
December 11th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Nice, but windy! We lost so many local lines in this country during the ’60’s it was a crime. We need them back now.
December 12th, 2006 at 1:52 am
Oh, ah, aw!!!! *dreaming*
Actually this wasn’t nice of you at all
To get me here looking at your bloody marvelous pictures and make me crazy of travel temptation, when I can’t travel for the moment!
We’ve been to Scotland twice and we LOVE Scotland. No, we ADORE Scotland. This year we went to Ireland instead, but we were longing for Scotland… and still does. We’ll go back some day for sure!
Though I’m not sure that I would want to live in Scotland during the winters… I don’t even want to live in Sweden in the winters.
Thanks for stopping by and warmth welcome back
December 12th, 2006 at 4:12 am
Great pics……
My cousin (2nd, 3rd???) moved to Southerness, Dumfries…..very amazing but bleak countryside.
And he has those HUGE wind turbines beside his cottage.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:52 am
Old buildings like that are interesting to me. I always try to imagine who used to be there, what they were like, etc.
We live somewhat close to a track.. just close enough to hear it’s whistle late at night. Always a comforting noise.
December 12th, 2006 at 9:30 am
Hi all, thanks for your nice comments
Aberdeenshire is a stunning place, and as you move into the Grampian Mountains it’s just wall to wall majestic mountains, lochs, rivers & forests. They don’t compare to some mountain ranges for height, but their immense age gives them a real nobility.
I want to visit Sweden - how about a swap? I don’t mind winters, you can always wrap up warm & enjoy it - when it’s hot there’s only so much you can take off!
I’m a terrible nostalgic Skittles, cycling through the stations, you can almost see the people on the platforms & hear the old steam trains…
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:58 pm
We have a program in the States (my husband donates to them through work) called Rails to Trails that has really made use of the old rail line areas and put them into service as walking and biking trails. Brilliant idea, huh? I know, this post was way last Dec., but I wanted to tell you about the R2T program.
June 23rd, 2007 at 9:42 pm
It’s a great idea Webduck, but in places we could do with the trains back….
August 1st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Sorry for the comment way late. But I just came across this post doing some research on my next bike trip.. The picture of the sheep is stunning. You were just riding and you came upon that? Pretty cool