Somehow, Sod’s Law always operates so that, whenever I have a day earmarked for a bike ride, stuff has to be done that keeps me up very late on the preceding nights. So it was for the last two nights, so today I didn’t even wake up until well after 10. By the time I got away, it was 1 o’clock, so a long run was no longer on the cards. Fortunately, living in Galloway, I don’t have to ride for miles to get to somewhere nice to ride: I’m here already. So today’s run was all on familiar roads, but none the worse for that.
I started off heading for Dalbeattie, and then up the Urr valley to Haugh of Urr.
Crossing the A75, I rode to Townhead of Greenlaw, then turned off for Laurieston, crossing the River Dee.
From Laureston, I took the Gatehouse road through Laurieston Forest.
The road wound on over the high moors before dropping down to Gatehouse.
Turning north out of Gatehouse, I took the road up the west side of the Fleet Valley, stopping for a late lunch by Rusko Tower.
At the top of the glen, I came in sight of the Clints of Dromore, an impressive line of near-vertical cliffs.
I then turned west along a rough single track road, eventually emerging at Creetown, where I joined the A75 for a fast run to Castle Douglas and thence home. Being a Sunday, the A75 was mercifully free of HGVs, so it was actually enjoyable.
