Blanefield to New Cumnock

Today’s route took me to a cousin, seen by me for the first time in his care home in the north of Glasgow. Staff assured me that he had settled in well. Other residents did not have a microscope and telescope in their room. I did not ask whether others organised wine tastings for a group of their friends.

There was an excellent new-looking wide cycle path from Milngavie towards Possil with fast cyclists using it a testament to the surface quality. Roadworks with fenced-off roads made navigation difficult through central Glasgow. The strategy is to get to the River Clyde, where there is both cycling by the north bank or, faster, the Broomielaw for buses and bicycles. The Sustrans 756 route crosses the Clyde on a narrow bridge. The Kilmarnock Road A77 caters well for cyclists, particularly for a stretch of many miles with a dedicated tarmac path sometimes wide. Where the A77 itself is close to the motorway its traffic is light.

At Giffnock there was a lucky strike of live music at the Southside after my meal there. Liam Doyle was superb and Dumfries landlords will be tipped off that a coordinated effort might secure his first performances in the town, where he would be really appreciated.

This was for me Kilmarnock for first time and also new was much of A76 through Kirkconnel, Mauchline (with spoil heaps or what we used to call slag heaps in between) and Sanquar. The road is usually very busy with fast moving vehicles, whereas cycling it in late evening plus early morning (with wild camping in New Cumnock) would give the best chance of relatively light traffic.

Today’s route covered 50 miles with 2900 feet of ascent with 1700 active calories.