11^th Jul 2014

Feeling quite relaxed, I woke to the sound of a helicopter flying overhead. The pain in my shoulder still there but less stabbing and more nagging. The sun was shining brightly through the canopy of leaves that had protected me from the wind the night before.

I climbed out of the tent and heated a sticky toffee pudding ready meal in what little water I had left and used it to make a nice coffee. I then took out the solar charger for its second test. How much charge had it depleted by last night whilst charging the phone. Surprisingly it used only used 27% and my phone was fully charged. That would mean I could easily last four days without power, which could happen during my northwest leg of the trek. That would also mean I could charge my phone four times even if there was no sun for the solar panels to collect. I then decided to try the solar panel along with the battery to see how much time it would take to replace the charge in direct sunlight. Thankfully the skies were completely clear, not a cloud in view. I set the panel up facing the suns rays and left it while I packed up my gear and wrote my blog for the previous day.

I will admit I didn't get out of bed till gone 10am and by the time I'd had breakfast and finished writing my blog a couple of hours had passed. When I checked the power indicator on the battery pack it now read 82%, which meant I'd managed to get 6% charge back into the battery which was pretty good and better than I'd expected. It equates to approximately 20% phone charge. I'd also not had the unit switched on properly at the beginning as I hadn't been sent an instruction manual along with the package. An element of trial and error never hurt anyone. Now all I needed to do was work out how to attach the unit to my pack without damaging it during the trek. I'm was sure I would eventually figure it out but for the time being decided to pack it away in its protective case and stow it safely inside the backpack.

Having dropped my pills for the day I threw my pack on and set off for Newburgh. I walked through the dunes and climbed up to the top of the highest in order to get a better view. I was not prepared for the picturesque view I was about to set my eyes upon.

The river wound its way through a gorgeous calm bay, families and couples sunning themselves on the golden sandy beaches while seals were swimming in the waters. Outstanding, I immediately fell in love with it. I stopped to fully appreciate what was before me before descending down from the dune and headed across the small bay, hugging the clear waters, an old wreck, upturned featuring in the middle. I was tempted to put my swimming shorts on and go for a dip when I spotted something else in the water. It was an enormous jellyfish. Naturally I decided against going for a swim and carried on my way to find water to refill my hydration bladder and locate the towns bridge so that I could continue on my way.

Newburgh is a quite town with a couple of shops and not surprisingly a golf club. It was a gorgeous day and I decided I would simply have a relaxed hike. I left Newburgh and crossed the river using the bridge, as I did I noticed two fly fishermen stood waist deep in the waters casting their rods hoping for a bite. On the other side of the bridge a well defined track lead me through a small forest and back to the dunes. Winding my way through I met a couple out enjoying the weather, whilst chatting to them they mentioned a fork in the trail ahead, taking the left would lead me to an ancient 14th century chapel.

The chapel was built high in the dunes overlooking the village, which no longer exists, and was built in the name of st adamnans. I'd never heard of him. There wasn't much left of the chapel now, in fact you wouldn't know it's purpose other than an information board telling you. After spending some time exploring I continued to followed the trail through the dunes and back to the coast.

Back on the sand I carried along the beach until the landscape changed. No longer were there dunes but instead they'd been replaced by rocky cliffs. At the end of the beach I followed a small track up to the clifftops and once I reached the top I stopped and looked back at the coastline I was now leaving behind. The clear blue skies and golden sands. All I can say is that it was breath taking, and that wasn't due to the climb. I must have been stood there in awe for a good ten minutes before I noticed my aching shoulder. It was time once again to get a move on. I followed a well trodden trail over the undulating cliffs to a lovely secluded bay which again I had to stop and admire, Gazing across the bay at the cliffs on the other side.

I ventured down into the bay below and across the sand to a very steep set of steps dug into the cliff side. Climbing the steps was hard work but the reward that awaited me at the top was certainly worth the climb. I looked back to see the bay from another view point. Taking a moment to take it all in and catch my breath before carrying on my way once again.

