TGOC2013 – Day 13 – Meg’s Craig / Auchmithie – The End

I’d arranged to go for breakfast at 7:30 but I’d been awake since before 6 so I packed up my gear and went down early.  Being farmers, everyone else had been up for hours.

It was roads all the way to the coast.  The navigation couldn’t be simpler – apart from when I misinterpreted the sign to St Vigean’s and walked all the way into Arbroath rather than skirting around the North of the town.  I could see that my compass was showing South, rather than East, but I assumed it was just a bend in the road(!)

A man stopped his car to speak to me.  He’d never done the Challenge but looked forward to May so he could have a chat with the rucksacked hordes.

I’d chosen Meg’s Craig as my finishing point.  The trouble was, I didn’t really know what it was.  A rock?  An unmarked point on a cliff?  I had Auchmithie as a standby, just in case.

The wind was howling as I approached the cliffs South of Auchmithie.I wanted to get close to the edge, but the wind was fierce and I didn’t fancy going for an unplanned swim.

Using my GPS, I walked up and down the coastal path looking for anything that could be identified as Meg’s Craig.

Maybe these rocks?Or this cleft in the rock?

There was a narrow, steep path down to the water – but I didn’t fancy my chances of ever climbing back up.

I felt frustrated that I had reached the East coast but I didn’t feel that I had finished my crossing.  I hadn’t realised how important it was to me to have a paddle in the sea.  I walked back to the road and went into Auchmithie.

Now this was more like it ….

…. a walled harbour with a roadway going down to it.

I explored the pebble beach and chatted briefly with a diver who was rushing to catch the high tide. 

After my paddle, I climbed the steps back up to the village.  Slightly sad that my Crossing was over, but with a feeling of satisfaction at having completed what I set out to do.

I’d seen some sort of eating establishment on my way down to the harbour so I went back to have a look.  Not only did the But ‘n’ Ben serve food and beer, but the landlady gave me a lift back to the bus-stop!

So, there you go – the end of my 7th TGO Challenge.  I’d wondered how interesting such a Southerly crossing would be, but this walk took me through some beautiful countryside with hills right up to the penultimate day.  I had very little company, but experienced unexpected kindness and hospitality.  This had been a great crossing.