DEE-CIDERS WALKING GROUP
ONE of our bonniest walks took place during that spell of lovely and quite warm weather in September. It was to 'Silly Flats'. Now that's a name that cries out to be looked into - maybe some day we will get the answer.
The mini-bus took us to Gourdon, a lovely fishing village south of Stonehaven on the A92. We followed a
good path towards Benholm Mill then things began to get prickly. The grassy path we followed was a bit overgrown and nettles were at their best. Trying to avoid them was pretty difficult, especially if one was wearing shorts, but even those wearing trousers did not escape the dreaded nettle. Where there are l nettles there are bound to be 'dockens', so we thought, but they were few and far between.
The countryside around was bathed in sunshine. The fields had been harvested, ploughed and sown again and we could not find a farmer to enlighten our curiosity, and ignorance, as to the crop that was just covering the lovely brown soil. We vowed to return
- hopefully when the nettles are in their infancy - and see what the crop was.
We walked till we came to Parkhead where we turned down this road, which would lead us to Johnshaven, another pretty fishing village. Here we sat at the harbour, soaking up the sun, eating our mid-day snack. It was so peaceful and tranquil we felt like sitting there until the sun disappeared but our day was far from finished.
Along the coast road took us back to Gourdon passing bonny painted cottages and a caravan site where bicycles could be left without fear of vandalism. The hot sun was still on our backs as we reached the hostelry at Gourdon for a well-chilled shandy and a visit to the fish house. That Lemon Sole was the tastiest meal I have had for a long time.
That walk still remains in my memory- and it will for a long time - as one of our most pleasant walks of the calendar.
Jean Duff