The trail continued on to Collieston, a small isolated fishing village. The first part of the village was situated high on the clifftop. I walked through between the houses and found myself overlooking a small harbour complete with sandy beach and rock pools. Children were playing in the water, climbing into and jumping out of a small rowing boat. A young girl paddling an old fiberglass kayak and her brother trying to capsize her. It was a pleasant place to have a short rest. Across the harbour my trek would continue back over the cliffs.

I headed down to the harbour below using a steep path greetee along the way by Susan, a Canadian who now lived in the village with her husband but who also used to visit with her parents during holiday season. Susan carried on down the path chatting away and she took me over to a fresh water spring that had been used by the locals for generations. I was then invited for a drink with her husband ian and friend of the family john. Whilst sipping a nice cool refreshing citrus beer Susan brought out knives and forks and told me that I was now joining them for supper, boiled potatoes and mushroom omelette. The potatoes had been grown in their own garden and were fresh from the ground. After the omlette came out a homemade sponge with strawberries and cream, the strawberries were also from the garden and tasted delicious. After a pleasant chat over a mug of hot chocolate I set off on my way, a bag of goodies accompanying me. Just as i was leaving susan tried to pick the pack up and seriously struggled, then her husband had a go saying he thought it felt like 70 or 80 pounds. They had a set of scales which would allow me to weigh my pack. Both ian and susan lifted the bag and I read the dial. It read just under 24kg, I'd guessed previously that I'd thought it felt like 23kg.

It was now starting to get late so I made my way round the harbour and over to where ian and john had said tge clifftop path would be. I looked over at a sign warning that the path was close to the edge in places, but looking around all I could see at first was a cliff face. Then it dawned on me, I would have to climb the cliff face, which had natural steps, well kind of. How you could call it a path I will never know but I climbed the cliff face anyway and scrambled my way up to the top, looking back I had to chuckle thinking to myself "in Scotland you make your own paths!".

I carried on following what would be considered a path by only the hardcore and when a sign says the path runs close to the edge it actually means the path is the edge, but only if you're lucky. Sometimes there simply isn't a path and you have to hope and pray you don't slip because you won't stop till you hit the bottom.

After a couple of miles of gut churning slips and glances down at the rocks and water below I spotted a ruin ahead. The sun was setting and I needed to also find somewhere to camp, I headed over to the ruin to take a closer look, noting a slightly sheltered level patch of grass on my way down.

The ruin was medieval and not much remained. It was definitely a castle at some point and local inhabitants had reclaimed a canon which now pointed along the coast. I couldn't stop to long as the light was now fading fast so I about turned and started walking back to the clifftop path. As I did I noticed that one of the cottages was in fact derelict and abandoned. I went inside for a quick urban exploration, going from one room to the next. To my surprise, in the last room was a relatively clean double matress in an empty room. There was no damp and the windows were still all in tact. Improvised shelter? I think so.

13^th Jul 2014

After having a rehydrated meal, making sure it contained garlic, I climbed into the tent to get a good nights sleep. An eerie mist had surrounded the castle and really added an element of atmosphere to the site.

The following morning it was raining. I lay there listening to the sound of the rain pitter pattering on the flysheet, willing it to stop. Eventually it did so I climbed out of the tent to be greeted by, an eerie mist. I made breakfast and packed everything away wondering what the day had in store for me.

The ground was wet so anticipating a rather damp day I put on my waterproof trousers and set off in search of adventure. I left slain castle and headed for the clifftop once more. Finding a gap in a stone wall I clambered through and up onto the cliffs. Looking back at the castle I couldn't help but feel that this would be one experience I will never forget.

The path along the cliffs here was slightly overgrown but nothing compared to the day before. The mist had started to lift revealing a rugged Scottish coastline, the waters below were calm and a light breeze in the air.

