Mar Lodge seems to have been done up since I last passed through here. I'm not actually sure what the NTS do with it as you can't get in as far as I can tell....
This is a lovely trail through a narrow defile - The Clais Fearnaig. Nadge central and the Jones was in it's element and the rider not far behind!
The descent has been NTS'd = lots of water bars and channels which is a shame as it wasn't that eroded before they did this. Hey ho, it will soon be back to it's natural state I've no doubt.
Then up the fine trail out of the Quoich water through Scots pine woodland. A fair few had been clobbered by Storm Arwen by the looks but the trail was largely clear. Emerging out of the woods revealed much cloud and the surrounding hills looked somewhat foreboding. I'd idly considered Ben Avon in the proceedings but was happy to pass it by. I wasted half an hour looking for the secret Howff finally realising I'd failed yet again and my confident location marker on the GPS was a bum steer. So it was back the ways and up the climb into glen Gairn and my favourite trail hereabouts. I've not actually done it since 2017 so this was all good stuff, slightly spoiled by the inevitable cold drizzle coming and going. I ignored it and got stuck into this fabulously tricky trail.
Looking back up the glen. The burns flowing off Ben Avon were a bit high but crossed without issue. The final crossing of the Gairn was a different story. The footbridge is long gone and the crossing point a bit deep looking. Undeterred I rode in only to 'dab' when the front wheel pinged off a large rock. I managed to get back going but now with one damp sock...
Then the leisurely cruise down the big track and the nice trail off the '939 that the DT takes you down to Ballater. I ate a large amount of Co-op food whilst contemplating my options. It was still pretty cloudy so the big moor crossing out of Tarland seemed a bit much. I figured on following the route to there at least as it is now different to what I did in '17. Annoyingly however FLS haven't bothered their backsides to clear the trails in Cambus of May (or Nature Scotland in their bit) so I spent some considerable time picking my way round fallen trees. Pretty rubbish 5 months after the storm hit - I may write a polite but firm letter....
Anyway I missed out the single track and short-cutted out of the woods round more windblow to the road. Back on route in time for the Tarland Trail centre which is a hoot so I 'sent' the Jones down a few humps and bumps to the village. Now it occurred to me that what I really wanted was a pint, rather than a big hill climb. One pub in the village centre looked OK but round the corner was a more homely place with nobody in. Hoorah - that'll be a pint please whilst I check out the weather forecast. Dry all evening but rain coming in tomorrow afternoon. Plan B was to head down to Aboyne where upon another pub drew me in....
The Boat inn is a good place with plenty ales on (at a price) I sat outside and chatted to a local guy who had an extremely strong North East accent (not helped by being absolutely wrecked) requiring some concentration to figure out. Fortunately I'm good at strong North Eastern (English) accents so I could follow most of what he was telling me - he was full of tales of drunken pub crawls by bike when he was a youth but was bemoaning the fact that most of the pubs he'd used were now shut so his e-bike only got used to take him to the local. Finally (and slightly pished) I pedalled off into the Gloaming heading for a bivvy spot I'd used in 2011 in Glen Tanar woods.
In the event I found a much better spot just before I reached this one - level and grassy. Up with the tarp, kettle on, cook and eat food, drink whisky.
It was a dry night and I slept like a log as usual. After a very leisurely start I carried on up the trail only to encounter a barrier across the track and a sign telling me I couldn't go any further as a male Capercaillie was in residence. Funnily enough this same thing happened when I was here in 2011. I did what I did then - carried on. The Firmounth is a ROW and Core path so whoever had put this barrier up was well out of order. Plus no diversion, no nothing.... I wondered what would happen if you'd come over the Firmounth from Glen Esk - you'd see the closure and turn round right? Err no. Further up the track I paused to check my nav and was aware of a 'clacking' sound from a tree nearby. I grinned to myself as I knew exactly what this was. Sure enough.....
One of the worlds ugliest birds, give me a buzzard any day. It fluttered down to the track in front of me and was clearly after a rammy, so I snapped this shot and cleared off. I don't really see the problem with this, making the closure even stupider. In fact it would likely just attract more people whereas the best solution - do nowt - would mean that most people would pass through oblivious.
Leaving Glen Tanar on a big climb over to the Dee it was clear that rain was incoming. I cracked on in a bid to beat it and had more singletrack fun down by the Dee to Ballater once more. The wind was on the rise on the long run up Glen Muik and inevitably the first spots of rain came on, on the monster climb past Lochnagar.
I hammered the descent and pedaled back along the Deeside to Braemar in cold drizzle. Not bad really as it was mostly dry overhead and the trails were really dry. 160k done in total and some fab riding.
) , just haven't been along there for a long time. Deeside Trail - on my list. I like the idea that there are places for food AND A PINT - on the way 
So no, I'm not jealous at all!
