Day 15. East Ayrshire to Loch Lomond. 61 Miles.

777 Miles / 1250 km

Today the sun was shining. Yep, that’s right. The first morning in 15 days that the skies have been blue and the sun has been out!

I left Sorn (East Ayrshire) at 9.15 – Today was a struggle getting out of a warm comfy bed! I slept on and off, but didn’t move for almost 12 hours! My body definitely appreciated the rest! This morning I decided I needed to shuffle around a couple of my hostel nights. Yesterday has been laying heavy on me, and after checking… AGAIN the Ben Nevis weather, I see Friday might be my shot up the mountain, or failing that Saturday. So I cancel my first night in Inverness and take 3 nights in Fort William instead. For those who know me well, know how I stubborn I am, and I’m not gonna give up hiking up Nevis without a fight. Staying in Fort William for 3 nights will give me time to rest and then hopefully conquer the beast. I’m skeptical, but I’m hopeful!

Back to today. The ride from Ayr to Glasgow was okay, a little hilly in places but pretty manageable. I was on country roads followed by a nice cycle path along the M77. A thick coating of fog rolled in around 11 and lasted about an hour making me freeze, but apart from that it was a warm sunny clear day! Perfect riding weather. Today was a lot better than yesterday, my body had rested, my mind had rested and the weather definitely made me smile. I decided to cut right through Glasgow city centre instead of head to the west, as it cut 9 miles off my distance – however giving me more hills. I was ready for a sweat today and to get up some hills so it was all good! I was glad to be in and out of Glasgow as quick as I could be. The city was crazy busy – something I hate. I was ready to be back in the countryside the minute I got to the ‘Welcome to Glasgow’ sign! 30 minutes weaving my way through people, buses and cars I am at the ‘You are now leaving Glasgow – Thank you for driving carefully’ ahhhhh. Breathe.

The ride from Glasgow through Bearsden and Milngavie was easy and flat….. FLAT. FLAT. FLAT. TYRE. POP. So I had to put air in my back tyre a couple of times today already and I knew I was gonna have to change the inner tube at some point soon – I was hoping for this evening when I arrive at the hostel. Just so happened I was rolling up next to a mcdonalds… so BAM there was some lunch sorted. Chicken nuggets had never tasted sooo good, nore had a galaxy salted caramel mcflurry! Thanks for the calories Macca’s now on to fix the tyre! I push my bike a few 100 metres up the road to this little park, get the tyre off, change the inner tube, put it all back together, tighten up a few lose things on the bike, and then hit the road again. Happy to have digested my Macca’s and only wasted an hour in the process of changing my tyre! BAM!

Headed for Loch Lomond!! Soon after Milngavie the main roads turned to country roads, and again I was in the Mountains. I was surrounded by them and warm sunshine. Oh, I was pretty happy. The ride to Drymen was pretty flat and smooth. I stopped in the Drymen to pick up dinner as it was the last store/civilization before I really hit the Loch Lomond road! I had been in the National Park for about an hour, but I was about to hit the part with no cell service and no stores. 11 miles till the hostel… hills, hills and more hills. BUT I was biking alongside the beautiful shoreline of Loch Lomond! And what perfect time with the sun starting to go down. The water was still and beautiful and the mountains looked perfect. After stopping to snap a few photos I carry on to get to the hostel before dark, the road seems to go on forever. I hit the hostel just as the last bit of light is in the sky, perfect timing, perfect day. Not even a puncture can get me down J

Ready for a good sleep, and a longish ride tomorrow heading up to Glencoe and then Fort WILLIAM!!!!

Less than 300 miles to go….. !!!!