I hiked along the path stopping every so often to take it all in. Ahead of me was an island rock. There were birds of all variety chattering away. At the far end of the island an arch cut by the wind and sea. I could see puffins perched on ledges and remembered my experience and what I'd learnt at Flamborough. I carried on towards the rock, over a brow and there she was, sat watching the mayhem across the water. Majestically perched a peregrine Falcon I believe (I'm no twitcher). She spotted me and took to flight landing on top of the rock much to the dismay of the gulls and other birds. I stopped to watch this magnificent array of activity before getting my bearings and continuing on my way.

The landscape was now drastically changing, the cliffs more rugged and the plants were mostly heathers. I followed the trail around fascinated by the activities of the birds, kittiwakes calling their names.

The path then began to narrow and I spotted a gullimot caught amongst the trefoil and thrift that grew either side. Its small wings unable to lift its large body to get lift. I tried to help by clearing the plant life away essentially make a short runway. But to my best endeavours the bird kept wadling away, flapping its wings as it did so. I calmly followed the little fella along until it found a gap amongst some grass where it dived in and hid. Worried it was panicking and going to have a heart attack I calmly said "calm down", as with the cows hoping it understood English.

I carried on passed the gullimot and around the cove. I headed up to the headland to see the view from there. To my absolute surprise there were five puffins perched on ledges on the cliff below me. Quite literally spitting distance. Funny looking creatures. This time I thought I would be able to get a good photo using the phone. I was so close it felt like you could simply reach out and touch them. I took my phone out and pointed it at them, they were showing as little specs in the middle so using the digital zoom I hoped and prayed I would be able to get a good shot. The problem with digital zoom though is quite simply it doesn't work. Now you could just make out a couple of blurry black blobs with orange beaks/blobs. Gutted! Very disappointed I carried on hoping Peterhead wasn't too much further.

It was starting to warm up now, the mist completely disapated and the sun was trying its best to break through the clouds above. I passed an old granite quarry, once a bustling pit of activity but now isolated and spookily quiet. I climbed up higher onto another cliff top, slowly making headway to the town of Peterhead. At the top I peered back along the coast and saw slain castle on the horizon.

Scotland is truly a spectacular place to walk. Granted I was weaving my way along the coast and hiking miles to get from one place to the next but it was worth every step. On one cliff I looked below to see an enormous cave beckoning me to explore. It was a shame I didn't have the right gear to repel down for a closer look.

Obviously I didn't attempt an abseil using the nylon rope I picked up the day before. I instead carried on my way along the cliffs. I then spotted an old wall. It wasn't just any normal wall though, this one looked like it had a history, a story to tell of its own. It was definitely part of an old building now a ruin, so I took a closer look. As I went closer I saw a helicopter flying low over the sea towards a fishing boat. As it approached it slowed and hovered right over the top. It then appeared to escort the ship out to sea. I'd thought it was a rescue or something but after watching for a while I believe it could have been something very different.

I carried on, wanting to get as close to Peterhead as possible. I'd walked all day and was now starting to get hungry, the first town I would reach was Boddam. A small fishing village a few miles before Peterhead. Walking along the streets it seemed desolate. I carried on to the beach at the far end, passing the power station as I did.

I was now looking for a place to stop the night, my feet and socks had been wet all day. My boots hadn't dried properly from the day before and cracks in the boot were now seeping and letting in water from the wet grasses I'd been walking through. Scouring the beach I couldn't find a suitable location, rubbish was strewn everywhere. Something I'm glad to say I hadn't seen much of since leaving Southampton. I didn't want to head into Peterhead as I was sure I wouldn't find anywhere there so I headed up a bank back towards the power station, spotting what looked like a small woodland. At the top I found a long brick wall with a gateway through ia huge courtyard. I went in wondering what I would find. It was overgrown with wild plants an obscured path leading across to another gateway. I continued on and before me stood a huge mansion, the windows and doors boarded up. There were two bmx bikes outside, I looked around to see who they belonged to when I heard a couple of voices. A couple of young lads popped there heads out of a window in the porch. I said hi and started asking questions about the place. They told me they thought it used to be a foster home and that someone had been killed in there which was why it was now empty. They ushered me in for a look, excited about being able to take me around. We wandered through the house, firstly on the first floor then up stairs to the two floors above and finally down into the basement. It definitely had some modern items such as hot tub, power shower and modern decorations. Most of the place had been vandalised though which was a shame because I would imagine it was a lovely house in its prime which wasn't too long ago. They showed me an exterior photo they'd found on the web and I must admit it looked lovely and very different to the way it looked now. Some of there friends then turned up and I told them about the trek and what I was doing. In the courtyard I spotted some sorrel, which I picked and handed out to show them what I'd been eating. A couple of the boys tried it and were surprised saying I was like, yep you guessed it, bear grylls lol.

