Last week I took a short drive south down the coast to Montrose to continue the seemingly endless search for furniture. On the way home again I noticed a sign for a nature reserve and decided to explore it further, I'm glad I did. As soon as I saw it I knew Sarah would love it, and with Sunday bringing bright sunshine all day we decided to visit for the first time, it won't be the last.
St Cyrus National Nature Reserve is an absolute gem, about 5 miles north of Montrose in the south eastern corner of Aberdeenshire. It is a wonderful place to visit, but the parking set up is woefully inadequate so get there early on weekends and holidays. There's a nice little visitor centre, picnic benches and excellent clean toilets before pathways lead you off across the boardwalk over acres of stunning grass covered dunes. The dunes open out onto an enormous stretch of clean sandy beach with driftwood scattered all along the empty shoreline. The waves are excellent for surfing/bodyboarding or just splashing about for the kids. The reserve begins from the northern bank of the River North Esk which marks the southernmost point of Aberdeenshire, and runs for 3 miles between the gorse covered cliffs and the wild North Sea. It really does remind me of the southern coast of Oregon, I'll bet the water temperature is similar too. There are other access points from the cliff top path on beach road St Cyrus but parking there is also very limited, but don't let that put you off, it is a wonderful walk, a beautiful beach, a castle ruin (very small one) and spectacular seas year round. In spring and summer it is also a wonderful wildlife reserve, so, add St Cyrus to your 'Aberdeenshire to do list' and don't let it slip your mind.
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With the weather promising more dry and sunny conditions across Aberdeenshire it would be wasteful to stay at home all day. So I found a little time to get out and enjoy a short 8km leg warmer close to home.
I've made this hike a number of times albeit over 10 years ago, so it was nice to return and walk in familiar surroundings. Back then I found a small pool of water fed by a spring and in it a single newt. As I walked today I stopped off at that same pool, and in there I saw 6 newts in exactly the same place, an unusual but very welcome continuity. Last time there were more trees still standing, this is logging ground after all, the cut trees now laid beside the trail are massive compared to their predecessors. It is still a really enjoyable and very easy hike in spite of the more open surrounds. Well worth the undertaking as it leads to a wonderful viewpoint overlooking Aberdeenshire from the mountains to the coast. Those wanting to make this easy hike can find a full report from a previous trip here, the small gallery below shows the beauty of this little gem, I hope to return by bike at some point in the near future, just to see if I can. The hiatus in blog posts is finally over. Sarah and I have now relocated back to the UK and I confess it is wonderful to be home. We have been so busy sorting out new homes and furniture in both England and Scotland that we have had no time for anything other than that for weeks, but some sense of normality is returning.
For the first time in a very long time I was able to get out and walk today. Just a few miles along the cliffs on the east coast of Aberdeenshire just south of Stonehaven. I visited Fowlsheugh Cliffs, an RSPB Scotland reserve which was a regular haunt for me when we last lived in in Aberdeenshire, at that time they were building the cliff top hide, now complete and open to the public it is a beautiful little structure and offered a cosy place for a few minutes out of the wind for me today. I also ventured out across farmland to a stand of trees that looked too promising to walk past before heading south to Todd Head Lighthouse. What struck me the most about the day was the colour of Scotland, it really does have its own palette and it is immediately apparent. At this time of year the low winter sun casts a blanket of muted shades across the north east of Scotland and looking back through older images I see exactly the same shades in images I made 10 years ago. We are both so happy to be home in Scotland and England. We have enjoyed the most incredible adventures in the US and Canada and will miss the stunning beauty of both, but home is always home and for us at least, 'where the heart is'. |
AuthorWe arrived in Calgary, Canada on 29th December 2011 to continue our journey. This blog is intended to keep our family and friends informed whilst we explore Canada.You can use the RSS feed below to stay updated. Categories
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