NCN 7: Dumfries and Galloway Part 3

08 Monday Jul 2024

Posted by theoldbikeshome in annan, Brompton, carlisle, Cycle touring, Dumfries, Galloway, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, NCN 7, Roberrt Burns, small wheeler, Solway Firth, Uncategorized

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annan, Brompton, carlisle, cycle touring, Dumfries, J.M. Barrie, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, Moat Brae, nature, NCN 7, Peter Pan, photography, Robert Burns, Scotland, Solway Firth, Sturmey Archer AW3, travel

Part 3: Dumfries to Carlisle.

Part 2 of this narrative can be found here…

First impressions were that Dumfries seemed like a big busy city after a few days in sparsely populated areas. It is a large enough town with all amenities. After over two hundred miles since I had left the ferry port in Cairnryan, I was looking forward to little break from cycling and chance to do other things. My first stop was with the laundrette near where I was staying to get some clothes washed and dried. They were able to do a same day service for surprisingly little money so I could collect it later.

I am always interested in learning more about writers. After breakfast, my first stop was Moat Brae. Moat Brae is a large and impressive townhouse dating from 1823 and designed by the architect Walter Newell in the Greek revival style. It was the first house built in what was to become modern George Street and has a large garden that reaches down to the River Nith. At one time it was known as “Number 1, Dumfries” such was its grandeur.

The main reason it’s famous today though is because of its association with the author, J.M. Barrie, who used to come and play here during his time studying at Dumfries Academy. During his time there, he became great friends with Hal and Stuart Gordon whose parents owned the house. It was while playing in the gardens and creating a make-believe world that the ideas for Peter Pan were born. Barrie first published the play “The boy who never grew up” in 1904.

I must admit it is many years since I read Peter Pan and don’t know very much about J.M. Barrie in general but you cannot help but be impressed by the house and the gardens and it is definitely well worth a visit. There really is something enchanted about the gardens and the house is huge and probably had lots of space for young children to play and make up stories in a time before Android tablets.

The house had fallen into disrepair after closing as a private nursing home in 1997 and in 2009, was just days away from demolition when it was saved by the creation of the Moat Brae Peter Pan Trust. What we see today is the result of a lot of hard work and fundraising by the trust and their volunteers and just ten years later, it opened as a visitor attraction in 2019. It shows what can be achieved and I hope it survives for many more years to enchant and inspire children young and old for many more years to come.

After Moat Brae, I was going to visit another old house in Dumfries which has associations with one of Scotland’s other literacy geniuses, arguably one of the biggest literacy geniuses of all time whose work has been exported the whole world over and endured for over two centuries. I would walk across to the other side of town to visit the house where the poet, Robert Burns was to spend the last few years of his life and where he died on July 21^st, 1796.

I would walk past the monument to Burns in the High Street on my way. The High Street is a very pleasant street with greatly restricted traffic in the vicinity which makes the centre of Dumfries a very pleasant town to walk around in. More town centres need to have traffic restricted in my opinion as it creates a pleasant shared space rather than a giant car park and the businesses seemed to be thriving with plenty of footfall. The Burns statue dates from 1882 and was the work of Ameila Hill although it’s argued by some that the craftsmen that created Luath had never seen a Scots Collie dog!

The Burns House is located in Burns Street, although it would have been known as Mill Hole when Burns was alive. He moved here in May 1793. After several failed farming ventures over the years at a few different farms, he became an Excise man. The house is much photographed over the years. Opposite the house is a little sort of garden area with some things related to Burns. The house is nothing special although I’m sure it would have been considered a good enough house in its time. Burns’ widow, Jean Armour would live here until her death in 1834. Later, Burns’ son, William, would buy the house and place it in care of a trust as a monument to his father.

Inside, it is furnished closely to what it would have been like in the late eighteenth century. The Burns’ family possessions seem to have been sold following the death of Jean Armour and efforts over the years have been made to get as much as possible back again. It’s interesting to see and the curator I spoke to at length is really knowledgeable. It’s also incredible to think that so many masterpieces were created in this tiny room with only a table and chair and very little else by the son of a relatively poor Ayrshire farmer. He also etched his name into the window pane with his ring, something he did in other locations too. At this stage of his life, Burns concentrated on writing songs rather than poetry.

He also became very ill with what modern doctors believe was rheumatic fever and became unable to work. He died in debt after what was in many ways a very difficult life. On the day of his death, his wife gave birth to their youngest son, Maxwell, in the room next door to where the poet died. Most of Burns’ children did not survive into adulthood either. We really do take modern medication and relatively easy life for granted nowadays, but such stories of hardship, dying at a young age and childhood mortality would have been nothing unusual in that era. The ironic thing is that after all his struggles to avoid financial disaster in life, after his death, his wife and family were quite comfortably provided for. What an incredible legacy of song and poetry he left behind despite enduring hardship and ill-health.

Nearby, in St. Michael’s Kirkyard, you can view the Burns Mausoleum and his final resting place. He was originally buried in small grave marked only by a little cross but the increasing number of people who came to pay their respects (including William Wordsworth) in the years after his death struggled to find it, so his remains were moved in 1815 and the impressive and now famous Grecian Mausoleum was built. Jean Armour and five of their family are also buried in the vault. The vault was sealed when the last of the family line died. Jean Armour continued to be a regular attender of worship at St. Michael’s until her death.

