There aren’t many places within a day’s there and back ride that I haven’t been to (apart, of course, from places I don’t want to go.) However, today I took a notion to explore the valley of the Scaur Water, near Tynron, to the west of Thornhill. I hadn’t been there before because the road is a very long cul-de-sac, just serving a few houses and farms but not forming part of a route to anywhere else.
I had a bit of a narrow escape on the A76 north from Dumfries to Thornhill. I was bowling along happily at a relaxed 60 mph when a hare suddenly ran out from the right hand road verge, heading directly at my front wheel, which would have been highly detrimental to both of us. Fortunately, he or she spotted the bike just in time, did a screeching U-turn and ran back to the right hand side. (I shan’t introduce politics by saying who that reminds me of.) It just shows how vulnerable we can be to the unexpected.
Anyway, I reached the Scaur Water valley and turned northwards up the single track road.
The scenery was beautiful and unspoiled, with no other vehicles to be seen.
The road surface wasn’t great, though, with lots of potholes and loose gravel. I rode carefully on for several miles, but eventually chickened out and turned back when it started to get really bad. I was on a nice shiny bike and didn’t want to drop it.
I rode back to the Moniaive road, and eventually turned off on to the moorland road towards Corsock. I stopped for a sandwich, sitting on a stone dyke (me, not the sandwich).
Crossing the lonely moors, I passed by Loch Urr.
Eventually I reached the coast and looked in at Kippford.
The tide was out, but there were lots of happy people sitting outside the Anchor, enjoying food and pints of beer in the sunshine. Alas, I had to wait for my beer until I got home.
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