Day 6

Bassenthwaite to Ayr

Distance: 114.09

Average: 14.2

Maximum: 48.9

Duration: 8:03:00

Cumulative: 677.88

Today started with a monstrous breakfast in the sailing club clubhouse overlooking Bassenthaite Lake. The views were fantastic and it was a wonderful morning. It looked like a day more suited to messing about on a lake than a 100 mile cycle slog!

Bassenthwaite Lake


After saying my goodbye's I was off. Heading on the minor roads to Uldale and then the B5299 through Caldbeck and on to Carlisle. It was while toiling up a huge hill in the Uldale region that I started feeling a twitch in my right ankle. I didn’t think much of it at the time. However when I got off my bike in Carlisle I knew there was something definitely amiss. I was walking with a distinct limp as I couldn’t flex my ankle without it giving my achilles some hassle. I’d had a bit of trouble like this in training on my left achilles but it had all cleared up about a month before setting off and I was hoping that it wouldn’t recur! It had but on the other foot! Oh well, enough whingeing!

I now had a choice to make – up the A74, a very busy route apparently or on the A7 to Longtown and then the A6071 to Gretna Green. I opted for the A74. How bad could it be … ??? Blinking terrible! That’s how bad! A bit too close to the traffic for my liking! Still, I arrived in Gretna Green in one piece!

Scotland! I must be nearly there now!


When planning this journey, instead of taking a complete map I cut out the relevant sections. 24 in all. Unfortunately the section between Gretna and Dumfries had gone missing. I had it in my back pocket when leaving Bassenthwaite I'm sure but I couldn’t find it now. My intention was to go on the minor roads which ran adjacent to the A75 to get to Dumfries but now I’d have to take my chances with the traffic on the A75 instead. Like the A74, the A75 had a solid white line on the nearside edge of the carriageway and like on the A74 I ducked into this narrow strip of road where practicable when there was traffic coming from behind. I don’t think cyclists have an obligation to cycle here but I felt it was fair of me to do so to let following traffic pass without impediment! Well that and self-preservation! I was quite happily cycling along this stretch with my dodgy ankle thinking, “well, at least it’s not raining and I haven’t had a puncture so far!” When what do you know? It started raining! Oh well, just crack on! I was still merrily cycling along when a large lorry was approaching from behind and a large patch of gravel appeared on my narrow strip in front! What was I to do? Pull out in front of the lorry or cycle over the grit? I didn’t fancy arguing with a lorry so I went for the grit! And guess what? My first puncture! This could be considered a bad day I suppose! Anyway onwards! Into Dumfries for food and milk, up the A76 and on to the B729. Bliss! This was a much quieter road thankfully and a very welcome change from the A75. I went up through Dunscore ...

Dunscore



... on to Monaive and then I enjoyed a really nice stretch of road between Monaive and Carsphairn. I then took the A713 to Ayr. By this time it was bucketing down. I was going pretty well but at the same time I was really looking forward to getting my feet up and drying off.

I was staying at the Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, near Ayr. This, I reckoned, would be a change from the normal youth hostel as it was a university campus which let student rooms out over the summer. I was under the impression that there were some kind of catering facilities here. I was wrong. There was no food at all. This place seemed to be quite a way from “civilisation” and I was soaked. No way was I going back out again! My ankle needed to see a bed so I scrounged the Sunday Times from the student in charge, showered and retired. A room to myself again! Luxury!

Wilson Hall, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, near Ayr