I wanted to get some photos of the urbex experience but my phone was almost out of power. I took out the solar charger and connected my phone to it. Out of curiosity I also connected the solar panels even though the sun was going down and obscured by clouds. To my surprise it started to charge its own battery whilst also charging the phone. This was awesome, finally a solar charger that actually worked in bad light conditions.

Well after wandering around the building again, this time with my phone and head torch we said our goodbyes and I found a nice little spot in the grounds of the mansion in a very small wooded area. A very different experience to the one from the night before.

14^th Jul 2014

It was a surprisingly peaceful night. I woke early but wanted to get a bit of a recharge on the power monkey and let my socks and boots dry some more so I set the solar panel up in the sun and hung my socks up in a tree before returning to the comfort of my tent. A couple of hours later I decided it was time to make a move and packed up. I headed down on to the beach which had a light pink tinge to it. Something I hadn't noticed the evening before, probably because I'd wanted to find somewhere to camp and get out of my wet boots. On the other side of the bay I climbed up the bank and followed the road round to Peterhead harbour. I needed to locate a high speed Internet connection so that I could cache the next few days of the trek in Google earth. So I headed into town and found a coffee shop with free wifi. After I'd downloaded the next few days trek I found a barbers and decided to get my second haircut of the trip. It always feels good getting my mop chopped and always makes it easier to keep clean.

After a pleasant break I decided to set off through the town centre and back to the coast. It was then a simple case of following the promenade to a small footbridge. As I approached the footbridge it started to rain. I could see the clubhouse for the local golf course and made a dash for its porch to take cover while I waited for the rain to pass. As I was standing there I started chatting to one of the members. They took me inside and the lovely young barmaid poured me an orange juice and lemonade. While chatting about the trek I was presented with a huge bag of crisps and chocolate bars to take with me and the lady golfers generously donated some money to the charities, for which I am extremely grateful. It was a while before I could set off again but I enjoyed my time at the club.

I set off from the clubhouse and down onto the beach, slightly pink in colour due to the local granite. Walking along the beach was really quite easy compared to the days before, the tide was just going out which also meant I could hike on the firmer sand right along the shore line. Ahead of me was the gas works, its metal structure visible for miles and the most enormous sand dunes I've ever seen. Apparently some are as high as 75 feet and they stretch 17 miles along the coast. I wanted to try and find shelter from any potential downpours by camping amongst trees, but looking ahead I couldn't see any forrests or woods. After several miles I decided I needed to pitch up somewhere before the sun went down. I could see a light house a little further along so decided that I would camp amongst the dunes so at least I would be out of the wind.

I headed into the dunes and almost immediately found a nixe little spot but feeling hopeful I decided to explore the dunes in search of something better. As I did the area opened up into a large clearing covered with grass. This could have potential so I carried on. Unfortunately the large open space didn't provide any protection from the wind so I kept going. Between two dunes on the other side of the clearing I thought I could see a small woodland so, although my legs and back were now aching I headed over to take a closer look. As I got closer I could see it was in fact large bushes of nettles and not suitable for camping beneath. I was now a little disoriented as I could no longer see the sea. Eventually though, after a fair hike through the dunes found myself back at the first place I'd come to and decided I'd probably camp up there. It then started to rain once more so hastily I got the tent out and pitched up. As I did the pole I'd repaired with duct tape snapped and pierced the outer flysheet. Great, a leaking tent. I got everything under cover and climbed in. As I was taking my boots off I realised that some holes had opened up in them. This meant that as far as waterproofing goes these boots were now no longer fit for purpose. Luckily a follower has already sponsored my next pair and they're waiting with jo for me to arrange a pick up. Wel although for the majority of the day everything was reasonably uneventful, that evening things had gone somewhat astray.