After having lunch and picking up my laundry and dropping it back at the B&B, I went to visit the Burns’ Museum which is also very interesting and staffed by very friendly and knowledgeable people. I then went for a walk along the River Nith. Part of this path would be the beginnings of my ride onwards to Carlisle the next morning. It is such a peaceful place and in the evening sunshine, many were enjoying this little park and riverside paths. The people of Dumfries are lucky to have so much shared space for their enjoyment.

I would actually have liked to continue the Burns theme with a little short ride to one of Burns’ farms which is now has a museum and a little further along the road is where Kirkpatrick MacMillan lived and built his treadle bicycle but the A76 is the only route to reach these places and it did not look cycle-friendly with a high volume of traffic, lorries and quite narrow. There is something ironic in being unable to safely cycle to where the bicycle was invented! How have we got to this point? I did see a replica of the treadle bicycle in the shopping centre in Dumfries town centre.

The following morning was bright and promising. After the first day around the Mull of Galloway which was very stormy and often damp, I had been lucky with the weather in the subsequent days of this tour. I would be making my way to Carlise today and crossing the English border.

After riding across the town centre, I was able to join the NCN 7 again on the riverside path which runs alongside the River Nith as it leaves Dumfries heading south. I had walked a little of this path yesterday and it really is pleasant along the River Nith. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sea, river, lake or canal, I’ve always found something very soothing when riding or walking alongside water. I’d be making my way to Kingholm Quay and Annan.

Kingholm Quay is a nice little harbour on the River Nith. I’ve always been fascinated by all the random memorials I’ve found whilst cycle-touring and today I found another one. There is a memorial to Angus MacKay, who drowned in the River Nith in March 1859. MacKay was Queen Victoria’s piper and considered a genius on the bagpipes.

You also come to The Brow Well which is chalybeate spring with natural iron-salt rich water, believed to have healing powers and popular with the residents of Dumfries. In the seventeenth century, it became fashionable to visit these types of spas with mineral-rich waters. It’s known that Robert Burns visited here to take advantage of the healing waters and also to bathe in the Solway Firth as his health deteriorated. An annual service takes place every year in July to mark Burns’ last days at the well. The surrounds of the well have a quote from Burns’ “A prayer in the prospect of death” where the poet reflects on his own mortality – “O Thou unknown, Almighty Cause. Of all my hope and fear! In whose dread presence, ere an hour, Perhaps I must appear!” The well water had a dark red colour, I assume due to the presence of iron.

I made my way towards Annan, mostly along quiet roads. I stopped in a café in Annan for my lunch and ate outside where I spotted yet another reminder of Burns’ presence. He certainly got around. It is said he rode up to two hundred miles per week in his work as an Excise man. In the museum and in the house in Dumfries, you can see the sword stick and the gun that he had been issued with, showing that travel wasn’t particularly safe then (I’d guess he also carried money).

You also pass the Devil’s Porridge Museum that tells the story of HM Factory Gretna which was one of the largest explosive manufacturing sites in the world in WWI. This is where Cordite (the Devil’s porridge) was mixed. I didn’t go around the museum but did have a look around the outdoor exhibits, including “Sir James” – a fireless locomotive which was built in Kilmarnock. This is an example of a special type of locomotive used to haul explosives as obviously explosives and the fire of standard steam locomotive are poor bedfellows. In this type of locomotive, an external boiler generates the steam and then the locomotive is charged with the high-pressure steam. It was nice to see it as I had no idea there ever was such a thing.

The next stop was to be at the Old Blacksmith’s Shop in Gretna Green. This was built as blacksmith’s shop in 1713. Following changes to the marriage laws in England in the mid eighteenth century, couples under twenty-one needed their parents’ consent to get married. The law was different in Scotland, the “handfasting” ceremony only requiring two witnesses. As Gretna Green is just across the Scottish border, it became common to elope to Gretna Green and get married in the forge. Much has changed since then and it is no longer a working forge but people still come here to get married. It’s a fascinating place just to look around and there are all sorts of old farm implements on display including a pre-war Fordson.

I was now in England, my first time to ride a bike in the country. I was slightly disappointed there was no sign to welcome me to England but I guess I was on little-travelled roads. The NCN 7 route takes you on to a path across private land to avoid a busy road. It is very narrow. I enjoyed riding it but it would not be much fun if you were to meet a lot of cyclists or pedestrians coming the other way as it’s very narrow. As it happens, I only met one, a local and I was talking to him for a while as he was interested in what I was doing and where I was going.

I arrived in Carlisle just in time for rush hour and not the slightest idea where I was going. Thankfully I was able to rely on my phone GPS to direct me to my hotel. After a wash and change of clothes, I was able to go out for something to eat and a wander around. Carlisle is much bigger and busier than any of the other places I had visited on this trip. I had never planned on going any further south on this trip but had booked two nights in Carlisle with a sort of idea of doing a long day ride along Hadrian’s Wall or something.

I didn’t do that. Instead, I explored parts of Carlisle on foot, especially the cathedral and the castle. Carlisle has a long history and the castle had strategic importance as it was so close to the Scottish border. I really enjoyed my time at the Cathedral which is one of the smallest in England. It is fascinating to look around it and the grounds surrounding it. It is also a great place to just sit and watch the world pass by. I had fitted a lot of exercise into the past few days and I was happy to relax and recharge my batteries. I also spent a lot of time in the city centre where there was some sort of music festival in progress so I was happy to sit and listen to the various bands. This again highlights the advantages of removing motor traffic from a town centre to create a shared space.

