Day 10 - Geldie Burn to Braemar

Today we must have had wind on our backs because we finished our hike at about 11:45. We had an easy walk from Geldie Burn, through Lin of Dee, past the Mar Lodge, and into Braemar.

We passed by some of our new friends at White Bridge packing up their camp, including our friend Nell who we met at Glen Pean on day 2!!! After a quick catch-up we continued on our way joined by Martin, a gentleman we briefly met the day before. Martin walked with us all of the way to Mar Lodge, which was about the halfway point for the day. We had a great chat the whole way. He told us about his 38-year military career in the RAF as a flight and communications engineer. We traded stories about this challenge and other hiking adventures. Martin only started last Monday (three days after us), and plans on finishing this Tuesday (two days before us). Whoa!!

Heading Out From Geldie Burm Towards Braemar

Before we knew it we were at Mar Lodge, which is a traditional stop for challengers, where you can pick up parcels, have a tea and biscuits, and catch up with whoever has been through already. We stopped in for twenty minutes, saw a few familiar faces, and a few new ones as well.

Tea At Mar Lodge

Anxious to get to the campground in Braemar we pressed on, just as fast as before. Again before we knew it we had blown through the kilometres and had arrived in Braemar. We decided to get to the campsite first, clean up, then head back into town for some fun and some errands. As always, the showers felt amazing, and rejuvenated us for the day. After setting up camp and getting a little organized we walked back into town.

First stop was Gordon’s Tearoom for tea/coffee, and scones with jam and clotted cream. Mmmmmmmm!!! We had a reservation for dinner at 5:00 so that left us an hour or two to walk around and explore a little. I think half of this time was spent walking, and the other half was spent sitting on park benches. It was all very relaxing, and I think we all enjoyed it quite a bit. Braemar is a very cute town in the Cairngorms, with shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants, and a few other amenities. It is an ideal spot for tourists and backpackers alike.

Dinner was out of this world! Balmoral chicken (JM), chicken kebab (Sam), and traditional beef cobbler (Ben). We were joined by Fedor (Austrian living in London), and sat at a table beside David (Scottish Texan - long story) and his hiking partner Susan. With full tummies we headed to the grocery store for our re-supply, then back to the campsite for laundry and phone charging. All in all a very nice day, that has left us in good spirits for the final four days ahead of us.

Next post should be in three nights from Edzell, which will also be our last night of the crossing. It’s hard to believe it! Thanks again for following along, everybody. Off to bed for us now!!

Day 10 Route - 18.7 km, 115 m ascent