Monday, 21 September 2015
Coastwalk
Braehead of Lunan → Montrose
Distance: 8.33 miles
Ascent: 125 metres
Duration: 2 hours 45 minutes
A life lived backwards
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We need to zip over to Glasgow this afternoon, so it's been an unusually short walk. This has been no bad thing since the weather has turned dreich and we've only one pair of waterproof trousers between us. While Emma's in the Solas board meeting I shall be shopping!
The day started with two miles of road walking before we rejoined the coast at Boddin Point, one of many abandoned communities on the edge of the land. An overgrown path brought us to a cemetery above Elephant Rock. Amongst the lichen-covered tombstones is one for George Ramsay that declares he was born in 1859 but died nineteen years earlier in 1840!
The faint path took us on, along the clifftops, to the farm at Mains of Usan with its curious derelict mausoleum.
From the farm a much better track took us the rest of the way to Scurdie Ness Lighthouse, which guides ships along the River South Esk to the busy docks at Montrose.
Notes for future walkers:
- The path from Boddin to Elephant Rock starts on the landward side of the house above Boddin Point at NO 713 535.
- It is possible to continue along the clifftops east of Elephant Rock; the path begins to the north of the cemetery.
- At Usan we dropped down to the harbour, but shortly afterwards had to walk north north-west to pick up a track that runs between Seaton of Usan and Rashick Knap. It might be better to ignore the harbour and join this track at NO 723 545.
- From Rashick Knap walk through the fields to the ruined mausoleum (you can see its curious outline a way off).
- We used the foreshore behind the mausoleum at Mains of Usan (NO 729 557) to give access to the next field through which runs a track to the lighthouse.