I enjoyed my leisurely day in Carlisle, even if I only saw a tiny fraction of what Carlisle has to offer. My original plan had been to stop at Carlisle and make my way back to Stranraer, probably via Glasgow by train. However, the weather forecast was good for the week ahead, I still had the following week of work so I decided to do something else. I thought of various options and was interested in spending a few days in Glasgow and cycling along the canal to see the Falkirk wheel. However, I didn’t fancy a city centre hostel and I was able to get cheaper accommodation on the Isle of Arran so I decided to go there as I had enjoyed it so much last time and had other things I had wanted to do but hadn’t time when I was there before. I was able to book a train from Carlisle to Ardrossan quite cheaply so it made sense. Tomorrow, I would go to Arran. Something I hadn’t planned on doing when I left home a week earlier!

Part 4 of this narrative can be found here – Arran

Part 4 of this narrative can be found here – Arran

NCN 7: Dumfries and Galloway Part 2

06 Saturday Jul 2024

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Brompton, Cycle touring, Dumfries, Galloway, Garliestown, Isle of Whithorn, Kirkcudbright, Kirkpatrick C2C, La Malouine, NCN 7, Scotland, small wheeler, Solway Firth, Uncategorized

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Brompton, cycle touring, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Garlieston, Kirkcudbright, La Malouine, NCN 7, photography, Scotland, Sturmey Archer AW3, travel

Part 2: Whithorn to Dumfries

Part 1 Can be found here

I had a little walk around Whithorn when I went to the shop to get something for my breakfast and to take with me to eat later. For touring or long day rides in rural areas, I always like to carry food just in case. I ate a light breakfast and packed up and was soon ready for the road again.

My next destination would be back on the coast to the town of Garlieston. There is a large estate/country house up a long avenue so I took a ride up to have a look at it. The house, known as Galloway House, is enormous and they seemed to have used wrought iron railings around all the fields so clearly the home of a very rich family but I knew nothing about it or it’s history. Quick online research suggests it originally belonged to Lord Garlies, Earl of Galloway, and dates to 1740 with later additions in the nineteenth century. It remained in the family until 1908 when they fell on hard times. The walls around the garden were apparently built by French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars. In the twentieth century, the house changed hands several times and was used at times as hospital for wounded soldiers in the second world war and as a boarding school before returning to private ownership.

From Galloway House, it was a short ride to the town itself and the rather attractive harbour. I was immediately drawn to the sailing ship moored at the quayside. The ship is called the La Malouine. I got talking to one of the crew when I was looking at it and was surprised to learn it was constructed as recently as 1950. It was made in Gdansk, Poland; and was originally used as a spy ship by the Soviet Navy and it had radio transmitter aerials hidden in the masts. It does actually have a sister ship which is also based in Scotland (Oban).

The skipper owns a Hercules small wheeled bicycle which he uses when ashore. They were very friendly and it was nice to see a genuine Cold War relic. As an amazing coincidence, I was to meet them again after I got home as they were docked at Queen’s Quay in Derry during the Foyle Maritime Festival, and they did remember me! On that occasion, I went onboard for a look around.

Garlieston was also the location used for testing and developing the Mulberry harbours used during the Allied invasion of Europe in WWII and there is a monument to remember this important event.

I hadn’t covered a huge distance so far but had spent a lot of time exploring. I decided to have buy a second, late breakfast in café before leaving Garlieston to keep me going all afternoon. The café had harbour views and was well patronised by other cyclists. I took advantage of the nice morning and ate outside watching the world pass by.

My next stop was to be a quick call at Bladnoch Distillery near Wigtown. I hadn’t heard of this distillery but it dates as far back as 1817 and is one of only six remaining lowland distilleries. There shop and visitors centre is very nice and worth a look around. I was there at the wrong time for a tour. It’s true I’ve seen around a few distilleries over the years in Ireland and Scotland but they all have their own history, often going back centuries and can be interesting.

I was making my way towards Newton Stewart. I had already re-joined NCN 7/Kirkpatrick C2C route by now so navigation was simply the matter of following the blue signs again which always makes things easy. The terrain around Newton Stewart contains more hills than I had encountered so far but all perfectly manageable. There is some genuinely off-road shared use path on the road to Newton Stewart. This, for me, is cycling at its best. Lush, green, beautiful countryside, no motorised traffic, no need to rush, time to interact with others that you meet and occasionally stop for a chat.

On this path, there is a bench overlooking the valley with a post adjacent to the bench. On top of the post, there is a plastic box with a note that says “please read.” I opened it and found notebooks. I did indeed sit and read. This is something I’ve not come across before but the idea is that people put down their thoughts on paper. It was extremely interesting and sometimes moving to read what people had to say and the range of places they had come from to be there – from other parts of Scotland to Hungary. Everything from a few lines of poetry, to a couple who had their first date there and were having a first anniversary walk to a man who had just lost his love of sixty years. It proves the restorative effects that come from taking exercise and being out in nature. I, of course added my thoughts and a few lines of poetry too, but I won’t say what! You’ll have to cycle to Newton Stewart to find out! I’d like to hope someone takes the time to read mine too and take some sort of inspiration from my words.

In Newton Stewart, you cross the River Cree using the Sparling Bridge which is another interesting place to spend a few minutes looking around as poems by local schoolchildren have been carved into stones. The riverside path here is a very pleasant ride indeed.

NCN 7 would be taking me towards Creetown and Gatehouse of Fleet. You pass more railway remains and the home of Cream of Galloway ice cream, something that seemed to be sold every where but oddly enough, I never once had a single ice cream on this trip. It may have been sunny but it wasn’t particularly warm. I also spent time looking around the remains of an old water mill at Gatehouse of Fleet.

