The route from Turriff to Aberchirder is short at 8.4 miles, with 814 feet of climbing. It is an easy cycle with no particularly difficult hills but has more ascending than the reverse route so has been given a rating of 4.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 famer, 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.
You will head west out of the town, crossing the River Deveron after 1 mile, though you will leave it soon after. Whist there arent any real landmarks on the route, you will enjoy the rolling countryside in an agricultural setting on quiet roads. This area is one of Scotlands breadbaskets, and you will see this in every direction, with both arable and livestock farming in evidence. After leaving the Deveron behind, you will very slowly ascend for the next few miles to the high point of 614 feet at mile 6.4. You will pass the pretty woods of Crow and Meadowheads after 2.5 miles, and the natural spring at Chalyheate at 3.6 miles.The final 2 miles go slightly downhill, and you enter Aberchirder from the east where the route finishes. Aberchirder is a small village that was founded in 1764. It was a planned community and is built in a grid pattern, with houses having large, long gardens that were initially to allow residents to supplement their food supply. Being such a small place, you might want to carry some provisions with you, just in case!
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 Aberchirder can be found here
Route map for Turriff To Aberchirder by Neil Innes on plotaroute.com
