The sunshine continues. I started today’s ride by calling in at A&G Motorcycles in Dumfries to make a date for an MoT, chatting with Allan and Grace, the nice people who run it. I then had a brisk run up the A76 as far as Thornhill, not sure whether I was going to turn east for Durisdeer and the Dalveen Pass, or west to explore the back roads of the Buccleuch estate. I chose the latter, since it involved some roads I hadn’t been on before.
The countryside in this area was hilly, wooded and little-frequented. I stopped in a shady spot to have some lunch and work out my route.
I carried on through the maze of single track roads through typical Upper Nithsdale scenery.
Missing a turning, I found myself in the Duke of Buccleuch’s front yard. Drumlanrig Castle is a veritable palace. Unfortunately the butler failed to spot my arrival and didn’t inform the Duke of my presence, so I never got invited in for lunch.. It was just as well that I had had my curry pasty and banana half an hour earlier.
A mile or so later, I emerged back on the plebeian public road system, and turned westwards, through Moniaive over the hills to St.John’s Town of Dalry.
There I joined the Castle Douglas road. Loch Ken was beautiful in the sunshine, and in the distance I could see my ‘home’ hills, Screel and Bengairn.
