03 – 05 September 2015 – Mull of Galloway

Day 1: Home to Dumfries

This is where things start to get serious in my four corners of Scotland challenge, with me heading to the soutwest corner: the Mull of Galloway. I planned out a 3 day trip, meaning that I would need to carry everything I needed for the trip in panniers: proper touring in fact.

The bike and all the luggage etc totalled about 22-23 kg; quite heavy but still manageable. One last-minute thing I did was to swap the flat pedals on the bike for clip-in “SPD” type pedals, to use with proper cycling shoes. The reason for doing that was because I have been having sore feet after riding long distances on flat pedals recently, possibly down to using soft soled trainers.

So with everything packed, I left the house at about 8.15am on a quite cold and overcast morning. I headed south into the Borders over the Granites and through Innerleithen, then continued south past Traquair. The climb that followed, the oddly-named “Paddy Slacks”, was long and slow. I stopped at the top to take off my jacket – I was definitely heading towards some better weather.

At the bottom of the next downhill, I turned right at the Gordon Arms. The burnt-out shell was busy with scaffolding being erected. I spoke to one of the workmen and found out that they were starting to put on a new roof, so with a bit of luck it might be ready for next summer.

At the moment, the Glen Cafe at St. Mary’s Loch about 6 miles away is the only nearby alternative. It was useful then, that I was heading in that direction. I stopped there for a cup of tea and a bacon roll, with about 34 miles already under my belt, almost halfway there already.

Steep valley - fun descent!

Steep valley – fun descent!

Carrying on from the cafe, I was cycling on “new ground” for me. After a while I left Borders region behind and entered Dumfries and Galloway. I also entered an impressive steep-sided valley, with an exhilirating fast paced descent on the windy road. I stopped halfway for a photo though, then caught a glimpse of the Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall as I sped on past.

After that, the terrain was quite undulating all the way to Moffat, which I reached just before noon. I thought it too early to stop for lunch and decided to get some way down the A701 first. So I went through Moffat without stopping and made use of a cycle path part of the way, but it wasn’t too long before it went off in the wrong direction and I was onto the A701 proper and experiencing significant traffic for the first time.

The road went up consistently from Moffat, which slowed me down a lot. My left knee also started to ache, which was worrying. Getting a bad knee might be enough to scupper my plans, so I had to take it seriously. Passing a suitable layby, I decided it was time to stop for lunch and rest the knee. There was a path leading away from the layby to a more secluded spot, so I pushed the bike down and broke out my packed lunch. I drank an energy drink and popped a couple of ibuprofen to help with the knee.

After lunch, the knee didn’t get any worse thankfully, but I couldn’t help thinking that changing my pedals before the big trip wasn’t the best idea and might be the root cause. The traffic had eased down considerably by this time and I was able to enjoy the ride, especially as the sun was now shining.

It wasn’t long after 2pm when I arrived at the outskirts of Dumfries. I passed my B&B on the way into town, but I was too early to check in. So I decided to do a little wandering, and was specifically on the lookout for the place where I lived in Dumfries when I was a toddler. It was directly opposite the Crichton Royal hospital (now Crichton Campus) so I just followed the signs till I found the right road. I was sure the bends in the road were familiar, leading up to the opening on the right where the bungalows were situated. Now however, there is only a vacant plot, looking smaller than I would have expected, with the houses having been bulldozed flat some time ago. Just the odd brick and bit of pipework poking up from the ground are left to hint at what was left behind 48 years ago when my family moved on.

Where I used to live. doesn't look like much now.

Where I used to live. Doesn’t look like much now.

Putting it behind me once more, I left and made my way to Burnett House B&B, taking in a quick visit to the riverside on the way. The owners were very helpful, geting my bike locked up out of the way and suggesting a few places to eat out. I had a shower and rested for a while before heading out in search of some pub grub.

Dumfries town centre on a sunny afternoon.

Dumfries town centre on a sunny afternoon.

First stop was the Hole in the Wall pub, which had a decent-looking menu outside, but unfortunately had neither real ale nor food (they stop serving at 2pm). I had a quick pint of 80/- and packet of crisps before moving on just as the police arrived. I didn’t hang around to find out why!

The Robert the Bruce pub was my next stop: a Wetherspoons in a beautiful building with cheap real ale and food. Just what I needed really. A pint of Green Jack Waxwing and some scampi and chips just hit the spot.

After that, it was back to my room, a wee bit of TV then an early night…

 

Day 2: Dumfries to Wigtown

After a decent night’s sleep in a very comfortable room, I went down for breakfast. Fresh fruit and museli, tea and toast and a full cooked breakfast all got packed away. I needed to wait a while before I was fit to get on a bike after that!

