After a good night's (Thomas slept like a log & had to be prised out of bed) and a great breakfast at the B&B, we donned our waterproofs and headed out into the pouring rain.
A short distance outside Elgin and we were once again on cycle route 1 rolling along quiet beautiful country lanes. Legs a bit heavy after yesterday, but soon the rain eases off and we really started to enjoy the day. All around us are miles of rolling hills of farm land or forest and the sea constantly on our left. Some very large houses, tucked in amongst the trees, many apparently owned by guys earning good money working on the oil rigs.
Now route 1 starts to run along old disused railway lines. Great for cycling - a good surface and very flat! We soon come to a large iron railway bridge over the river Spey. The bridge has clearly seen better days and we ease our way carefully across, avoiding the holes in the bridge. There has obviously been a massive amount of rain in the area recently, with the Spey having burst it's banks, water covering the surrounding fields and the river a torrent of angry brown water. Sand bags piled outside many if the village houses tells the same story all along the route. Just as well we weren't here last week.
The rain starts again as we are struggling along a particularly rough stone and mud covered cycle track heading towards Portnockie. Arriving in the village and looking forward to a break we ask a local for the nearest tea shop. Extremely friendly and helpful he spent the next 10 minutes telling us that the village tea shop closed last year and that we should carry on 2 miles along the old railway line to Cullen where there was a beautiful beach, great tea shop and the best ice cream in North Scotland. He was spot on. The run along the railway line and past the golden beach was amazing. At a busy tea shop we had the largest triple layered croque-monsieur I have every seen! And of course we had to sample the ice cream which was indeed amazing.
By now the rain had stopped again and the sun came out. The last 15 miles was great, mainly on dedicated cycle tracks, with the last 5 miles running right along the sea and beach into Banff.
After a hot shower, washing the cycle clothing, fish & chips in the village went down a treat.
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