DAWDLE AND THEN DASH

DAY 8

Distance 75.6 miles
Cycling time 6 hours 5 minutes
Average Speed 12.5 miles
Total Miles 634

Another hot almost windless day. Alan and Sue joined us again on their tandem for the first 25 miles to Dumfries.

This part of the journey was great – very flat and through some of the best countryside we have seen so far.

In Dumfries we said goodbye to Alan and Sue, after a cup of tea and a cake of course. We then picked up the KM Trail (named after Kirkpatrick Macmillian the inventor of the bicycle who is buried nearby). We followed the trail for 30 miles and it was stunning. We hardly saw a sole for 3 hours. It was quite hilly and hard work in the high temperature but we took our time and really appreciated our views.

After 30 miles we rejoined the A76. Back to loads of cars whizzing past at great speed for the next 20 miles. We stopped dawdling and got our heads down.

We arrived in Cumnock just before 5.00 p.m. Not a lot of accommodation around but Phil managed to negotiate a good deal at the Royal Hotel.

This is the best hotel by far we have stayed in and for the first time on the trip we had a bath! (Independently that is not together). It was great to soak our aching legs. We will be raring to go tomorrow as we cycle around Glasgow and head up to Loch Lomond