Back on the road, I headed south over the bridge then out of Dumfries, looking for cycle route 7, which was to be my friend for almost the whole day to come. From Dumfries, the route follows an old military road to Castle Douglas. It climbed steadily to start, and almost immediately the knee problem started again, but this time it was a bit more than just a twinge. I tried changing position on the saddle and found that perching on the front lessened the pain. After a while, I stopped and moved the saddle forwards a little, and also popped a couple of ibuprofen again for good measure. Well, that did the trick, and the pain gradually subsided over the next hour or so, not to come back. Phew!!!

Arriving at Castle Douglas, I paid a visit to Tesco for a sandwich and a banana, which would do for lunch later. I didn’t need very much after that whopping great breakfast. Then after passing through the town and once more into farmland on the other side, I was treated to the sight of five red kites all wheeling round in the sky above me. They were so close, but all my attempts at wildlife photography ended in failure.

Sunny day in Kirkcudbright

Sunny day in Kirkcudbright

Next up was Kirkcudbright, which is a lovely little town on the mouth of the River Dee. I stopped for a photo and thought about maybe having lunch in one of the cafes, but the sun was shining and I had my picnic, so I decided to keep moving and stop a bit further on.

A nice spot to stop for lunch

A nice spot to stop for lunch

After Kirkcudbright, I had intended going on the A755 for a bit which is more direct than cycle route 7, but I was enjoying the cycle route too much. It was an easy trade: a few more miles and a bit more climbing for a much more peaceful journey, and after all, I had all day. So I followed the cycle route along the coast, looking for a nice place to stop, eventually pulling over at the side of the road where there was a great view out to sea. Perched on a rock there, I ate my picnic and plastered myself in factor 50, as the mid-day sun was feeling very strong.

Getting back on the bike, I found that round the next corner was a proper picnic place, with lots of available tables and even toilets. Typical!

The road turned away from the sea for a while before returning a few miles later. The terrain was a little more rugged than the typical rolling green farmland of Dumfries and Galloway, but most of all, it was just so peaceful. I was so glad that I chose to stick with route 7.

Eventually, the road turned north again, making its way closer and closer to the dreaded A75, which I was making a point of avoiding at all costs. The cycle route then made a sudden change away from paved road and onto woodland track. Following the signs, it took me under the A75, through Fleet Forest and suddenly Gatehouse of Fleet appeared much sooner than I expected.

Time for a cuppa, I thought. There were quite a few places to choose from, all deserted. On a beautiful sunny afternoon like this, it was hard to fathom. I chose the deli, situated on a corner right opposite the clock tower, and ordered a cuppa and a slice of carrot cake which I took on the table outside. It seemed like everything had stopped there mid-afternoon, and in the sunshine, it was idyllic.

Up on the moor, about 5 miles from Creetown

Up on the moor, about 5 miles from Creetown

After getting my bearings, I continued out of town, still following route 7. I was leaving the gradual undulations behind and getting into more hilly country with more steady climbing. I passed through some wooded sections before coming out on moorland. Heading more or less westwards, there was a bit of a headwind, slowing progress a little. Finally, I got onto a long gradual descent that took me to Creetown.

Now, the part of route 7 between Creetown and Newton Stewart is the only bit that I know, and what I know is that there are some really steep bits. Even so, I decided to continue on the cycle path rather than go on the totally flat A75.

I had to push the bike up the first of the really steep parts, but cycling up the hill at the edge of Kirroughtree Forest was possible, but only at a very slow speed. It was like the sting in the tail of route 7!

During the final few miles of cycling towards Minigaff / Newton Stewart, the clouds started rolling in and the headwind got stronger. As I entered the town, there were a few spots of rain in the wind.

I had originally planned to stop for the night at Newton Stewart, but all the hotels and B&Bs were booked up on this night. So I had booked a B&B in Wigtown instead, meaning leaving route 7 behind and doing an extra 6 or 7 miles cycling. My legs were telling me that I had done enough already, the main road to Wigtown was quite busy with traffic and to cap it all, it started raining steadily.

What I didn’t realise was that there was a cycle route from Newton Stewart to Wigtown, but after a mile or so of my cycling along the A714, it came alongside the main road and I was able to transfer. The road was flat but it was all a bit miserable, due to the rain primarily. I needed cheering up, so I stopped and ate a Stroopwaffel, a type of Belgian waffle biscuit to which I’m addicted. My mood suddenly got a lot better, and the rain even ceased at that moment too.

More flat road followed until I could see Wigtown perched on a hill, so one final bit of climbing, terribly slowly, got me to my destination: the Glaisnock Guest House. For some reason I couldn’t remember the name, being replaced in my head by “Glasnost”. Close enough though!

After showering, it was time to look for a bite to eat. The Ploughman’s provided that in the form of a posh burger and chips, washed down with a couple of pints. Then back to the room, some TV and then sleep…

 

Day 3: Wigtown to Mull of Galloway

Another day, another big breakfast. This time: cereal, tea & toast and full Wigtown breakfast! The cooked breakfast part was even tastier than yesterday’s, including a slice of haggis too, but in retrospect, I could have done without the beans, and the tomato, and the potato scone. But I ate it all up and had to lie down for a while, just like yesterday, before I was fit to get moving. Stoking the boilers is all very well, but I think it is possible to overdo it.

