Allowed out ... day 3

Miles today: 209

Miles so far: 628

time of arrival: 18.15 yeah!!

u-turns: 3 - all in the last mile!!

ruins: 2

We are in Scotland! No border posts (yet) and no hassles! Not sure what tier of covid restrictions we are in but it seems we are allowed to stay in a hotel, as they haven’t refused us entry! We are somewhere north of Ayr in a Marstons Inn, another of the pub chains competing with Premier Inn for the business travellers and the money conscious families - and bikers of course! As it happens it will be the last one we stay in as the company have found a way to disallow you from offering the staff a gratuity while paying with a card! Really? Who carries cash at the moment. Apparently they are going to fix it but it is low down the priority list - basically the hard working staff, probably paid on minimum wage or close to, are their low priority. Ah well, there is always Premier Inn (which to be honest this feels like anyway)

Started the day with a spectacular walk round Masham’s Georgian market square, listening to bird song and enjoying the peace and quiet - it was only 6.30am, so not too many people about. Lovely little town and must return for a tour of the Black Sheep Brewery some day.

So on to today’s ride... probably the best day’s biking we have ever had, certainly in this country. Mile after mile on high level moorland roads, through the Yorkshire dales, up over the North Pennines through Alston (probably the best biker destination in the country) and then through the Galloway forest. With only one slightly sticky patch around Dumfries we have had a fabulous day in the saddle. And just look at the weather!

After setting off with full English in our bellies we stopped only 5 miles in at Jervaux Priory, just north of Masham. And for a while it looked like we would do our usual of getting to lunchtime without having actually gone anywhere. The Priory is a magical place - unlike most it is not really being preserved, but nature is being allowed to take its natural path. So all the walls are overgrown but with birdsong in the background and flowers, shrubs and trees sprouting from every crack it is a magical place. It rocketed to my favourite old ruin ever, even surpassing the fabulous Mount Gracie Priory about which I have waxed lyrically before.

But we did tear ourselves away and apart from a short coffee stop in Reeth headed non-stop to our next ruin - Lanercost Priory near Carlisle. It too was superb, although for some reason the delayed lunch consisted of no more than a piece of a cake and another coffee. Perhaps that is why I have just devoured a tripe decker burger followed by apple pie - but then Eric did too so it must have been justified. But we did get here to Stevensto, about 20 miles north of Ayr, just after 6pm! Result!

Tomorrow brings a different type of day. If all goes to plan we will drive more like 120 miles but catch no less than 4 ferries and arrive on Mull late in the day having gone via Bute and the Mull of Kintyre. Like I say... if all goes to plan! To give ourselves best chance we are off before 8am. Better get some sleep...

Apparently have no selfies today - think Rob took them but he hasn’t shared yet. So I’ll just have to close with the only occasion ever known we have actually parked our bikes in the space reserved for motorbikes. This was in Skipton yesterday and of course we found it by accident!