NCN 7 became a bit strange somewhere around here as I was directed off the road, I was on into a forest where I took a wrong turn and got lost on the forest paths, had to lift my bike over fallen trees, retrace my steps and eventually ended up back on the road I was on originally on in the first place only three miles further on. I’m not sure of the point of the detour into the forest as this road is quiet anyway. The rest of the ride into Kirkcudbright was uneventful with some lovely views of the Solway Firth.

I found the hotel I had booked, a couple of miles out of town and very beautiful place to stay with its own grounds. I was amazed how little I had to pay to stay here with breakfast included. The downside of my unnecessary but time-consuming forestry diversion was that I was too late to buy dinner so after getting washed and changed, I walked back into town for a take away. I had a nice relaxing evening in my country hotel. I don’t stay in places like this very often!

After and ample breakfast the following morning, I was ready to make my way to Dumfries. First, I had a look around Kirkcudbright. It lies at the mouth of the River Dee and its Gaelic name is Cille Chùithbeirt which translates as the Chapel of Cuthbert as the remains of St. Cuthbert once resided here before being moved. In Scots, it is called Kirkcoubrie, my mispronunciation of it the previous night in the pub at Whithorn, when someone asked me where I was going next, was a subject of much mirth.

The town has a long history and was made Royal Burgh in 1455. There is a lovely marina area along the river, a nice bridge over the River Dee and MacLellan’s Castle. This is an impressive ruin dating from the sixteenth century. It was ruin by the end of the nineteenth century and was taken into state care in 1912. It is currently having some work done to preserve it and is closed to public which was unfortunate as I’d have liked a wander around the ruin.

I would then be heading towards Castle Douglas and would be back on the Military Road again for my journey to Dumfries. It was a pleasant ride in nice weather. A little bit warmer than it had been so far but still not as hot as might be expected in June. The weather was just right really, not too hot, not too cold, only a slight breeze, blue skies and clear views. The remarkable thing is how quiet the road was with only an occasional car and Scottish drivers are much more respectful of cyclists that Irish drivers. I did ride along with a group of road cyclists for a bit and it surprised myself and I think them, that I could just about keep up with them with a bit of effort but I let them go and slowed down to touring pace again. There is no rush when doing something like this and I would have missed all the nice scenery and the random things you find at roadsides when you slow down.

I arrived in Dumfries late evening after another enjoyable and leisurely day’s riding and found my accommodation before getting washed and going in search of much-needed dinner. I would be taking a day off the bike now as I wanted to visit the Robert Burns House and museum and other things around Dumfries so would be having a day of wandering around the town in normal tourist hat and doing normal tourist things!

Part 3 of this narrative can be found here

Part 3 of this narrative can be found here

NCN 7: Dumfries and Galloway

02 Tuesday Jul 2024

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Brompton, Cycle touring, Galloway, Isle of Whithorn, Kirkpatrick C2C, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, Mull of Galloway, NCN 7, NCN 73, Scotland, small wheeler, Uncategorized

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Brompton, cycle touring, Dumfries and Galloway, Isle of Whithorn, Kirkpatrick C2C, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, lighthouse, Mull of Galloway, Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, NCN 7, NCN 73, photography, Scotland, travel

PART 1: The Rhins of Galloway and the Isle of Whithorn

I had plans to cycle The Hebridean Way this year but left it too late to plan it properly and everything I read said it is ridiculously busy right now, borne out by the fact that any accommodation seemed to be booked out or very expensive. The long-range forecast didn’t look very good for camping either.

I decided to do something different. I remember Billy Connolly saying that the best place in Scotland to go cycling was the Scottish Borders. I would be touching on this area but most of my ride would be in Dumfries and Galloways. Not too densely populated and not one of the favoured tourist areas in Scotland, it promised quiet roads. Sustrans National Cycle Route (NCN) 7 also runs through this area as part of a much longer route. It all seemed promising on paper so I would see what it is like in reality. It’s mostly quite flat too so I decided I’d just use my Brompton.

I arrived at 6pm on the afternoon ferry from Larne and would spend the first two nights in Stranraer. I’ve stayed in Stranraer several times now and always find it a pleasant town with sensibly priced accommodation, sea views, a lovely park and lot of things of interest including a very nice museum and an old castle that you can access and climb to the top to get a commanding view of the area. It is also a good base to do one of my favourite rides – a loop of the Rhins of Galloway, taking you to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. I’ve done this ride twice before and I had decided to do it again. I had plans to see around the lighthouse this time as I had never done that before as I was always there at the wrong times on the other occasions. This time I would plan my ride purely around visiting the lighthouse.

The following day didn’t appear too promising with wind, overcast skies and a slight smur of rain. I made my way around the peninsula along the shores of a very grey and murky Loch Ryan and towards Kirkcolm and Port Patrick. Port Patrick is a really picturesque little harbour town. I sat and ate my lunch overlooking the harbour in the shelter of a wall before continuing on my way.

I enjoy the singletrack road which leads to the Mull of Galloway and the lighthouse. It’s nice rolling hills and sea views. The only downside is the many cattle grids which are not bicycle friendly, certainly not for small wheels at least. I made very good time due to assistance from a strong tail wind but I knew there would be payback for this on the return journey.

