I'm doing a LEJoG this year

The weather today started out beautiful, but windy. I left the hotel before 9, and stopped after 80 minutes and about 17 miles for breakfast at The Wee Coffee Shop in Blairgowrie. It's small, but very nice.

Before my food came, an older gentleman came in and asked to sit with me. His name is Bill, he's 88 years old, and has been retired for over 30 years. We had a nice chat over breakfast, and when I went to the loo he cheekily paid for mine!

An hour later or so I saw a sign for Persie Distillery, so I pulled in. They only do gin and vodka, but were very nice and I sampled a couple of gins. I bought two small bottles, one of which will make it back to a friend in the US.

Carrying on, I really didn't find it hard all the way to the top of Cairnwell Pass, although I did stop to recover a couple of times. Sorry, I mean I stopped to take photos.

Around when I got to the top, it started sleeting and the wind picked up. I put on gloves for the first time on this trip and started the descent. The sleet got worse, but just around the next bend was Tea @ The Shee, which was open, so I stopped in to wait it out with the motorcyclists. And have a beer and crisps.

While I was there, another cyclist pulled in, also conveniently named Andy. He's also doing a LEJoG, but started the day in Edinburgh, so he's done a lot more miles than me today.

After the weather got marginally better, I dug out my down vest because I was chilled, and we descended together into Braemar. We're both staying at the hostel tonight, but reception was closed until 5, so we rode back to town (0.33 miles) and ate together at Farquharsons. We were lucky to get there just as dinner was starting, otherwise we would have been unlikely to get a table.

Sitting now in the nice, warm lounge at the hostel, and enjoying a Cairngorm STAG beer. Great day, despite the weather!

Well, a mostly successful rest day, if walking over seven miles counts as rest. We'll call it "active recovery."

I tried to go to a local bike shop that Google said was open, but the sign on the door said otherwise, so I walked to the fine establishment called Halfords. I've never been to one before. I bought a set of brake pads as I've been on the edge going down some hills with the lever touching the bar.

Then I tried to visit Innis & Gunn Brewery, which Google said was open but (there's a theme here) it wasn't. At least, all the gates were closed. It appears to be strictly a brewery, not a taproom.

I then went to a nearby M&S for some more on-bike snacks (Percy Pigs and shortbread.) Back at the hotel, I lubed my chain for the second time this trip, changed my rear pads, and adjusted the front.

Did some reading, then to Brewdog for pizza and a few pints. Ready for tomorrow, which is 50 miles, but I think it has the biggest climb of the trip approaching Braemar. I'll be keeping an eye out for the King.

Made it to Perth and my 325 year old hotel. I'll be taking a rest day here tomorrow.

I left my campsite about 9, and didn't stop until about 11:30 in Edinburgh where I had coffee, a sandwich, and a ginger flapjack. I took a lot of photos as I zig-zagged through Edinburgh. Then I continued north, crossed the Firth of Forth and joined a group of about ten cyclists for a mile.

The weather was great, with some drizzle at times that didn't really wet me, and quite a bit of sunshine. The headwind was pretty mild, and I was able to climb all the hills without stopping or walking.

Lots of the restaurants near my hotel are closed on a Sunday evening, so I'm eating at an Italian place.

Ok, today was, by far, the best cycling of the trip. From Langholm to Peebles, about 50 miles, the steep bits are very short, and the long climbs are not steep. Climbing at 6-8 MPH, seldom even needing my lowest gear, and long descents/false flats at 16-22 MPH.

The weather was perfect, the scenery was great (other than the clear-cut bits of forest), there were about as many cyclists as cars for most of it, and the distance was easy. Really a great day.

The Crown Hotel in Langholm was supposed to have breakfast from 8-9, but it was all dark downstairs and I couldn't find anyone, so I packed the bike and got on the road right at 9, my earliest start yet.

I aimed to stop at Eskdalemuir Community Hub & Old School Café, which was mentioned in the book. It's about 15 miles / 90 minutes into the ride. When I got there, it looked closed, but they were just having telecoms issues and were cash only. Luckily I had some. I got coffee, a sausage sandwich, and a delicious lemon shortbread bar. I recommend this stop if they're open.

After that, I rode straight to Peebles (except for an attempted pub stop that turned out to be a fancy restaurant). I got in a little after 2, and had a pint at The Bridge Inn.

Then I tried to go to the bike shop in town, Bspoke Cycles, but they were on holiday and closed for a couple of weeks. My rear shift cable has started fraying at the handlebar end, and one strand has been poking my fingers. I managed to buy one at Alpine Bikes Glentress, which is right by where I'm camping tonight. I'm just carrying it as a spare now; the shop lent me some diagonal cutters to cut off the poky strand.

I set up my tent, washed some clothes and put them in the convenient drying room, and am now enjoying a Tempest Brewing Long White Cloud with my massive venison burger at The Riders Retreat.

What a great day!

I've switched my next rest day from Peebles to Perth, which looks like it has a lot more going on.

Today was another fine weather day, just over 20 °C / 70 °F and sunny, but again that headwind was relentless.

I had a chat in the morning with some fellow camping cyclists doing a local tour, and heading south so they'll have a tailwind. Then I walked over a hill and pet some pigs and a friendly sheep.

I rode about 90 minutes then stopped at Kennedy's Chocolate Factory in Orton for coffee and some food. There were only a couple of savory options, so I had tomato soup, bread, and butter.

Then I pressed on to Brampton where I bought some sunglasses at the pharmacy. I lost mine yesterday after stopping for a photo at the top of a hill. I realized within a mile, but there was no way I was backtracking up a hill for them.

I saw a sign for Long Meg and Her Daughters, an old druid stone circle, and as it was only a half mile off route, I went over to it. That was a nice stop. Some locals warned me not to count the stones, which hadn't occurred to me until then.

I kept going to Langholm, and although I saw one sign saying I was near Hadrian's Wall, I never actually noticed it. This stage was hilly again, and I might have walked up a bit of one.

I had a nice dinner at The Douglas Hotel, chosen because it was crowded, unlike my cheaper hotel where I didn't see anyone eating. Then I had a pint back at my hotel, felt too full for another, and went to my room to write this.

I missed updating yesterday because I was camping for the first time on this trip, and although the campsite was lovely with real toilets and hot showers, there was nowhere to charge my devices so I was trying to conserve my batteries.

So, Thursday I thought would be a short day at just over 50 miles. I should have read the book more closely. As I was staying downhill from Mellor, I started my day with about 500 feet (150 m) of climbing in the first mile and a half. This was an omen.

Those hills in the Forest of Bowland are no joke. Not nearly as steep as the hills that tried to defeat me in Devon and Cornwall, but they just keep going up, with multiple false summits to tease you, then more climbing.

After High Bentham, it was still hilly, but really eased off with manageable gradients and rolling hills.

When I stopped for a tasting at the Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery, I wanted to do a flight, but their flights were three, six, or ten HALF PINTS! In the US, flights usually consist of five ounce pours. Anyhow, I did try three and they were all good, but this was about an hour after lunch and I ended up uncomfortably full.

Still, I pressed on and made it to the campsite before dark, set up camp, showered, then walked into town and had a pizza (which I was really too full to eat.) Then on my way back to the tent I saw a lovely place called The Thirsty Rambler and decided I had room for one more pint. Barely.

Oh, the weather was great, I could see it raining in the distance at times but never on me. It was partly cloudy overhead. However, I had a moderate headwind all day. I didn't even get my real reward for climbing the hills, as I had to pedal down some of them.

The wind battered the tent all night, but I put earplugs in and slept pretty well.