Day 26  Thurs 24 March: I’m aware that I haven’t commented much on the stunning scenery over the last 100+ miles. Well that’s because I haven’t actually seen much of it. According to the locals,  this “driech” or “drecht” damp, grey weather is not uncommon. There have been some tantalising glimpses of estuaries and dark red/grey castle ruins but most of the high and distant land has been shrouded in cloud. After a very wet start on the climb out of Portpatrick today, again it didn’t bode well. Despite this, I really appreciated the helping hand of the wind on my back at last. Stranraer was reached very quickly. Thanks to Terry Simpson (Lifeboat Ops Manager and local baker), Sean and Dylan (ILB crew)  for turning out to welcome me and stuffing my bags with more KitKats and a Mars bar. These supplies were, apparently essential fuel supplements for the notorious Glen App, Carrock Hill and Ballantrae climbs on the road ahead to Girvan. They (and the southerly tail wind) certainly helped.  An hour ahead of schedule at Girvan = nobody yet at the LB Station.  Just a lonely but lovely old Mersey Class Lifeboat moored in the harbour. Actually, not so lonely.  There were many lovely old working boats of all shapes & sizes in the busy harbour.  Roddie, ex Cox’n and Ian (DLA) were soon in attendance. Much good banter and tales of fascinating local Lifeboat shouts over hot mugs of tea and more KitKats was most welcome. A Scottish Lifeboat crew room is clearly not complete without a stock of KitKats. Thank you gentlemen. It was time to take advantage of the early hour and notch up a few extra miles before finding a bed for the night. Just a few miles later, continuing North on the Ayrshire coast road, the smell of bacon enticed me to pull in to the Balkenna Tea Rooms. At that very moment a very brief sunny spell revealed the almost unreal mass of Ailsa Craig a few miles out to sea. Like a giant cup cake on the horizon. I don’t recall any other physical geographic feature making me feel hungry. One bacon roll and 5 miles further up the road, another serious attraction. A very smart place to stay. “Go on, spoil yourself, while you can” said a little voice in my head. So I Did.  No regrets.  The Support Your Local Lifeboat sign on the door helped tempt me in. Wildings at Maidens in South Ayrshire is well worth a visit. First class rooms and a five star restaurant at an affordable (once in a while) price. Thank you so much to the staff here who’ve already chipped in a generous donation via my VMG page directly to the RNLI.

 

Day 25  Weds 23 March:   Today’s challenge, in response to a message from Portpatrick LPO, was to cycle 54 miles before 2pm. If I could manage this, I’d be in time to meet the crew for this afternoon’s Lifeboat exercise! Not sure exactly what lay in store but I thought I might regret not going for it. So I went for it. After many miles of painful climbing, into wind, with the terrifying company of HGVs en route to Ireland via Stranraer on the unavoidable stretch of the A75, I made the schoolboy error of not keeping up a regular enough top up of food & water. Just 6 miles from Portpatrick,  as I started climbing the last few hills, I “hit the wall” ie, I completely ran out of steam. I searched the heavily laden Fondo’s bags & found the generously filled egg roll,  BabyBell cheeses and boiled sweets kindly provided by Catriona after breakfast in Kirkcudbright. Enough to get me over the last hurdle, but ten minutes late. Thankfully the Portpatrick Tamar ALB was still at its berth, engines burbling, as the crew boarded. I wasn’t really expecting a thrilling outing on the choppy waters, so when I was told that this was not possible today due to the nature and number of important crew assessments with the visiting RNLI inspector/assessor on board, I wasn’t too crushed.  It was still great to see and hear the boat casting off, leaving the calm of the safe harbour and hitting the swell of the Irish sea. Great to meet the crew properly in the old boat house after the exercise. Thanks Robert (Cox’n) for signing my chart and finding me a room in the Harbour House (who very kindly provided b&b at no cost), Alistair (mech) for a very informative tour of the beautiful Tamar Lifeboat and the six other crew in attendance: Billy, Andy, Lawrie, Andrew, Steve and John(Terminator)Connor. A great bunch. A close shave in the Harbour House Bar later, where I very nearly commissioned Tattoo Davy to create some permanent bicycle chain art work on my right calf muscle. I chickened out, realising this may just be the beer talking. But then again, maybe … a wee memento?

