September 6, 2018
Reprise - Glentress and Drumlanrig
Making the most of our last day in Scotland
There's lots of travel ahead today to relocate us from Scotland to the Lake District. But first, time for a ride or two at two favourite parks.
We start with Glentress just down the road in the Scottish Borders. To save me yesterday's 5km uphill grind, we drive straight to the upper park at Buzzards Nest, then ride the top blue loop before continuing down to the bottom. This downhill run drops some 250 metres on aptly named trails Blue Velvet, Electric Blue, Good Game and - love it! - Berm Baby Berm. After coffee, Bruce rides solo back up to retrieve the van while I wallow in the café.
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Three years in the future, I still remember the euphoria of the moment after we finish: we take a seat in the café with great big smiles plastered across our faces. Can one have too much fun?
Drumlanrig, the castle estate where we managed to lose our way ten days ago, is not exactly on the way to the Lake District - but we think the detour is worth the effort.
This time, we renew acquaintance with Rik the bike guy and take a map, which leads to a much more successful ride than last time. Just as much fun, but less wading through boggy footpaths. We're happy to support the local tearoom economy as well, before driving south.
The next two hours are best forgotten. I don't like driving in the rain at any time, and now I find myself behind the wheel of the van on the M4 motorway in a torrential downpour, sandwiched by big lorries. It's a relief to find our way onto the narrow roads of the Lake District and, eventually, to our hotel at the southern tip of Derwentwater.
Now this is luxury! Mary Mount is a cut above our usual hotel stays - a warm, welcoming country hotel filled with hikers, golfers and drinkers. The lovely couple we talk to at dinner tonight often come here from London, I think, for a 'walking holiday'. Turns out, they mainly like to walk from pub to pub.
We're staying for two nights and it's more than a relief to leave the van to languish in the carpark for the duration: the country lane we traversed from Keswick was the approximate width of 1.5 cars, as are we. . .
Today's ride: 16 km (10 miles)
Total: 400 km (248 miles)
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