I was in luck this time as the lighthouse was open to the public. Third time lucky as they say! When I was here last year, they had to close unexpectedly due to a serious oil leak inside. Due to my love of coastal cycle tours over the years, I’ve seen many lighthouses. This is one of the nicest ones in my opinion. It was designed by Robert Stevenson, grandson of the renowned author, Robert Lewis Stevenson. Several generations of the Stevensons designed many lighthouses around the often lonely and remote Scottish shoreline. It is said that it was visiting these windswept and lonesome lighthouses with his father and grandfather gave the young Robert Lewis Stevenson the inspiration for his classic shipwreck novel, Kidnapped. It is a book I have read many times and still enjoy. The Mull of Galloway is also the most southern point of Scotland and just forty-two miles from Belfast.

Construction commenced in 1828 and took two years to complete. The light was first lit on the 26^th of March, 1830. The cliff top on which the lighthouse stands is 260 feet above sea level and the lantern stands 327 feet above sea level. There are 115 steps to climb to reach the top. The tour is fascinating. I received my little certificate for climbing the 115 steps to reach the top. It is amazing to see how thick the walls are when you look out through the small windows on your way up the staircase but I suppose they need to be to support the weight and to withstand the worst of weather in this exposed spot.

I don’t have a great head for heights but can usually manage so long as I am satisfied that I can’t fall. Nothing prepared me for what it would be like to step out on to the gantry outside the lantern and I felt lightheaded and on the point of panic attack. It’s incredible how high up you actually are on the top of a lighthouse and it was a great relief to come inside again. I have been to the top of Fanad Head lighthouse but you don’t get to go outside so the fear factor isn’t the same. It is possible to see Scotland, Cumbria, Isle of Man and Ireland from up here but the visibility wasn’t great when I was there due to the mist.

You can read the thoughts of some of the lighthouse keepers of days gone by in the main museum and one said about how much he hated going out to have to clear the snow from the glass in bad weather in the dark in winter time. I can imagine (in my worst nightmares). I don’t think I could ever have worked as a lighthouse keeper.

The main museum is very interesting too and I especially liked seeing the three old diesel engines which power the compressors to work the foghorn. The foghorn in Galloway is quite famous as I believe it is the only one on the Scottish mainland that is still in working order. Fog horns are no longer used but it’s interesting that all have their own sound timings controlled by a clock. This allowed the ships at sea to identify their position in thick fog. The engines are fascinating to me, they are of a type that start on petrol but change to diesel when it warms up in the interests of lower fuel consumption and costs. Early efforts at diesel engines were usually difficult to start from cold. You can also read of many of the maritime disasters that happened in these waters over the years.

The return journey to Stranraer was difficult but uneventful. I didn’t really stop anywhere. With a strong headwind, it was mostly a first gear grind up the other side of the peninsula and it was after eight o’ clock when I arrived back in Stranraer, somewhat wet but satisfied after almost eighty miles completed. After a shower and a change of clothes, I was too late for any pub food so a very hard-earned fish and chips was consumed. Food always tastes nicer when you have been outside working up an appetite for it!

The next morning looked much more promising from a weather point of view. I would be leaving Stranraer today and starting on NCN 7 (actually NCN 73 at this point which links two parts of the much longer NCN 7 together. This also forms part of the new Kirkpatrick coast to coast route (which I hadn’t heard of until got here). It is named after Kirkpatrick MacMillan, the inventor of the treadle bicycle. MacMillan was born in Keir, near Dumfries. MacMillan created pedal driven bicycle using the treadle principles and was said to have covered the sixty-eight-mile distance between Dumfries and Glasgow in two days. Considering how poor the road surfaces probably were in those days, that wasn’t bad at all. He is also said to have collided with a pedestrian in the Gorbals for which he was fined the sum of five Shillings.

As a large part of the Kirkpatrick route follows the route I was going to be using, it made good sense to start at the beginning: The model of the Kirkpatrick bicycle that has been created at the harbour in Stranraer itself. It was interesting to see and it’s nice that he and his creation are being remembered. The pedal/treadle arrangement drives the back wheel so much safer than the high wheelers which followed, but probably less efficient. He also had iron rimmed wheels. The chain drive, the modern diamond-framed safety bicycle and the pneumatic tyre would come later and create what we know as bicycles today.

From the harbour, I followed the signs for NCN 73 and the C2C route through the town of Stranraer and them riding on a path alongside the A75 trunk road for a bit before getting on to lightly trafficked minor roads. You are joining what is known as the Old Military Road which I believe was one of the roads constructed by General Wade in the eighteenth century as part of an attempt by the English to bring order to the country following the Jacobite rebellions. I would be spending a lot of time on parts of this road over the next few days. My first stop of the day was by a small but picturesque loch (possibly Loch Culhorn, not 100% sure).

I was to find this a very interesting days riding. I passed under a very impressive viaduct near Glenluce. I believe it was built in 1862 and the line remained in service until 1965. There are also the remains of Glenluce Abbey to explore although they were mostly cordoned off while I was there as work is ongoing. The abbey dates from 1190 and fell into disuse following the Scottish reformation in 1560. Glenluce itself is a very nice little village where I would stop and eat my lunch. Today’s weather was proving a huge improvement on yesterday and was dry and sunny, if not particularly warm for the time of year.

I was planning to deviate a little from the NCN 7 and make my way around the coast to Isle of Whithorn, if the road wasn’t too busy. It didn’t seem to be so I continued along the coastal A747 past the ruins of Chapel Finian which is named after Finbarr, a sixth century Irish saint. The nearby beach was a common landing place for mostly Irish Pilgrims making their way to the Shrine of St. Ninian.

