The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (9)

At least coming this way meant I got to see the monument to Scott (of Antarctic fame); and to walk the road between Tulloch Hill and Mile Hill. This really is a particularly beautiful road which everyone ought to walk at least once in their life - preferably, as I did, on a bright afternoon in May.

And then I was in Dykehead, and at the Royal Jubilee Arms. The new new owners (who replaced the old new owners ... ) were working hard to get it reopened, but so far only the bar was functioning. Still, a functioning bar is a functioning bar - so I went in for a drink.

While I was there, another Challenger named John came in. John had a problem. Well, rather more than one problem, actually. He had been up in the hills when he started to suffer problems with his vision - so he had taken the sensible (if regrettable) decision to come out of the hills and into terrain where good vision was not essential to the safety of a solo walker. He was looking for accommodation, and was disappointed to find that the Royal Jubilee Arms was not able to provide it, as he knew of nowhere else round here. And he (along with many other Challengers) had been unable to draw any money from the cash machine at Braemar, as it had run out of banknotes, leaving him embarrassed for funds.

I thought I could probably solve all these problems for him!

I told John about Cortachy House, where I was heading, and suggested that he come with me and see whether they could make an extra room available. If they could, I said I'd happily settle his bill (as I knew that the supply parcel which was waiting for me there contained, amongst other things, £100 in cash) and John could then settle up with me in Montrose, where there was bound to be a working cash machine. And finally, I said that if John's vision continued to give him trouble, I would stick with him for the last two days of the Challenge to make sure he made it safely to Montrose.

And so it was that the two of us, having finished our drinks, waved goodbye to the Royal Jubilee Arms and made our way to the wonderfully welcoming Cortachy House (where, I am glad to say, they had not the slightest difficulty in rustling up an extra room and an extra place for dinner!)