Cycling in Sanquhar

Lowther Hills Sportif Route.  Including Scotland's Highest Tarmac. A Brutal Finish. The Last 5km is on a Private Road.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"> </span> <div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #535353; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; background-position: initial initial; margin: 8px;"> <div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #535353; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;"> Day 10 of my 2003 Land's End to John O'Groats cycle ride. </div> </div>

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><font size="3">I mostly planned today's route partly using Phil Horsley's LEJOG book but it was still a challenge to find a way through Irvine that I felt was both safe and fast. I calculated that I needed to leave Sanquhar no later than 8am to be sure of arriving in Ardrossan to meet up my wife so we could travel together on the 12:30pm ferry to Brodick. The hotel kindly provided a breakfast tray the previous evening for my early start. </font></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><font size="3">I left Sanquhar about 7.45am and made good progress apart from a short delay by some road works. It probably helped that it was a Sunday morning, the roads were quiet. After leaving the B730 in Drybridge, please take care when crossing the footbridge over the A78 on the end of Shewalton Road. Currently there's a small barking dog that runs out from a property just before the footbridge, fortunately I had been forewarned by another cyclist. Another warning, there is a big drop at the far side of the footbridge down onto the path. It's too great a drop to be cycled over especially on a road bike.</font></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><font size="3">On Arran the road from Brodick follows the Firth of Clyde as far as Sannox then a long climb over to Lochranza. Passing the distillery I couldn't resist buying some malt whiskey for the celebratiion at John O'Groats. </font></span> (cloned from route 628392)

Downhill most of the way with great scenary and lots of livestock