From Finian’s Chapel, I continued on my way towards Port William, another little coastal town. I was really enjoying this ride a lot as I continued along the A747 towards Monreith. I had everything today, interesting and varied scenery from the rolling hills and lush green pastures and farmland inland of Stranraer to the beaches and harbours of the Isle of Whithorn. There was also much of interest in the form of ecclesiastical ruins and remains of former railways. I even saw an Atkinson Borderer lorry on the side of the road. Amazing how lorries have progressed and it shows my age that I remember a few of these still working when I was young. I was blessed with unusually quiet roads too as even the A747 seemed to carry very little traffic.

The coast road is very flat and it was a calm day so I made good progress. I arrived in the very beautiful coastal village of the Isle of Whithorn way ahead of schedule after covering just over sixty miles. I had booked to spend the night in a bunkhouse in the village of Whithorn which is a few miles inland but there was no need to go there so early so I had refreshments in a bar down by the harbour as I sampled a locally produced beer and watched the world go by for a bit before a quick tour of the village.

I made the decision to visit to visit St. Ninian’s cave before going to Whithorn. This involved a little bit of off-roading and probably wasn’t worth the effort as the cave is nothing very exciting but it is on a beautiful beach. Ninian was an eighth century Saint and among the first to bring Christianity to the Picts and remains a place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage. The cave was also used in the filming of the 1973 horror film, The Wicker Man.

I rode a leisurely few miles to the village of Whithorn where I would spend the night. It’s a very nice village, consisting mostly of a very long street. I ate dinner in a local pub. There didn’t seem to be many tourists around and I had a dorm room to myself in the bunkhouse.

The following morning again seemed promising from a weather point of view. I would be later re-joining the NCN 7 and making my way to Kirkcudbright. To avoid this post being too long, I will continue the narrative later.

Part 2 – Whithorn to Dumfries found here.

Loch Lomond on a Brompton Part 1: Galloway and Ayrshire

13 Tuesday Jun 2023

Posted by theoldbikeshome in Ayrshire, Brompton, Cycle touring, Mull of Galloway, NCN 7, Scotland

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Ayrshire Coastal Path, Brompton, cycle touring, Mull of Galloway, NCN 7, Robert Burns

I didn’t have a great spring for cycling really as a bad ‘flu that really settled in my chest kept me off the bike for most of March and April. It wasn’t the start to the year I had been hoping for. Still, I was able to ride regularly by the end of May again and I was feeling much better. I had two weeks off work in the beginning of June and was determined to do some sort of tour. My original plan for these two weeks had been to cycle the Hebridean Way but I hadn’t put together any proper planning or booking until the last minute as I wasn’t sure how I would feel. I then ran into problems trying to book ferries in the Hebrides with all the bike slots taken. Mostly my own fault for not being more organised. I decided to do something simpler.

I had enjoyed my time in Ayrshire last year and I still had things I had wanted to do in the area. My proposed ride around the Isle of Arran didn’t happen last year due to tyre failure. I also cycled around the Mull of Galloway last year and enjoyed it despite truly horrible weather. I fancied doing it in better weather. I also fancied doing a tour of the Lighthouse which I didn’t have time to do last year. With good weather forecast, I decided to do the Mull of Galloway, visit the lighthouse and then make my way to Arran. I just wanted a simple tour with no hard rides or pressure to make long distances. I decided to use my Brompton as it works well for leisurely riding, carries luggage well and it is also easier to transport if I felt the need to get it on a bus or a train.

As usual I caught a train from Derry to Larne, with a change at Belfast Yorkgate for the connecting service to Larne. I then got the ferry to Cairnryan. It was nearly seven o’ clock when we docked in Cairnryan. All that was left for me to do one the first day was to cycle the six miles into the Stranraer where I had booked two nights accommodation. I had no need to fold my Brompton on either the train or ferry. I use a touring setup on my Brompton of the large front T-Bag combined with a large Carradice Longflap saddle bag. I prefer to do this as I feel it spreads the load more evenly between the front and back and there is also a limit of ten kilos on the front luggage block so I want to make sure I don’t exceed this. I’ve used this setup many times now and find it can carry enough and it’s also pretty user-friendly. I can easily remove the front bag and the Carridice isn’t quite so convenient as it is necessary to open it to undo the two leather straps which hold it the saddle bag loops but it’s awkward rather than difficult or time-consuming to do this. I put a shoulder strap on to the loops on the Carradice so I can put it over my shoulder like a holdall. I can then lift the Brompton with one hand the T-Bag with the other and walk with them. Because I would be staying a few nights in each location instead of moving on all the time, I would be able to leave most of my luggage where I was staying for most of my rides.

I like Stranraer as a town. It is a reasonably large market town with all amenities and is located in a nice setting on the shore of Loch Ryan and offers many nice coastal walks around the harbour area and also has a very nice park with a small lake in the middle and family of swans. The town is the administrative centre for West Galloway and was once a busy port before the Northern Ireland ferries moved to nearby Cairnryan. It has a long history and has many nice old buildings including a castle which can be visited. I’ve also always found it a very friendly town to stay in. The name comes from Scottish Gaelic An t-Sròn Reamhar meaning “the broad headland” or “the fat nose.”

Day 1: Galloway

After an early breakfast, I began my trip around the Mull of Galloway using a variation of the route I used last year. I did pretty much a full loop of the peninsula, going via Kirkcolm and Corsewall Lighthouse before making my way towards Portpatrick. I like this ride. The roads around there are mostly very quiet and the views and scenery are nice, especially on a day such as this. It was very hot and you could see the tar on the road beginning to melt. I took to riding with a broad brimmed sun hat which may not be particularly fashionable or aerodynamic but it kept my face and neck out of direct sun and I found it very good. It suits a Brompton of course as the riding position is pretty upright. This wouldn’t work so well on a road bike. Cycling on days like these makes one appreciate the cooling effect of the descents in coastal areas. All bikes come with air-conditioning as standard!