As I left, Wigtown was preparing for the Saturday market in the square, right opposite the guest house. The sun was shining, the wind had dropped and it looked like being another great day for cycling.

My aim, initially at least, was to get to Ardwell for 1pm. That is where I had planned to meet Colette, who was driving down from home. The plan was to meet there, have lunch and cycle together to the Mull of Galloway. Leaving at about 9.15am, I reckoned I had plenty of time and could take it easy.

Torhouse stones

Torhouse stone circle

The idea was to take cycle route 73 west, which I followed (or so I thought) out of town. In fact I was following a completely different cycle route, but a very nice one nonetheless. I paused at Torhouse stone circle to admire the ancient stones before continuing through the lovely rolling countryside in bright sunshine.

It wasn’t till after I had passed Kirkcowan and was faced with a choice of roads that I decided to check my map. It came as something of a surprise that I was nowhere near where I expected to be! At least I was going roughly in the right direction, and one of the roads I was looking at would get me back on track. There was still plenty of time to get to Ardwell for 1pm if I didn’t make any unscheduled stops, and the way I saw it, the extra 5 or 10 miles was an unexpected bonus, as I was loving every single mile!

The scenery changed to moorland for a while and with the wind behind, I was flying along. I then passed some rough grazing where I saw the only Belted Galloway cows of my trip, but thought it best not to stop for a photo. I then went past a lovely loch on the right before finally getting back to cycle route 73.

First sight of teh Mull of Galloway - see if you can spot it!

First sight of the Mull of Galloway – see if you can spot it!

Another few miles brought me to the coast once more, this time looking out over Luce Bay. This also afforded the first glimpse of the Mull of Galloway, looking incredibly far away. How on earth was I going to be able to cycle all the way there? For the first time, I felt a sense of urgency creep in, but tried to keep it under control by just cycling steadily and invoking the power of the full Wigtown breakfast to fuel me onwards.

There was quite a lot of up and down as I progressed to the top of the bay and came to the A75. To avoid needless extra miles, I had to ride along the main road for about half a mile before taking a left turn. The A75 was wide at this point, and the traffic light, so no problem there. The turnoff was signposted for Portpatrick and Drummore, making me feel that I was finally closing in on my destination.

Colette called from Newton Stewart asking for directions. I told her to look out for the Portpatrick / Drummore turnoff, to keep heading for Drummore after taking it and look out for Ardwell, where we were to meet.

If Colette was at Newton Stewart, she was already ahead of time, so I went as fast as I could along the flatlands at the top of Luce Bay, past fields of what looked like corn on the cob. I reached Sandhead where the road split up – one going left to Sandhead village, one right to Portpatrick, and an unmarked road carrying straight on. I checked my map just to be sure that the middle road was the right one, when Colette turned up. She had misheard me and was ready to take the turnoff for Portpatrick, so it was a very opportune place to meet her and avoid the potential upset of getting hopelessly lost.

So off she went to Ardwell to get herself ready while I completed the final couple of miles to meet her at the car park. Once there, I took the opportunity to offload my panniers into the car, then we had a picnic lunch before setting off for the Mull. With the wind behind us, we made good time as far as Drummore, where we came to a stiff climb. After that, we were very close to our destination, with one final short climb to get us to the lighthouse.

Success, made it to the Mull of Galloway!

Success, made it to the Mull of Galloway!

We had a good look around from this prime vantage point at the bottom of Scotland. We could see Ireland clearly in the distance (about 20 miles away I think), and a ferry heading over there from Stranraer. Further to the east, we could see the Isle of Man too, though a bit fainter in the distance. It was a spectacular location, and very much more popular than when I last visited over 10 years ago. A cafe has now been built here, with wonderful views from the windows. It was just too hot inside for us, so we had tea at an outside table.

05Sept15_04

After having our fill of the Mull Of Galloway, we headed back to Ardwell. The final part was quite arduous, as we were cycling into the face of a strong headwind, as well as doing a bit of climbing into the bargain. But finally we got back to the car and journey’s end for me. All that remained was a 4 hour drive back home, including a tiresome traffic jam at roadworks in Dumfries.

So with the 2nd of 4 corners ticked off, it’s time to take stock. I survived all the cycling quite well, and certainly did enjoy it. I’m now pretty sure I could cope with the remaining leg to the north of Scotland, though it’s probably not going to be till next year. Things I have learned, in no particular order: 1) Route 7 is my friend, 2) taking the quieter road is well worth it, 3) don’t overdo the cooked breakfast, and 4) don’t go making big changes to your bike the day before a tour.

 

 

 

 

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