Hello, Scotland!

Friday, June 16, 2017

Armathwaite (England) to Moffat (Scotland)

60 miles, 2,182 feet of climbing

It was a cool and partly sunny start to the day, but we were able to warm up quickly on a couple of short but steep climbs in the first few miles of the route.  The remainder of the route was fairly flat or rolling, and, with the tailwind, we were able to cruise along at a good clip.  At mile 25, after crossing the River Sark, we crossed the border into Scotland.  As a pleasant surprise, our tour leader placed a "Welcome to Scotland, Bicycle Adventure Club" sign at the otherwise unmarked crossing.

Todays route had just about everything - we rode through small towns, farms, on bike paths (both paved and unpaved), and even on the highway.  Unfortunately, today's weather also included everything - sun, clouds, and even rain - but it was light rain and only for the last 20 miles or so.  We arrived in Moffat just after 2:30 p.m.  After we cleaned up, we took a stroll around town Moffat, which is a busy tourist town with many shops and restaurants.  We found a nice Italian restaurant within walking distance of our hotel and went for an early dinner.  Tomorrow is a rest day for us in Moffat.  We have many options for activities, so we will have to see what strikes our Scottish fancy when we wake up.  

Elevation profile of today's ride

Ready for the day's ride

 

"Arthuret Drive"

Scotland!

Here comes the rain

A well-earned dessert to share - tiramisu!

After dinner, we took a walk through an old cemetery. The stories told on the headstones were very interesting, often telling the story of the entire family.