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Turning the day around after night duty can be torture with sleep deprivation, guts wanting food when it should be empty and waking up at odd times not knowing what planet you’re on (well, it affects me like this anyway). Today was going to be a light, refreshing and relaxing walk....
Didn’t fancy a hill on my own, but a walk of a different kind. One I hadn’t done for about 15 years. Headed off to Arbroath to meet up with Ronnie at Victoria Park (without Mez this time) to explore the cliffs along the way to Auchmithie. Driving up to the coast, I reminisced about Arbroath Infirmary where my son was born nearly 16 years ago, just round the corner from Vicky Park. I remember looking out the window (weighing a stone lighter) onto the sea from the matty ward, wee lad sleeping by the window in his crib. Feels like 5 minutes ago when I was a young mum, terrified of how to look after this bundle, were as now, my baby is gelling his hair back, swotting for exams, looking into colleges.... And me, a bit of a wifey still carrying a stone weight but in the shape of a ruck sac. Where do the years go?
View from Vicky Park
The walk started off with a barrier which didn’t stop anyone going around. Not long before the first of the cliffs loomed from beneath us.
After a short while, we came across the Needle E'e. I was happy enough to carry on, enjoying the safe view from above but
someone just had to walk down there to have a nosy.
Path leading down
The caves below
You’re no Spider Man, Mr Steely Baws...
Looking through the eye
Rock around the eye
Couple of guys had attached ropes and climbed down even further
Going back up, Ronnie’s sure footed-ness allowed him to hop gracefully back over the rocks. Me? I preferred to scoot myself along on my bottom across the rocks like a dog with a worm problem.
Looking back (phew)
Only a short walk further on, was the other part of the cave (wasn’t going down there)
Now the cliff top became a bit warped.
Gulls unconcerned (poopy creatures)
Another hole
This cliff was so deep
And another one
Had a long loop at Dickmont's Den to walk to get right around the cliff tops.
View from the start of the loop
Onwards we walked on safe paths until reaching another cliff sticking out from the walk where a couple of people had left their bikes.
This is making my knees tremble. We going out there???
Guess so...
Looking up to the cliffs on the right
Looking back up
And downwards on the left
The two climbers who’s ropes we saw earlier were away to leap onto the Deil's Head.
Back on the safe path, we came across some strange cliff
This one looks like a face
The path was blocked but was easy enough to skirt around it.
The other side
The area became a bit Blair Witchy now, with a little bridge to cross. After crossing, we followed the path in the small wood until reaching a sign that seemed to lead back in the direction we were going. Took a few minutes of convincing for me to realise we weren’t in fact going in the same direction (how thick am I?)
It brought us out into the open again to the view from where we’d just walked.
Castlesea Bay (we saw a stoat on the path here, running along towards us before diving off into the grass).
Took this through my sun shades as it was so bright here
From here, we could see the two climbers on top of Deil's Head. My camera wouldn’t have caught them. Must’ve given them the best feeling, getting on top of that.
Shags and Gulls
Auchmithie just a stone’s throw
Looking back
Wonder how deep this cave is?
Feeding my vertigo
Arrived in Auchmithie after 3 hours of cliff top walking, tired and hungry. We were very lucky that in about 10 minutes a bus would be arriving to take us back to Arbroath. Back at the station, we had another short hop back to Vicky Park to grab the cars.
Came across a gull having a paddle in the Brothock
Having had the best fish supper ever in a pub at the harbour (and me going into the wrong toilets – “
oh they’re funny looking sinks on the wall” !!) we walked around the harbour musing over the boat names and the gulls squawking.
Spot the gull
Arbroath and cliffs
Harbour wall
I’ve so missed the coastal walks I used to do along with the walks on a sandy beach like Lunan Bay, bare foot in the swishing water feeling the world ebbing by. This has been a top walk, one which I hope won't take me another 15 years to revisit....
Some more cliffs