ON THE BONNY BANKS

DAY 9

Distance
83.8 miles
Cycling time
6 hours 47 minutes
Average Speed
12.4 miles
Total Miles
718

We started the day with a 15 mile slog through the rush hour traffic on the A76 to Kilmarnock. We felt quite heavy legged after yesterday’s harder day.

We worked our way through minor roads to Glasgow and were rewarded with a great panoramic view of the city before we plunged downhill to Paisley.

We skirted around Glasgow and crossed the Clyde on the Erskine Bridge. Once over the river we took up the Lochs and Glens cycling route. We followed this for 11 miles along a disused railway line through Dunbarton and up to the south shore of Loch Lomond at Balloch.

The one discipline we have stuck to over our journey is not to drink alcohol during the day. We have, therefore, drank a lot of pints of lime and soda and we have kept a league table of prices – Loch Lomond has just shot into the lead at an eye watering £2.38 a pint (the best was only 30p at a Wetherspoons pub).

We then had 25 miles left to cycle along the A82 on the west side of Loch Lomond. The sky got darker and darker as we went with thunder and lightning all around. Unfortunately with 2 miles to go the sky opened.

We arrived looking like drowned rats but fortunately we were allowed into the hotel. We were feeling weary but only 4 days left to go.