19^th Jul 2014

The sun rises in Scotland extremely early at this time of year. I have no idea what time I woke but it was early. The wind had picked up somewhat during the night compared to the relatively calm evening before. I hid inside my sleeping bag to block out the light. I wasn't ready to get up yet and despite picking a spot in the long grass the floor was rather lumpy and I hadn't had a good night's sleep.

A couple of hours later, still restless I decided to make a move. I ate an apple while I made a coffee and took the pancakes out that I'd been given by Brian the day before. I was planning to get to Banff today so took a good long look at the crazy coastline of cliffs I had before me. Packing the tent away was an absolute nightmare, the wind blowing the flysheet all over the place and the long grass obscuring the tent pegs. I really didn't want to lose any. While I was packing up I had the solar charger pointed in the direction of the sun hoping to at least get a couple of % back onto the battery before I left.

The first village I was to pass today was to be Pennan. Pennan had been made famous in 1983 when it was used as a set in the successful film "local hero". I hadn't seen the film which surprised me as I've seen an awful lot over the years. I'd been told that the old red phone box on the promenade was of particular interest and that most people who visited the village made sure they had a selfie of themselves stood outside it.

I set off along the cliffs the fields to my left and the sea to my right. The village was several miles walk and the going hard. As I've said before ton this part of the trek there simply aren't any paths to follow, you just have to do your best. The views were as always, spectacular. Looking back at the coast I'd crossed the days previous and ahead at what I still had to conquer.

Eventually though I came round the headland and over the crest of the last cliff before Pennan. Just seeing the village from this view point was special and something that very few people will have seen. It had a special unique characteristic, all the houses were lined up parallel to the tiny beach along the promenade and tall cliffs stood solid behind them. It looked like a Hollywood set for a remote fishing village and I could see why it had been selected for the film.

I set off making my way down a gental slope, getting closer and closer to the village. I wasn't able to head directly for it though, down the side of the extremely steep bank between me and Pennan were tightly packed gorse bushes. I could see the faint line of a narrow track in the long grass which followed the contours of the slope though and decided that it would probably lead me to another track or path leading into the village. Sure enough as I neared the bottom I could see a path that ran parallel to a small valley leading to the village. Making a slight detour from the trail I headed straight down the remainder of the slope and climbed a wire fence onto the well kept path. The path had small trees either side which is why it had been obscured from me looking down from above. I passed through a gate and soon found myself entering the village. A tiny stream was now also visible and running alongside me into the village and bay.

As I walked through the village and passed the harbour I wondered where the phone box would be and whether or not it had been retained. During recent year the majority of traditional red phone boxes had been replaced with modern ones or removed completely and I hoped this wasn't the case here. To my left I found the village inn, so decided I'd pop in for a coffee and try to get a bit of information about Pennan as I was looking at the opening times I noticed a faded plaque attached to the wall confirming the association with the film. I stopped to read it and photograph it to post on Facebook. I turned around to take a look at the bay and realised the phone box was directly behind me. Looking old and traditional the faded and chipped red paint seemed fitting, an old royal mail post box stood next to it. Immediately I was able to imagine the iconic scene in the film that I'd not seen myself. Obviously I had to do the same as countless tourists before me. I stood in front of the phone box and took a selfie.

From the edge of the harbour I peered across the bay wondering how I could either get up onto the cliffs or into the next bay as close to the waters edge as possible. I walked along the promenade watching the tide slowly coming in. Without knowledge of the area and the behaviour of the tides it can often be too dangerous to make a dash round in front of the cliffsand I was considering taking the small road out of Pennan and walking inland a bit to get round. I'd almost made my mind up when I passed a lady covering up postcards she was selling showing the village and views.

