my trip north of the Border, 2 days and 550 miles...

[Guest]

Well, I am on a weeks hol, so decided rather than moping about the house, i would take to two wheels. Undecided, I posted on here about Wales, and about Scotland, Thank you all for the advice, but i took no notice, and headed into Scotland.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/scotlandtrip.jpg

Day 1 (Tuesday)

head out off Barrow and on the bypass to the M6, up to Carlisle, may as well get there and start my mini adventure...

first stop, well you've gotta, Gretna Green..

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/GretnaGreen.jpg

then Dumfries, and decided to take the coast road, as i've seen Scotland from Silloth, but not the other way round..

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/SolwayfromDumfries.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01163.jpg

onto Castle Douglas, and up the tourist route to Ayr..

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01176.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01179.jpg

This was my planned stop, but as I was winging it, and time and weather were on my side, I decided to press on, up the coast, through Largs,

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/Largs2.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/Largs.jpg

and onto Greenock/port Glasgow..

not liking the options of accomodation, I decided to head for somewhere i visited 2 years back, Helensbugh on the Clyde.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/HelensburghClydeCoast.jpg

I managed to get a room at "The Commodore", a nice enough place but more than i was after, was looking for a pub with rooms, but time was pressing, and i'd been on the road all day, so a warm bed, hot meal and a shower were in dire need..

day 2 (wednesday)

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01187.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01190.jpg

had breakfast, and as i'd ended up in Helensburgh all plans were binned, the map was produced and i was umming and arring about doing Loch Lomond, and the Trossachs, or head down into Lanark, as my last visit was the loch, I made my way out of Helensburgh, and through the school/work traffic of Glasgow.. onto the A74, and off for Lanark.. we were back in business, roads, that i came for..

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/Lanarkshire.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01195.jpg

Lanark, become Peebles,

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01203.jpg

which became Galashiels, and on to Hawick, somewhere i'd cycled to as a stupid child, in the cold wet, and last time i had seen the town, dark..

Hawick came and after a chat with a biker on a VFR400, and a coffee and bacon roll, and i was back riding, down the B6399 to Carlisle.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/B6399HawickCarlisle.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01211.jpg

as i was back on known territory, i gave Wiggleit a call, looking for a welcome coffee, directions were given, and mis-heard, so directions sought once again I turned up at the stables, she was finishing polishing the bike, but no coffee... (Bugger..LOL),

I left Carole, after a discussion on the best route, and decided to take an un-travelled road, toward Sedbergham, i nice quick road, that covered two points of interest, Hutton Hall, and Greystoke Castle (the legend of Tarzan...),

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01217.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01219.jpg

photos taken, it was on to Penrith and shap

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01221.jpg

then into Kendal and home to Furness

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg250/simonevans73/Scotland%20Trip/PIC01230.jpg

[nman1]

Sounds like just what I want to do. Pictures look great and them roads look extreamly twisty.

Lucky sod

[Guest Mr Miller]

Sounds like you had a good time mate!

I'd love to be able to jump on the bike and head off for a few days like this - young kids and all that, make it a bit more difficult!

You visited a few places that I'd spent some time in as a kid on holiday and Hawick, where the in-laws live and Gala where we go to when we've had enough of Hawick!

Where are you heading to next time?

[Guest]

Dunno, gonna have to do Wales some time, but just tend to open the map..

tend to sort out the small rides better, as i have people in tow, my jollies, are more off the cuff... could do with doing a run with someone, better banter in the pub..

[Fozzie]

I want to do a trip like this... But I need my big bike first

How are the roads? I dont like long trundling as squaring off my tyres is the last thing I want to do during a trip like this

[Guest]

Fozzie, you think i'd spend two days off 550 miles on a motorway.. c'mon..

if you ever plan somethink like this...

take 2 maps, a quick reference one on the tank and a detailed one..

think about stuff/places you want to go/see, and add them into the route..

ask the regions on the forum, what they don't know about the area is worth knowing..

I took the tourist route from Castle douglas to Ayr A713, not the main traffic route.. winding and scenic, and the A72 Lanark to Galashiels to Hawick,

and as i'd been to Hawick as a schoolboy on a biking/camping hol, took the B6399 back to cumbria, as i'd travelled it before, must say I wasn't disapointed by any of the roads,

was fun filtering through people off to work/school.. when your on a jolly (Dumbarton/Glasgow)..

most of all enjoy.. and take lots of photos...

[archiec]

You did a fantastic trip I only got my bike license late 2008 and am in SW Scotland have travelled these roads in a car but so want to do them on my bike..........