The Journey begins

​Even though this is day 5 of our holiday, it’s day 1 of the actual Kirkpatrick Trail. We’ll be following it for 4 days. So that means 4 days of not being able to whine at our route planners about unnecessary extra hills. This is now the fault of the bods at Cycling UK or Sustrans or whoever put this route on the map.

Mindful of a rather nasty weather front heading in from the west, we had an early and massive breakfast and set out just after 8:30. Don’t laugh - that’s early for retired people! Wind behind was a real bonus and we covered the first 34 miles before the rain at a good pace.

Remember Gerald? Andrews mate from breakfast the other day? Well we passed him and his roadside mowing machine at Luce Bay. We shouted hello and he replied with something we didn’t understand (or ‘dinna ken’ as I think they say hereabouts). 


Stopped for a photo at Wigtown to send to Phil who should have been with us. Next time Phil.


Light rain into Newton Stewart. Andrew and Pete hit Aldi, Steve went to his pie and cake shops, Merv still digesting breakfast. Off we went again. Pete had an epic navigation fail and climbed a hill he was fairly sure was right, but ended in a farmyard. By the time he caught the others they had been waiting for far too long but were too polite to say so. 

About 10.1 miles from the end, Steve mused that the rain wasn’t as bad as expected and then cycled off ahead as he is wont to do. At 10 miles from the end the rain became just as bad as bloody expected. Pete spent the next hour muttering things about bloody Steve jinxing the bloody weather. 

So four very wet and rather mucky cyclists finally arrived at one of Scotlands poshest hotels and dripped all over the lovely reception desk and floor. As one would expect from a classy establishment, the nice lady who signed us in didn’t bat an eyelid. For those who want to know, it’s the Cally Palace Hotel in Gatehouse-of-Fleet. 

While waiting for keys, we decided to have a beer and drip all over the huge lounge…


Pete’s bedroom actually isn’t much smaller than the lounge but he’s keeping quiet about that as, unlike last nights cupboard with no view, he thinks he may have drawn the long straw. He has two bathrooms too, which is rather handy for washing and drying all his gruesome kit. Nice view of the golf course too. Keep it to yourself 😉!

Tomorrow’s weather looks better and the wind will again be in our favour, so all a bit more relaxed this evening.

Right, we’re off for a beer. Hoping dinner lives up to the architectural standards of the place.

60 miles

2786 feet

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