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Weather: Overcast, then rain till 3pm, sunny thereafter. Stong cross- or tail-wind.
Stats: 79.2 miles; ave speed moving: 11.4 mph
Counties: Cumbria (England), Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland), Scottish Borders
GPS track map: Link here
Crossing the Scottish border is always a big moment on any LEJOG ride: a sense of relief at having got this far, and daring to believe that you might just make it all the way. Also, perhaps, some nervousness about those hills and mountains yet to come. Our chosen crossing point was an insignificant bridge which carries the B6318 over the Liddle Water, close to the village of Rowanburn. Almost the moment I crossed, it started to rain, meaning our first 20 miles or so in Scotland were wet and windswept, which was a shame because in fine weather it must be very scenic, cycling beside glistening burns etc.
This was a high mileage day, so, being one of the slowcoaches, I didn't stop in the little town of Langholm, but pressed on. It was past 2 o'clock when I rode into the isolated village of Eskdalemuir, and stopped off at their warm and welcoming 'Hub' community centre café, just what was needed. I called briefly at the Tibetan Buddhist centre a short way up the road. I'm not sure why it is here, perhaps it is the similarity of this remote area to the Tibetan plateau. Peter the Guide says David Bowie studied here intending to become a monk, but eventually decided on a career as a rock star.
Maybe it was the spins of the prayer wheels by our group that caused the rain to cease, but it did, and from about 3 o'clock we had sunshine and blue skies. The ride over 3 passes from Eskdalemuir to Traquair was awesome, with kindly ascents and long fast rolling descents, through remote heather clad hills on well-surfaced but deserted roads. The final 3 miles into Peebles on the newly tarmacced railway path beside the Tweed was the icing on the cake.
I had some forebodings about whether I was up to this 80 mile ride (shades of Hartford-Garstang), but ended the day feeling tired but happy: my fitness levels must have been improved by all this cycling.
Next day
Weather: Overcast, then rain till 3pm, sunny thereafter. Stong cross- or tail-wind.
Stats: 79.2 miles; ave speed moving: 11.4 mph
Counties: Cumbria (England), Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland), Scottish Borders
GPS track map: Link here
Crossing the Scottish border is always a big moment on any LEJOG ride: a sense of relief at having got this far, and daring to believe that you might just make it all the way. Also, perhaps, some nervousness about those hills and mountains yet to come. Our chosen crossing point was an insignificant bridge which carries the B6318 over the Liddle Water, close to the village of Rowanburn. Almost the moment I crossed, it started to rain, meaning our first 20 miles or so in Scotland were wet and windswept, which was a shame because in fine weather it must be very scenic, cycling beside glistening burns etc.
This was a high mileage day, so, being one of the slowcoaches, I didn't stop in the little town of Langholm, but pressed on. It was past 2 o'clock when I rode into the isolated village of Eskdalemuir, and stopped off at their warm and welcoming 'Hub' community centre café, just what was needed. I called briefly at the Tibetan Buddhist centre a short way up the road. I'm not sure why it is here, perhaps it is the similarity of this remote area to the Tibetan plateau. Peter the Guide says David Bowie studied here intending to become a monk, but eventually decided on a career as a rock star.
Maybe it was the spins of the prayer wheels by our group that caused the rain to cease, but it did, and from about 3 o'clock we had sunshine and blue skies. The ride over 3 passes from Eskdalemuir to Traquair was awesome, with kindly ascents and long fast rolling descents, through remote heather clad hills on well-surfaced but deserted roads. The final 3 miles into Peebles on the newly tarmacced railway path beside the Tweed was the icing on the cake.
I had some forebodings about whether I was up to this 80 mile ride (shades of Hartford-Garstang), but ended the day feeling tired but happy: my fitness levels must have been improved by all this cycling.
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| Scotland, here I come |
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| Wet roads, but relatively easy ascents |
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| Eskdalemuir community cafe: very welcoming on a cold wet day |
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| Tibetan Buddhist shrine nr Eskdalemuir |
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| The weather improved greatly |
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| Nearing Mountbenger |
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| Start of railway path to Peebles |
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