What chump carries a hardback book on a hiking trip? Marnie and Michael, fumbling along the Coast to Coast Walk, wormed their way into my heart over 74 pages, so I couldn’t part with You Are Here — a recent birthday present — there seemed to be a theme.
The long journey from home to Elgin descends into chaos due to a fatality on the line, with everyone detrained at Darlington. I meet a fellow hiker headed for Hadrian’s Wall, and we move sharply to secure a seat on the first replacement bus before a long queue snakes round the station forecourt.
After several changes, the last train north from Aberdeen is held back for us, and I arrive at Elgin shortly after midnight, trudging through the deserted streets to my digs. I’d planned to pick up food from the nearby Tesco, so that’s me going hungry until tomorrow. Not the best of starts.
Next day
The hostel in the Findhorn Ecovillage does not accept arrivals after 8 pm, and I’ve 25 miles to cover due to public transport limitations, which means only four hours of sleep before catching the first bus to Buckie. I’ll be glad to start camping again in September, free of these constraints.
Passing through Portgordon, the path leaves the road for an attractive disused railway track.
There’s nothing more comfortable than walking on soft pine needles,
The Scottish Dolphin Centre sits at the mouth of the mighty River Spey, although the resident bottlenose dolphins are partying elsewhere.
The Spey Viaduct is very cool. Nature pushes through the girders. A small dog has lost its owner and scampers across the bridge in the wrong direction. I wait until the owner appears, pointing at the small black dot in the distance, running back and forth.
The cycle track leads to Kingston and a wild trail through Innes Links, a rough path flanked by shingle and woodland. I’ve not seen such a long stretch of WW2 anti-tank blocks and pillboxes, constructed after the fall of Norway.
The popular beach at Lossiemouth is only a few miles northwest and yet this is as deserted a place I’ve hiked. Impenetrable gorse runs from the path to the tree line.
Gun emplacements lie hidden in the trees.
Families crowd the beach at Lossiemouth, and there’s a queue for a table at the harbour cafe, so I make a hasty exit, grabbing something from a bakery en route out of town.
Peace returns after I pass the caravan park next to Covesea Lighthouse and explore the lovely beach.
The sand ends with a climb up to a pretty clifftop walk.
The old coastguard station would make a fine bothie.
A man picks his way across the rocks far below. How did he get down there as sheer cliffs surround the bay?
Conscious of the time, I pick up the pace along the cycle track into Burghead. The Maltings converts barley into malt for shipping to distilleries.
The building is unsettling. I’m reminded of The Zone of Interest, which I watched recently. It’s a terrible thought to surface on a hike but these things stay with you, and I suppose that’s a good thing.
Asking a local if this is the correct stop for the bus to Findorn, he corrects me with “Fin-horran” — much to learn.
Arriving at the Ecovillage, I’m quickly charmed. The hostel room is nicer than most hotel rooms I’ve stayed at.
The village was originally established by the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community for people who live an eco-friendly lifestyle. The Foundation recently ran into financial difficulties, and the area is now home to various community businesses.
It’s a fantastic place to explore, a maze of houses, gardens and community buildings. Everyone is friendly. The vibe reminds me of Henry’s at Lizzard Point
I’m hungry, walking to the Kimberley Inn, which fills rapidly. I’ve never been in a pub with so many men sporting ponytails. One guy has a large feather in his hair. I don’t think I could pull that off in my local.
Returning to the village, I wander round for another hour. I’ve felt distracted today, not in the moment. I think the chaos yesterday, the lack of food and sleep, and the time pressures today sent my brain into calculating mode.
Sitting in a beautiful walled garden, I breathe deeply and finally clear my head. Now all I need is my novel.
Date of walk: Wednesday 17 July 2024.
Walk distance: 25 miles.
Total distance: 4,500 miles.
Gosh – you do cover some miles! Always wanted to go to Finn…oorn- great pics.
Thanks, Patricia. I paid the price later.
Just been catching up on your progress north and you’ve covered some miles. You’ll soon be at John o’ Groats! It’s a pity the transport problems meant you didn’t have much sleep on that last bit but Findhorn is a good place to finish up and relax.
The East Coast may be slightly quicker than the West Coast, by a margin of about three years! Although I plan on hiking round Orkney too.
I liked Findhorn. I hope the place does not change too much. Several properties were up for sale which is never a good sign.
I read some interesting historical articles by people living there in the early days. It seemed a little chaotic, as some people trusted God would solve their financial difficulties until harder heads prevailed.
I enjoyed that part, it was very varied (in a good way) with lots of different scenery. I’m glad it’s not just me that struggles to pronounce Scottish place names.
Sorry to hear about your travel problems. I guess it’s not just me that is beset by problems when using public transport.
I’ve not paid the full train fare for quite some time now. 🙂