Day 11, August 22, 2007

The journey is nearing its end, and we covered another 300 km today. We traveled from Luss via Glasgow – Greenock – Largs – Ardrossan – Ayr – Cumnock – Kirkconnel and Dumfries to Kirkton.

Anyone traveling from Glasgow to Greenock on the west coast, like us, should head towards Airport/Eskire Bridge in Glasgow, as the signage from the north is terrible; they don't seem to like the west coast here. If you enter Glasgow from the south, however, you'll be bombarded with signs for Greenock – simply fantastic.

Glasgow is a huge city with heavy traffic, which also stops on the A79 towards Ayr. Turning onto the A70 towards Cumnock offers a quieter experience. We weren't particularly impressed with the scenery along this stretch of the west coast; perhaps we'd simply become spoiled.

The rest of the journey offered more beautiful roads, and during a short break before New Cumnock, we discovered that the front left indicator lens of the Diversion was only half-used due to stone chips or something similar. Well, finding a Yamaha dealer in this area would take too much time, so we continued on the A76 towards New Cumnock. In this small town, we suddenly encountered a traffic jam caused by the road closure between New Cumnock and Kirkconnell due to an accident. A police officer explained a detour to every driver, including us, via a farm track. This track was quite something, as it was a single track with no passing places. Cars, caravans, and minibuses were all inching past each other, sometimes with millimeter precision... and we were right behind them on our bikes. The whole thing easily cost us half an hour.

We stopped in Kirkconnell for a fuel and food break, as it was high time to at least feed the bikes. In the tearoom, where we enjoyed cappuccinos and snacks, the service was perfect from ordering to "The bill, please," except for the final step – the payment itself. According to a small sign on the kitchen door, this had to be done in the kitchen. A nice change of pace; when and where do you ever pay in the kitchen of a bistro?

Arriving in Dumfries, we took a couple of short sightseeing trips, as the signage for Kirkton was very poor. Since Kirkton wasn't on our GPS, we didn't even know which direction to head in. We then searched for and found the Tourist Information Centre in Dumfries, where they advised us to take the A701 towards Glasgow/Edinburgh. This tip proved invaluable, as we later found the A701 and a sign for Kirkton.

As we put our helmets back on in front of the information office, we heard an older woman call out, "It's nice to see a female on a bike!" and gave her a thumbs-up. A little taken aback, we nodded in agreement. She wished us a safe journey and advised us to drive carefully. We nodded again, waved goodbye, and set off to find the A701 to Kirkton.

On this small, winding road lay our last villa—oh no, B&B—the Wallamhill House. Friends of the book, what a property! Gordon welcomed us very warmly, as he had all the others, and showed us to our accommodation. Stunning, beautifully furnished, very spacious, and for the first time, with a sherry to welcome us. Gordon and Margaret Hood certainly don't seem to be the sad kind.

Gordon explained where we could eat, got us a taxi, and immediately reserved a table for us. Freshly showered, we set off for the restaurant. And here came the next surprise! We certainly wouldn't have normally chosen a place like Casa Mia in Dumfries. Needless to say, the prices were commensurate with the attire. Despite everything, the restaurant was packed, and the service was exceptionally friendly. How do the proverbial Scots manage that?

When you see the cars there and then realize how many people visit all the attractions, some of which cost quite a bit, you no longer believe that the Scots are stingy. It would be like Nessie going on a spa treatment in Germany.😉

Back at the B&B and the usual procedure. The same procedure as last day? Yes, the same procedure as every day!