Sheila and her daughter shona were residents and extremely welcoming. I stopped to say hello and asked if the tit was possible to climb the rocks into the next bay and whether or not I'd then be able to make my way up onto the next set of cliffs. Sheila confirmed that the tide did in fact come in extremely quickly and that surfers had started using the bay as its unusual rock formations created good swell and breaks for them to surf. She added that it was indeed possible to make it to the other side of the headland if I was to leave shortly. I quite fancied taking a short break though and having a coffee, but the hotel wasn't to open for another 45 minutes. "I'll make you a coffee" she said "its no bother, here take a seat and I'll go get you one". She pointed at a table and some chairs in front of her house on the promenade facing the bay. It was a lovely view, restful and peaceful. A moment or two later she brought out a coffee and home baked cake.

While taking my break and having a second coffee and nibbling on a banana I'd been given I could see the tide rapidly coming in and decided that now was the time to make a run for it around the headland. I slung my pack on, said goodbye and swiftly marched down towards the end of the promenade and down onto the rocky shore at the base of the cliffs. I paused briefly to plot a simple route over the boulders to take me out. At a fair pace I began hopping and skipping over the rocks,jumping the gaps as they presented themselves. All the time I was adjusting my coarse, planning the next few meters and keeping an eye on the tide which had now started making its way up the sandy beach towards the village. I came round the headland into a tiny secluded bay, but this was not the bay I was to stop at, so still hastily making progress I carried on over the boulders which were now getting larger.

Thinking to myself this would look good on film I eventually made it round the last corner where I could see the beach of the bay I had intended to head for. The tide here was still out a fair way so I slowed the pace and calmly walked across the rocks back to shore, taking a couple of photos as I did.

The sun was getting stronger now and the wind had died off. Feeling a little peckish I decided to take a break and got the solar charger out, conscious that I needed to take full advantage of the good weather and keep the battery charged up as much as possible.

Next I had no other choice but to take the road inland a few hundred yards and follow it up a steep winding hill that didn't appear to have an end. At the top I stopped to get my breath back and took the first right I came across which would take me back to the cliffs at fiddes fort, an ancient fort that no longer existed on top of a remote outcrop. Shona had mentioned a beautiful walk that would take me to banff. I passed a track that passed through a forest, but not to the cliffs. It probably would have been a nice walk and certainly easier but I was heading for the cliffs. I carried on towards the spot where the fort once stood, a small valley to my left.

Looking down into the valley I could see a small burn, thats what the scottish call a stream or brook. On the other side of the burn was a huge cave. I wondered if I'd be able to get close to the cave so that I could do a little caving and explore the subterranean caverns it must surely possess. I kept on going towards the fort all the time looking for a way to cross over so that I could scale the bank the other side up to the clifftops and hopefully get a chance to go caving.

As I walked round the little outcrop whete the fort would have been I noticed that it was possible to get to the cave from the valley below, the question was how was I going to get down there. Overlook the sea I decided to climb over the safety fence in order to get a good photo of the coastline behind me. I went to the furthest point and got the shot I wanted, as I turned round I saw a narrow trail leading down the side of the valley to the tiny rocky bay below. This was it. I grabbed my pack and set off down the trail, carefully keeping my balance until I reached the bottom.

At the bottom of the slope I could see an easy way up to the mouth of the cave I'd seen from above, but now I could also see another cave out in the bay. Unable to gain access at high tide I was lucky because now the tide had gone out. I wasn't sure if I would be able to explore inside as I figured it would probably be full of water but my curiosity forced me to take a look anyway. I left my bag at the bottom of the slope and headed over to it. Careful not to slip on the seaweed covered rocks I hopped across the rock pools towards the cave. I could hear the rumble of the waves echoing from inside and sure enough when I peered in the cave was submerged in sea water. An opening at the far end allowing the sea to fill the insides. A little disappointed but not surprised I turned around and went to collect my bag and set off to see if I could explore the larger cave.

