Day 11
Monday 19th May - Water of Unich to Tarfside
Cor blimey, Mum, it weren't half cold last night. My watch was showing minus four degrees centigrade in the tent.
This had some advantages, though because any peaty hags were well frozen and very easy to pass over.
I crossed a little col to shortcut a bend in the River Unich and then followed it as far as the Falls of Damff. There, I dumped the rucksack and wandered off to bag Hunt Hill - a rocky/heathery Graham/Marilyn. After this little episode I followed the path down to the Falls of Unich where I brewed up and generally sat about for quite a while.
Tracks took me alongside Loch lee to Invermark and then a path over a low col to Tarfside.
In Tarfside, some ladies connected to the TGO run St Drostan's Lodge which provides beds, tea, beer , bacon butties and baked spuds. Ladies from The Retreat, a museum/cafe a mile down the road also do a carry out service for those camping on tarfside's village field. There are dark rumours of discreet drinking dens as well, but I wouldn't know anything at all about that.
As aranged, daughter Becky arrived with her boyfriend and beer/wine, trail scoff (cornish pasty mainly) and a big breakfast. I mean a BIG breakfast They also temporarily transported me to Edzell where we visited The Tuck Inn - a fine eatery which is very popular with Challengers. It would be off my route, though.
Afterwards we retired to the tent I'd provided and drank beer and wine and generally had a laugh.
I bumped into Humphrey at about half past two as he was obviously returning from some mission or other. He seemed to have developed a slight lilt or sway in his walk. Could be a problem, that. Probably high blood pressure, I shouldn't wonder.
13 miles (169 miles) and 1100 feet of climbing.
