Project Lighthouse

Newton Stewart to Dumfries

With a mountain bike ride in the Cairngorms cancelled we had a window of opportunity. An ace couple of days mountain biking in the Lakes with Steve and Sue then an early dash up to Dumfries to meet a fast talking Scottish taxi driver. On the bikes and out of Newton Stewart by 10.30. Once up the hill at Kirroughtree we made our way through the forests and on to the disused railway line, its easy pedalling with views right out over the estuary. Cracking. The trick with this section was to try and spend as little time as possible on the A75, its busy and fast – even on a Sunday. We cut left to call into the lovely, gentle Gatehouse of Fleet for a Coop sarnie in the sun, we know how to live. The town was full of Gravel Bikers, I think this places needs further exploration. The track ducked under the trunk road to join up with a quiet coast road that dropped down to the rocky shores and coves at Carrick. Small roads and tracks took us to Brighouse Bay, then a walk over a bullock filled headland down to Ross Bay. The ride into Kirkcudbright was broken up with a doze on the beach at Nun Mill. We arrived to find the whole town was asleep, pizza and Guinness dispatched before pedalling the remaining miles to our B&B for a very early night.

Scottish breakfast eaten, we headed back to the coast and on to Palnackie, the home of the World Flounder Tramping Championships. Dropping into give the lovely Rhi a hug in Dalbeattie Heath Centre we then headed onto the bike trails through the woods and down to Kippford for lunch. I think the Jubilee path over to Rockcliffe was the highlight of the day. Ice cream on the beach then we dug deep pedalling into a shocking head wind with the only break coming when we turned south to Southerness Lighthouse. With 10 miles to go energy levels were low. Thankyou Abbey Tearooms, you saved us. Amazing homemade Lentil Soup, Tea & Cake fuelled the last section back to the car.