We had a hotel booked for 2 nights down the Borders as we were supposed to be going to a wedding nearby but it was postponed until next year (it was originally supposed to be 2020!) so we decided just to go and have a wee break anyway. We left home on Friday morning and once we got just outside Perth (about 18 miles) it was then a boring 80 miles on the motorway until we turned off at Abbington, we stopped of for a coffee and saw this car with a S&S motor in it From Abbington we took the B797 down to Wanlockhead we stopped off for a nice lunch at Wanlockhead Inn (The highest pub in Scotland) they have several small basic wooden chalets you can rent out, not much in them apart from a bed! There is a lead mining museum nearby but we didn't go as the weather was looking dodgy, a miner carved into a tree trunk beside the Hotel After lunch we continued on the B797 down the Mennock pass where we stopped off to watch a guy pan for gold, there were several other folk doing the same the weather was threating rain but luckily it kept dry until we got near our hotel We then headed to Thornhill and took the A702 a great road with some lovely twisty bits to New Galloway then onto another good road the A762 to Twynholm where we stayed at the Star Hotel very reasonably priced and the breakfasts were great. we were able to park our bike right outside our room ( left the panniers off until it was time to go home on the Sunday) The next day we went to Crocketford and took the A712 to New Galloway a cracking road from there we took the Queens Way (still the A712) also a great bit of road, it takes you out near the town of Newton Stewart, i didn't want to stop and take pictures as it was misty and there was a bit of light rain. we then went down past Wigtown and up the coast road past Port William a road I'd never been on before, it was a nice road and i imagine if it was a clear sunny day the views would be great but as you can see it wasn't! From there we went to The Mull Of Galloway Scotland's most southerly point on a clear day you can see Ireland and the isle of Man, but not today Visitor centre View from the railings at the side of the visitor centre, it doesn't look high ,but it was!
Fridays route down to the hotel (From Abbington) Saturday mornings route down to Mull Of Galloway (we went back to the hotel a slightly different way) The route home on the Sunday, we did the Dalveen Pass then on the motorway for a while then cut off after Glasgow to take a more scenic route home
The A712 could be up in the Cairngorms or over the west coast somewhere, quite a few cracking roads down there
Always great to get on to different roads and explore, Im finding. Did the gold panners look like they where getting any, ( asking for a friend). Weather wasnt great eh, which is a shame considering the summer we had so far. Thanks for posting. Can I ask was the decision to take the BMW cos of the luggage capacity?
The guy i spoke to has found some in the past, but no luck so far that day, yeah the weather wasn't great James which was a pity, this is a picture when we got back into Perthshire The sun is to return all over Scotland next week though . It was a no brainer taking the BM, far comfier for my Mrs on the back plus loads of room in the panniers and it's much better on wet roads than the Rocket!
Thanks @Dougie D enjoyed your trip report. Shame about the wedding delay again, nice to get away with the Mrs and even though the weather wasn’t tops, it still looked amazing
What a fun trip for you and Mrs. D, Dougie, and a fun ride report for us. Lovely and interesting photos (and that shot over the visitor center railing looks very high up to me!). I appreciated your maps, too, to have a general sense of your route even though I've not been to that part of the world (yet) . Thanks for the write up! How is Mrs. D liking her Rokker riding jeans, BTW?
Me, Steve @Wessa and Alan @Smilinjack went up the B797 back in June and we saw a couple of groups "messing around" in the stream (burn ?). It wasn't till later in the day when we stopped at a cafe that we learned that they would have been panning for gold. We did enjoy the road though.
Nice one Dougie. Off to Mull on Friday, in the car mind. Thinking of Thursday night in Galloway, either Portpatrick or the Forest, to get us nearer to Glasgow. Picking my son and his partner up at the station Friday morning. Never done so much sailing, lsle of Man last week, just waiting to leave Guernsey, then Oban to Craignure Friday. Ha haarrr, me hearties!