Corsewall Lighthouse was designed by Robert Stevenson and was first lit in 1817. Apparently, when an early test flight by Concorde flew overhead, it shattered some of the glass in the lighthouse. The lighthouse is still in operation but is fully automated since 1994 and the rest of the building has been converted into a hotel. I can definitely see the appeal of staying here, given the historic and beautiful building, the stunning natural beauty of the area with many hiking opportunities but I fear it may be priced beyond my budget.

I was making steady progress despite the heat. This area isn’t really very hilly and a three-speed bike is perfectly adequate around here. I was worried I might struggle for lack of fitness for longer rides as I hadn’t done any in a while but all was going good so far. I was definitely enjoying this route in this weather. Galloway may not have the romance associated with it that places in the Highlands might have but it’s a beautiful part of Scotland in its own right. I love the greenness and the soft rolling hills, not unlike East Donegal but with the advantage of being surrounded by the sea. Traffic levels are very light in this area too, always a nice thing when cycling. The standard of driving here is much higher than in Ireland too with no close passes or other dangerous behaviour.

I stopped in Portpatrick to eat my lunch. I love this little seaside and harbour town. The harbour must be one of the prettiest I have seen and there are many old buildings. On a day like today, the various pubs, hotels and cafes which have space for outdoor seating were doing a roaring trade with people sitting enjoying their food and beverages in the sun. Portpatrick as a settlement dates back over 700 years to Dunskey Castle. Its success was built on the fishing industry and it is just twenty-one miles away from Ireland and was used as a port for many years but that was abandoned in the seventeenth century as strong winds made it impractical. Today, it is definitely a nice place to just sit and watch the world go by.

I continued on my way south. Following the road signs, I ended up on the other side of the peninsula and followed the coast road south from Sandhead which is another beautiful place with many beaches as is suggested by its name. I was riding into a slight headwind but making good time. I decided to stop in and buy ice cream in what claims to be Scotland’s most southern store. I then continued on my way to the Mull of Galloway. The road turns singletrack from here but there are plenty of passing places. This is where one of the differences between cycling in Ireland and in Scotland become apparent very quickly as any car which comes up behind you on a road like this will wait until you can move safely over rather than just force past in an aggressive manner like a lot of drivers in the north of Ireland.

There are also a lot of cattle grids on this road. These are something any cyclist should be wary about, particularly if is wet. On a large-wheeled cycle I would just ride over them slowly. This is one of the downsides of small-wheeled bicycles. The gaps between the bars of the grid are so great in some cases that it could easily cause a problem to small wheels. I just stopped and wheeled the bike across them but I am not chasing personal best times.

I love the view as the lighthouse becomes visible. This is Scotland’s most southerly point and lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1830 and also designed by Robert Stevenson, the grandfather of the celebrated Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson. The Stevensons were noted lighthouse engineers and designed many of the lighthouses around Scotland. It is thought that visiting these windswept lighthouses with his father and grandfather when he was a young boy provided the young Robert Louis with the inspiration to write the novel “Kidnapped.”

The lighthouse tower stands 85 feet high so the light is 325 feet above sea level and has a range of 28 nautical miles. The lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper’s buildings are now designated grade “A” listed buildings. Since automation, the keeper’s buildings have been made into a visitor’s centre. I was looking forward to seeing around their exhibition and to climb the stairs to the lantern. Unfortunately, it was not to be. A serious oil leak earlier that morning had meant they were forced to close to the public while it was being dealt with.

You can climb down stairs down the cliff to where the foghorn is located. From what I was told, it is still in working order, one of very left now they’re not used any more but there are a lot of restrictions on when they can actually sound it. They can’t sound it at the moment due to the nesting birds and oddly enough they can’t sound it in fog as it is no longer a recognised international signal, it could cause confusion to any passing ship.

I was disappointed I couldn’t sea around the lighthouse visitors centre but I still enjoyed my day. There is also a café located at near the lighthouse (also closed when I was there!) and public toilets and lots of hiking opportunities if you had time. I still had to ride back to Stranraer so wouldn’t have time to do that.

There aren’t too many other options here for route selections. I re-traced my steps as far Sandhead and then took a more direct route back to Stranraer, part of which is a convenient cycle path thar runs alongside a busy trunk road. I had covered in excess of seventy miles in my travels around the Rhins of Galloway, all of which I enjoyed immensely and I didn’t feel tired.

I settled down for the night after getting dinner in a local pub. Tomorrow it would be time to move on new pastures.

Day 2: The Heads of Ayr

After loading the bike up, I knew I was moving on although I had no exact plan for the day other than make sure I got to Ardrossan for the final ferry of the evening to the Isle of Arran. I did not fancy riding the A77 north of Cairnryan to Ayr; it’s too busy, too many badly sighted corners, quite hilly and the distance was probably too much for me in one day on a loaded bike. I made my way to Stranraer station and found out I had missed the early morning train to Ayr and the next one would be sometime in the afternoon. That wasn’t very helpful to me so I went with plan B.

I rode to the bus stop and unloaded my two bike bags, folded up the Brompton and caught the service bus. I decided not to travel the whole way to Ayr. The A77 disappears inland around Turnberry and the coast road would be slower and less heavily trafficked. I bought the bus ticket to Maidens. Even if I don’t fancy cycling on the A77, I do enjoy travelling on it. I enjoyed just sitting in the bus looking out the window at the beauty of the coast and the views across Ailsa Craig. Any early morning mist on the sea had burned off by now and the bus was sweltering despite all the windows being open.

