Select Page

Fettercairn To Inverbervie (15 Miles)

The route from Fettercairn to Inverbervie is 15.1 miles long and has climbing of 837 feet. It has been given a difficulty rating of 5.Fettercairn, from the Scottish Gaelic meaning slope by a thicket, is a small village in the Mearns area of Aberdeenshire. It is an ancient place that was granted free burgh status in 1504. The Church of St Martins is worth a visit, and you could take in a tour of Fettercairn Distillery. This is the most southerly route in the RTN153. Starting from the Mercat Cross in Fettercairn, you head east out of the village and straight in to an agricultural setting. You reach the west side of Inverbervie at mile 14.6 and have to navigate through the town for the final 0.7 miles, finishing on the sea wall overlooking Bervie Bay.The route is also divided by the A90 which we go underneath thanks to a pedestrian tunnel at Fourdon. The tunnel also marks a change in the terrain, it pretty flat to Fordoun and then pretty lumpy from the tunnel to Inverbervie. This is not a route with many tourist attractions. The cycle takes place entirely in The Mearns, one of the bread-baskets of Scotland and made famous by Lewis Grassic Gibbon in his classic novel Sunset Song (a visitor centre is a short distance off the route). Inverbervie is an ancient town and was mentioned in literature relating to Arbroath Abbey in the 12th century. Initially a fishing town, this industry slowly stopped being of importance, despite improvements made to the harbour by the engineer Thomas Telford in 1819. Hallgreen Castle to the south is worth a visit (originally built in 1376, it is now a hotel), and the walk south along the cliffs to Gourdon is wonderful. Three miles northwest is the Lewis Grassic Gibbon centre in Arbuthnott, which celebrates the life, work and times of the author. There are a number of food options in the town, including the famous Bervie Chipper.