I had high hopes that this cave would provide me with a much more interesting adventure. Crossing the small stream at tge mouth of the valley and scrambling up the bank to the cave was simple, as I did the cave entrance opened up like a huge mouth, yawning. When I reached the top of the bank I looked up at the roof of the caves mouth and slowly panned down looking at the entrance wondering what I would find inside. Once again I put the bag down, this time I removed the rope I'd found a week before just in case I needed it. I then headed down a small track, a little waterfall trickling to my left, and up into the mouth of the cave. Thre ceiling some 20 metres above me and huge boulders that had fallen and laid to rest at the bottom. Once again I could hear the waves roaring from inside, Birds squawking and the sounds echoing around. It was quite an exciting feeling. I put my head torch on and ventured in.

Careful not to slip and fall I climbed over the huge rocks and down the throat of the cave. There was light at the end and sure enough water rolling in from the sea beyond. The cave was massive with birds flying in and out and perching on the ledges inside. I peered down from the rocks I was now stood on and saw a small opening to my right. Shining the torch inside I wondered what I would find and how far back it would continue.

I'd come this far and once again the curiosity got the better of me. I climbed down further into the cave and headed for this small opening. It was dark inside so being careful where I trod I entered in. I was hoping I would find another cave or tunnels to explore but found that the cave was fairly small and ended a few meters from its entrance. I looked around still hoping but found that it didn't lead any further. I turned round and headed back. As I did I found anothet even smaller entrance to another small cave, once again I couldn't pass this opportunity up so climbed down in, clearing the spiders webs as I went. A ray of light shone through a tiny gap, too small for me to fit. Looking around I didn't discover any more tunnels or cave entrances so decided it was time to exit and clamber back out to the main entrance. Caving is always an exciting experience and I'd had a good time exploring the possibilities of discovering the subterranean world here. I headed back to my kit and reattached the rope. I now had a fair climb ahead of me to get back to the top of the cliffs and carry on with the trek.

It was a steep climb and the weight of the backpack didn't make it an easy climb. At the top I decided to take a break to catch my breath, have a drink and use the rays of the sun in the clear blue skies to top up the solar charger. The view from up there was breathtaking and was able to see quite a distance.

Once I'd rested and cooled down I picked everything up and set off once more along the clifftops. The hike along this part of the cliffs wasn't easy. There was no official path so I had to battle with thistles and gorse bushes. After a couple of hours being stung, scratched and pricked I laughed to my self and said out loud "this isn't funny anymore!". Nobody replied, which I figured was a good thing as I was the only fool stupid enough to be up there. After a while the cliff edge became too narrow to walk along so I made the decision to climb over the barbed wire fence in to the fields to my right. I climbed the fence and stood with one foot on a post and the other on the barbed wire. Balanced I picked a place to jump too and jumped. I landed hard, unable to cushion the effect of my landing because of the weight of my pack. A shooting pain ran from my feet up to my spine. I'd injured my groin. Grabbing and rubbing my injury I carried on walking across the field parallel to the clifftop thinking to myself "if I was a footballer I'd be rolling around the floor now calling for a paramedic". Well that simply wasn't going to happen, I'd have to grin and bare it.

I kept going and eventually the aches subsided. I came to the end of the field but was still unable to get on to the cliff edge so once again I climbed over the barbed wire fence and into the next field. This went on for a few miles.

