Day 5 - heading south

Staying in a B&B tonight in Langholm down in the borders. Nige has been before and its run by a guy with a bike who lets you stick your own bike in his garage - Border House.

But we've got to get there first so its through Glencoe and down to Tyndrum, stop for brekkie at the Green Welly then down past Loch Lomond and back over the Erskine Bridge. We trace our steps from the way up, but this time cut across east just after Sanquhar to go over the top through Wanlockhead. We pick up the 'old' road that runs parallel to the A74(M) and get to Moffat for tea time. Get talking to a couple of Irish lads as we park up who recommend the Balmoral Hotel - they weren't wrong and its some decent snap to see us through.

Minor roads to Lockerbie and across to Langholm. After awash & brush up its out for a pint or two and some more eats for Nige - Al is cheap to run and only requires feeding once a day or so.

Across the road from the B&B is the Buck Hotel - football on the tv, its a local boozer but just us in tonight so we only have the one pint and then off to find some more life, but we find the Douglas Hotel instead- which is ok and has food on. Couple more pints, watch more footy then back to the B&B and kip.

Up the next morning and A's gone by 09:00, Nige taking it more leisurely as he only has to get to Heysham.
Al plans to avoid the motorway as much as possible and follows the A7 to the M6 and soon get off at J42 to follow the old A6 all the way down through Penrith, but back onto the M6 at Shap, quick fuel stop at Tebay services and off at J36 to get home in Lincoln via Skipton, Halifax,M62, A1. Not and enjoyable route, but there you go.

So, another 1500 mile or so trip. A lot of wet weather, and the highlight being the stay in the lighthouse. We averaged about £20 each per night overall for rooms - 3 out of the five providing breakfast as part of the deal, with the B&B in Langholm being the most expensive at £30 each!!!(still not a bad price to be honest)

Plans afoot for next years trips - annual trip to Scotland, maybe one to Spain and maybe one to Norway later on, plus the Round Britain Rally again. Just got to wait the 12 weeks or so until the crappy weather finishes.