The route from Turriff to Fyvie is 13.2 miles long and has climbing of 850 feet. The roads are rolling but there is nothing particularly tough and so this route gets a rating of 4Turriff 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.Starting in the centre of Turriff, you cycle through the town for half a mile before turning south east in to the lovely Aberdeenshire countryside, which like most of the area is characterised by farm and woodland. You cross Idoch Water at mile 2 and then hit the longest hill of the day. Its a steady gradient through and this 2 mile stretch shouldnt cause you any problems. There are no specific tourist sites until you reach Fyvie, but you do cross the brilliantly named Teuchar Stank at mile 5.8 – the word stank comes from the old French for pond or pool. The middle section of this cycle is rolling, and you reach the high point of 495 feet at mile 5.4. The rolling roads continue before a nice downhill at mile 8.6. You have to negotiate a sharp but short climb at mile 11.7, with the final 1.5 miles being mainly downhill. You pass Fyvie Castle on your right before going through the edge of town to your finishing spot on the banks of the River Ythan.
Fyvie 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 visit to Fyvie Castle is definitely recommended it dates from the early 13th century, though most of the existing buildings are 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. Ideally you will get some tea and cake from the Castle caf, but you might want to pack extra provisions 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 Fyvie can be found here
Route map for Turriff To Fyvie by Neil Innes on plotaroute.com
