Day 16, to Kirtlebridge

I have arrived in Scotland, which is my most exciting landmark to reach (so far).

It was about eighteen miles to get to Carlisle and not too difficult to get across the city – although, when we stopped to have a coffee by the castle, the bikes got blown over by the wind while we were sitting at a nearby table enjoying our drinks. A well meaning helper rushed over to lift our bikes – but unfortunately they got wedged together in the process. It took some time to untangle them!

After we finally got going again we began the search for the lane to Gretna Green which runs alongside the motorway. I longed for this part of the journey to be over, it was quite a hard ride because the wind was strong and gusting. I had been hoping that it wouldn’t be too blowy as I crossed the estuary into Scotland. It was a nice surprise to see some cycling friends from Birmingham waiting for me.

In Gretna Green the Blacksmiths Shop now feels like a retail park, and a good deal less charming than it once was – but I still tracked down a Scottish Piper (although he had put away his bagpipes and just bought himself some sandwiches which he obligingly held behind his back so that I could take photograph of him.) If Gretna Green is less charming than it once was though, this is more than made up for by the loveliness of the people there. We stopped for a treat at the Blacksmiths Foodcourt – and they kindly donated £5 to the cause.

I also saw a wedding in progress, and the happy couple were kind enough to let me put the pictures on my blog.

I am quite anxious about the weather. It’s been a day of hard riding in strong winds. My accommodation today (Broadlea Of Robgill, Bed And Breakfast) is splendid, and my hosts (Amanda and Nick) are very friendly – and they have kindly donated £25 to the cause.

Stats

35 miles (539.31 miles total), 925ft ascent, 1,200ft descent