Day 11 - Carlisle to Casphairn

The Pinegrove Hotel did us proud in producing a cooked breakfast at 7.15 prompt. Keith and I met Jane in the middle of Carlisle at 8 and had an incredibly cold hour's ride in the early morning mist up the A7 and then due west to Gretna.  Mist cleared and from then right to the B&B we had provisionally booked at Casphairn , it was as good an Autumn day in Scotland as you're likely to see.

Jane left us in Dumfries to get the train back to Carlisle and another week's work. Keith and I took the  relatively busy A75 due west to Crocketford and then over the hill to New Galloway. With my Galloway heritage I felt a little like these hefted hill sheep we passed all along the way. Wonderful nostalgic smells of dairy farms per Walbutt and Balgairn Farm brought it all back. A quite delightful late afternoon ride in the setting sun further up the valley to Casphairn and this little cottage B&B who also provided a good dinner of the sort that's appreciated after 77 miles. Basic but very functional .