Day 8 - Glentrool to Swindon (cradle of civilisation)

May 16, 2022

Day 8 - Glentrool to Swindon

Monday 16/05/2022

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We both slept well despite realising that we had pitched our tents right next to the road where there was a huge amount of military traffic. Not watched the news for a week, have things escalated?

We made contact with my wife's cousin Kasia (who lives in Newton Stewart with her partner Marcin). They were kind enough to lay on coffee and a big breakfast for us. We could have chatted for longer (we didn't leave until almost 12.00), but we had to hit the road and get home as both of us are working tomorrow.

The short ride to Newton Stewart was enjoyable with fun twisty roads and nice views of the national park. Unfortunately by the time we left the rain was pretty heavy and persistent. Konrad guided us on another nice road through Galloway Forest but the rain meant that we couldn't make better progress and we ended-up skipping one final pass we had planned to ride.

The main road to Dumfries was really busy with lots of roadworks so we had to push in a lot to keep the progress up. We stopped again for fuel just before leaving Scotland and we finally put our waterproofs on (a bit too late). Before we knew it we were on the M6 and making good progress South stopping only for petrol and snacks. It finally stopped raining around Lancaster and the temperature rose so the last stint was much more comfortable.

We came off the motorway in Birmingham for fuel and because Konrad needed the toilet. I took the opportunity to adjust his chain again which had got very loose. On the positive side his oil leak has stopped (yes there is still oil in the bike). Konrad checked Google Maps which confirmed that the M5 was closed a little further down so we made the decision to divert and come home on the Fosse-way through Stow-on-the-Wold. This route was enjoyable in the good weather and we got home quickly, overtaking all the slow cars and lorries along the way.

We were home by 7.30pm and immediately started unpacking all of our dirty laundry and wet tents / gear. My wife made us some food and we talked about some of our experiences. It was a very intense trip. So much crammed-in that I will need to look at the photos / read my blog / look at the video footage to remind myself of everything that we have seen and done.

It's good to be back to the comfort of home, but people living in Scotland are so fortunate to have some much natural beauty on their doorsteps. Mull and Arran stand-out as being particularly stunning islands. We didn't see the Outer Hebrides at their best, but it's clear that they have a rugged climate and wouldn't be for everyone. The North West Coast of the NC500 route doesn't disappoint, but in poor weather it really wasn't the same and it was such a shame that the wind and rain took the shine off a bit.

I will certainly go back one day and do more of the same, but far more slowly. Konrad and I both saw this as a bit of a taster tour, just to get a feel for what there is to see. Thanks to Konrad for arranging it all. The route, the ferries - all a bit of a logistical challenge to get right, but it worked-out perfectly! Next trip will be to France or Spain I reckon - where the weather is likely to be better!