Day 24  Tues 22nd March: Apologies if I sound obsessed with food, but based on my first 36hrs up here, the Scots’ reputation for uninteresting food is totally unfair. I’ve already alluded to last night’s great choices of local fayre at The Nith.  Breakfast did not disappoint. A large bowl of porage (or porridge if you prefer) followed by the biggest ever plate of kippers increased my fully laden weight on the bike today. Maybe that’s why my average speed dropped. Or was it the extra 10 miles and the many hills? Sorry to repeat the reference to today’s kippers, but that’s just what they did to me all the way to Kippford. Repeat. Many thanks to Andy (DLA) at Kippford Lifeboat Station for signing my chart at the first of many Scottish Lifeboat Stations. A beautiful setting on the tranquil but often treacherous Urr Water estuary. Sad to hear that the likes of Amazon is killing off yet another local business. Who’d have thought that not even a harbourside boatyard/chandlers like Andy’s is safe?  Next, the Solway Coast trail to Kirkcudbright via some stunning vistas. Great time here in Kbt with perfect hosts. Can’t thank Rab Tomson enough. More to follow, with Days 23&24 photos, soon. Tired.  Big day tomorrow,  early start.

Day 23 Monday, 21 March: I’m on the road again! Train from Bristol early this morning, back to Carlisle before midday. Cycled across the border and had my lunch near Gretna Green in a WW2 Nissen hut outside the Devil’s Porridge Museum. As you do. The first 40 Scottish miles to The Nith at Glencaple were straightforward enough. Heading west along the Dumfries & Galloway coast, flat(ish), moderate headwind, great views of the Solway Firth, this time from a Scot’s perspective, with the English mountains of the Lake District providing the backdrop. All going very well, but having thought I’d escaped the stress of decision making, I had to choose between Solway Salmon fillet with prawns or Highland Chicken stuffed with Haggis, wrapped in bacon in a creamy whiskey sauce. Stress!

Spring is in the air! Just one more week before I return to Carlisle, where I will pick up the Coastal Cycle Ride at the precise point I stopped cycling before the winter, i.e. Carlisle Railway Station. All being well, I should be crossing the Scottish border on the morning of Tuesday 22 March. I’ll try to keep up a regular log, whenever I have internet access. Probably not every day!

I am Steve McAllister, recently retired.  I’m  cycling around the coast of the British Isles, i.e. England, all of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and every other island that hosts an RNLI Lifeboat Station. This is a personal challenge and an attempt to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

You can support my efforts by donating to the RNLI via my Virgin Money Giving page.

 

Cycling Days:

Autumn 2015 (done)

The North West Facing Coast of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

Day 1   Penlee to Perranporth, via Sennen Cove, St Ives and St Agnes

Day 2   Perranporth to Padstow, via Newquay

Day 3   Padstow to Clovelly, via Rock, Port Isaac and Bude

Day 4   Clovelly to Lynmouth, via Appledore and Ilfracombe

Day 5   Lynmouth to Weston Super Mare, via Minehead and Burnham on Sea

Day 6   Weston Super Mare to Bristol, via Portishead

The South and West Wales Coast

Day 7    Bristol to Barry Dock, via Penarth

Day 8    Barry Dock to Llanelli, via Porthcawl, Mumbles & Port Eynon

Day 9    Llanelli to Angle, via Burry Port & Tenby

Day 10   Angle to St David’s, via Little & Broad Haven

Day 11   St David’s to New Quay, via Fishguard and Cardigan

Day 12   New Quay to Aberdovey, via Aberystwyth

Day 13   Aberdovey to Criccieth, via Barmouth

The North Wales Coast

Day 14   Criccieth to Porthdinllaen, via Pwllheli & Abersoch

Day 15   Porthdinllaen to Holyhead

Day 16   Holyhead to Beaumaris, via Trearddur Bay, Cemaes & Moelfre

Day 17   Beaumaris to Flint, via Conwy, Llandudno and Rhyl

The North West Coast of England

Day 18   Flint to Southport, via West Kirby, Hoylake, New Brighton and the Mersey Ferry

Day 19   Southport to Fleetwood, via Lytham St Anne’s and Blackpool

Day 20  Fleetwood to Barrow, via Morecambe

Day 21  Barrow to St Bees

Day 22   St Bees to Carlisle, via Workington and Silloth

 

Spring 2016 (planned):  

South West Scotland

Day 23 Carlisle to Kippford

Day 24 Kippford to Portpatrick, via Kirkcudbright

Day 25   Portpatrick to Girvan, via Stranraer

Day 26   Girvan to Largs, via Troon

Day 27 Largs to Dunoon, via Helensburgh

Day 28   Dunoon to Lochranza, via Tighnabruaich

Day 29   Lochranza to Campbeltown, via Arran (Lamlash)

Day 30   Campbeltown to port Ellen

Day 31   Port Ellen to Tarbert

Day 32   Tarbert to Oban

North West Scotland

Day 33   Oban to Tobermoray

Day 34   Tobermoray to Mallaig

Day 35   Mallaig to … tbc soon