Walking along the edge of the field I could see a town ahead of me. It was a good 6 or 7 miles away. I couldn't believe it I thought that I was closer than that to the next town of Gardenstown. A little disheartened I kept going, a small crest ahead of me I started the mild climb ti the top. When I reached the top though a sense of happiness and relief hit me as I spotted houses only a few miles away. As I got closer I realised that the town I had seen before was in fact Macduff. Gardenstown was merely obscured by the landscape. With renewed energy I started the descent down to a small village at the bottom of the cliffs. A track now opened up as I walked through a valley and onto a promenade. I followed the promenade around the bay and passed a sign saying the coastal path was closed. "We'll see about that" I muttered. I carried on and ahead I found a small shrine to the local villagers that had risked their lives rescuing shipwrecked sailors. Ahead of me a concrete path lead me around a rocky outcrop and into Gardenstown harbour. There I met a woman closing up a small art gallery and asked her where the nearest shop was. My hay fever had been playing up and I needed to find some more allergy tablets. "It's right at the top of the hill" she said "as you enter the village". I'd seen the top of the hill from the cliffs opposite and knew it would be a long and steep hike so I decided to leave my bag at the bottom hoping I wouldn't have to come back later just to drag it back to the top.

I set off following the mile long road up the steep hill, winding its way through the town to the top. It was getting late so I hoped the shop would still be open. I reached the top, it had gone 6pm and I really hoped it hadn't been for nothing. I could see the sign, and with one last push I went round to the front. A hand drawn sign on the door said "now open till 7pm". With a deep sigh of relief and sweating like I'd just come out of sauna I walked in.

It was a small store which stocked the usual and a few essentials, but they didn't have the tablets I was after. I would have to go to Macduff or banff in order to resupply. They did have a coffee machine though so I made a coffee, grabbed a tin of soup and some bread rolls for dinner that night. I asked the shop keeper if he knew of a way up the cliff face at the far end of the bay so that I could continue on my way. He came outside and pointed at a trail that was just visible that lead to an ancient church halfway up the cliffs saying that it was possible to get to the church from the bay below but wasn't sure if you could get up the the clifftop from there. He added that there was grass up there too which would be suitable to camp. That was good enough. After all you never know unless you try. I had my coffee and said goodbye and started my descent back down the hill to retrieve my kit which was waiting for me at the bottom. The hike back down was much easier than the one to the top.

Once at the bottom I slung my bag back on and decided to head for a pub I'd seen a sign for on my way down, the garden inn. It was far away and I needed to get fresh water. As I set off I met a lady out walking her huskies. We chatted briefly and she mentioned that she'd be going down to the pub later that evening as they were holding a pub quiz. I wasn't sure if I'd still be there by then but said that I may see her later before I set off to get a drink of orange juice and lemonade.

The pub was a real locals pub, everyone was friendly and interested in the challenge I'd set myself. The landlord, David, came over and asked me if I'd eaten yet, which I hadn't, and said "good, we're going to feed you tonight". I was taken into another room and sat at a table. There was a couple in there celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary and two Scottish waters workmen. We all started chatting about the challenge and getting to know each other when our meals were brought out. Chicken wrapped in bacon with sea kale. I'd picked sea kale and boiled it with rice back in Felixstowe some months before and enjoyed it thoroughly so to have presented here was lovely. The meal went down a treat. Afterwards I ventured back into the bar and joined a team for the pub quiz. We answered 21 out of the 40 questions right and didn't come last. The lady I'd chatted to earlier was there too and part of the winning team who'd got 25 questions right. They kindly donated the winnings to the rnli and we put the money straight into the collection box that was sitting at the end of the bar. I showed her the wooden spoon I'd made telling her the story behind it and she suggested that I gave it a name. "Spoony" she said "Adam and spoony around great Britain".

Before I left i collected my chargers, filled up my water and said goodbye. As I was about to leave one of the regulars stopped me and called me a hero. I imagined a man dressed as a woman to turn round and say "no he's not he's a very naughty boy" like the sketch from monty pythons "life of brian". It didn't happen. I smiled and said "no I'm not, the crews of the lifeboats are heros I'm just walking home, the scenic route". I didn't feel like a hero, but I've been called it a few times now and still didn't really know how to react.

It was now very dark and I'd been told I needed to pass the second burn and follow it up on the right side where I would find a path which would take me to the church. I headed off down to the beach and followed the directions. Once I reached the ancient church and graveyard I found a level piece of ground and pitched the canvas coffin up just outside. I climbed into my sleeping bag and hoped my new neighbours wouldn't disturb me.