After getting off the bus in Maidens and unfolding my bike and refitting my bags (which sounds complicated but only takes a few minutes), I started to make my way on the A719 coast road which leads to Ayr via Dunure and along the coast. I did consider a few miles of a detour to visit Souter Johnny’s cottage. For anyone familiar with the works of Robert Burns, Souter Johnny was Tam O’Shanter’s trusty, drouthy crony. The home of the man who is thought to have been Souter (shoemaker) Johnny in real life is nearby here and is now a sort of museum where the tools of his trade can be seen. I noticed when looking at Google Maps to check my route that it was listed as temporarily closed so there seemed little point in making the diversion. As it turned out, it was fortunate I didn’t.

I have driven the A719 in the past many years ago and often fancied cycling it so it was with great glee that I set off from Maidens. I knew it would be hilly in places and I was aware that I may have to walk some of it but it turned out to be fine. The hills are rolling hills rather than really tough climbs and my forty-inch bottom gear was perfectly sufficient. It was interesting to see the sprinkler system used by Ayrshire farmers to water their crops in the drouth conditions being experienced. People complain about rain but it is necessary for things to grow and what gives most of the British Isles their fabled lush green appearance.

The interesting thing on this road is the Electric Brae (properly known as Croy Brae) near Croy where a strange phenomenon occurs whereby the surrounding landscape makes it appear you are going uphill when you are actually going downhill. It does make for an interesting riding experience as you can freewheel uphill. I stopped at the top of the brae and ate my lunch. It was interesting to see how many of the passing cars stopped and put the car in neutral. Someone also stopped at the layby and poured water on to the road and it did appear to roll uphill. Definitely an interesting place and one which also offers great coastal views.

I also made a short detour to Dunure where the ruins of Dunure Castle, dating as far back as the thirteenth century can be seen. I didn’t take the time to explore the ruins although they do look interesting.

From there, it is only about another seven miles to the town of Ayr, passing through Alloway, the birthplace of the poet, Robert Burns. I spent a lot of time exploring Alloway and the Burns Museum, etc last year so didn’t spend any time on it today but couldn’t resist a quick look. I have always greatly admired his work.

From Ayr I was able to pickup the Ayrshire Coastal Path which north of Ayr is mostly shared with NCN 7. Riding along the magnificent seafront in Ayr was time-consuming on this occasion due to the sheer volume of people enjoying the beaches and the many seaside ice cream parlours and fish and chips shops. This was to be a harbinger of things to come.

I did this part of NCN 7 last year on my way to Largs and enjoyed it a lot. I enjoyed it today too but it caused a problem as there were just so many people on the path where it past all the many beaches along this route. I had to ride at walking speed for large parts of it for safety so I had completely underestimated the time needed to ride to Ardrossan to catch my ferry for Arran. I was forced to really ride fast when the circumstances permitted it.

I still enjoyed the ride and still think it’s a nice route but it highlights the issue with these types of cycle routes that seem to be promoted. They are great for leisure cyclists who aren’t in a rush but if the intention is to encourage people to cycle for transport (and I believe that is something that should be done to reduce congestion and pollution), they fail as they are often too slow. I could have made much better progress on the road but the A78 north of Ayr is also a very fast and busy road and not somewhere I would really like to ride my bike.

I made the ferry with minutes to spare but that was good enough. I was able to have a much-needed meal in the restaurant on the ferry as I hadn’t really had time to have anything proper to eat. The voyage to the Isle of Arran is about an hour and on a day like today, it was really peaceful and serene with barely any movement in the sea and the clear skies offering good views of everything. I always like being on a boat and sometimes wish I had gone to sea when I was younger. I am one of the fortunate ones who has never experienced sea-sickness no matter how rough.

We docked in Brodick at around 7 PM and I got my first look at the Isle of Arran. Initial impressions were good. The idea to cycle around the island was formed last year when I sailed alongside it on the Paddle Steamer Waverley and I liked what I saw. Almost a year later, I had finally arrived! Brodick is a nice harbour and town although I didn’t spend much time here after disembarking the ferry as I had to ride to Lamlash where I had booked accommodation for the night.

I wasn’t really sure where I was going but navigation is pretty easy on the Isle of Arran as there aren’t very many roads. I saw the sign informing me Lamlash was three miles away and it pointed up a very steep hill. I just stepped up on the pavement and walked the bike to the top of it. I would have struggled to have climbed it I think on the gearing I had so just took the easy option. I can’t really explain why but I’ve found pushing a loaded Brompton up a hill is much easier than pushing a loaded large-wheeled bike.

The ride between Brodick and Lamlash is very nice with lots to see, looking towards the mountains behind you and then the sea comes into view before the long descent into Lamlash. I instantly liked Lamlash. I found it so beautiful with a great view across towards Holy Island and the little harbour and the many small boats anchored in the bay. It may be a small village but it is well served with two shops, several pubs and hotels and a café. I bought a few supplies in the Co-Op before locating my accommodation, about a mile out of town. I had covered close to fifty miles today, some of it very slow, some of it at a pretty decent average speed as I tried to make up time and catch the ferry. I walked into the village later and was blessed with the amazing lighting across Holy Island in the gloaming as the full moon rose and shone across the bay and I also found great music in the Pier Head Tavern. My initial impressions of Arran were very good and I eagerly awaited exploring the island in more detail in the coming days.

Part Two of this narrative can be found here.