The route from Fyvie to Turriff is 13.2 miles long and has climbing of 876 feet. The roads are rolling but there is nothing particularly tough and so this route gets a rating of 4Fyvie is in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire. It is worth seeking out St Peters Church which has Pictish symbols and crosses built in to the east gable. A mile from the village is Fyvie Castle which dates from the early 13th century, though most of the building is newer. The gardens were beautifully landscaped during the 19th century, and the whole estate was passed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1984. The castle is said to be haunted, though this cannot be confirmed or denied by Ride the North.Starting on the banks of the River Ythan, you pass north through the town and into the lovely farm and woodland that characterises so much of Aberdeenshire. The first 1.5 miles, during which you pass close to Fyvie Castle, will definitely warm your legs up, and you hit another hill at mile 3.4. This is the longest single climb of the cycle but its not steep.. The next few miles are rolling before a short hill at mile 7.7 that is the high point of the route at 495 feet. Its then pretty much downhill or flat all the way to Turriff.
There are no tourist sites of particular note on this route, but it is worth mentioning the stream called Teuchar Stank at mile 7.4, simply because of its brilliant name! The word stank actually comes from the old French for pond or pool. Now heading west, you cross Idoch Water at mile 11.2 before entering Turriff from the south east. You will have to cycle through the town to your finishing point by Turriff Academy.Turriff is an ancient place, with links to the Knights Templar. Known locally as Turra, the town hosts a two-day agricultural show each August which is the largest in Scotland and has been running for 156 years. Somewhat strangely, the most famous former-resident is bovine rather than human. In 1913, sheriff officers confiscated a farmers cow after he (the farmer, not the cow!) refused to pay the newly introduced National Insurance. However, officers couldnt sell the cow locally due to sympathy for the farmer, and the subsequent auction was disrupted by protesters and the cow escaped. Now an emblem of the town, a statue of the Turra Coo was erected in the town centre in 2010.There are plenty of caf, restaurant and supermarket options in the town so refuelling will not be a problem.
By clicking on the play symbol on the graphic below you can see route map. The elevation profile of the ride can be seen via the Hills tab with files for use with a GPS device also available for download. If you take any photos of the route that youd like to share, please submit to neil@velodays.comOnward rides from Turriff can be found here
Route map for Fyvie To Turriff by Neil Innes on plotaroute.com
