Epic Big Country Ride, Galloway Scotland, 18th April

It's now almost exactly 2 months to go until the Beskidy Stage Race, so feeling the need to get some serious miles in, I planned an epic 70 mile adventure in Galloway, Southern Scotland where we holidaying with the family.

I couldn't believe my luck when the day I had chosen turned out to be perfect blue skies and sunshine.

It was probably the most stunningly beautiful ride I have ever done.  Fantastic barren mountains, brilliant blue lochs, stunning waterfalls and wide open glacial plains going on and on and on....

We were based at Rusko farmhouse which is tucked up the the valley,  nestling in the hills above Gatehouse of  Fleet.  From there, there are two of the 7 Stanes  Trail Centres in reach - Kiroughtree and Glentrool.  I decided to plan my ride so that I could take in and ride both trail centres and cover lots of open country on fire road in between.  The great thing was that there is a sustrans waymarked route (route 7) that takes you from Rusko through the hills to Glentrool.  From Glentrool, there is a link route linking Kiroughtree to Glentrool so navigation was easy and I didn't have to keep stopping to get the map out.  I did, however keep having to stop to get my camera out because the scenery was so stunning that I didn't want to forget it.