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Sanquhar, Abington, Coulter, Peebles, Innerleithen, Stow, Lauder, Kelso, Duns, Dunbar, Scottish Borders
(5 day bike-pack)
Sun 16 - Thu 20 Feb 2014

Sun 16 Feb 2014

Sun 16 Feb 2014

Mon 17 Feb 2014

Tue 18 Feb 2014

Wed 19 Feb 2014

Thu 20 Feb 2014

After a very wet ride across the Scottish Borders last month I’ve decided to give it another try with a modified route. I bought my rail tickets last week and tried to get a cycler reservation for the 3 trains I need to use. The woman at the ticket office in Chorley said there were no reservations available for the Carlisle to Sanquhar or the Edinburgh to Preston services. This afternoon I cycled to Preston for the first leg of my journey.

Plaque in Preston Railway Station waiting room to the Free Buffett Association who supplied 3,250,000 soliers and sailors between 19 Aug 1915 to 11 Nov 1919

I told them at the ticket office that I’d already bought my tickets and where cycle reservations available for the two journeys I didn’t have them. They said yes and issued me with the reservations. The first leg from Preston to Carlisle was fine then I found the Sanquhar train waiting at platform 7, but it wasn’t yet open even though two men were sat inside. A few more people arrived and eventually the doors opened and we were let in. One annoying thing was the in-train announcement saying the train terminated at Dumfries & I thought I was on the wrong train.

Carlisle Railway Station

It turned out I was on the right train as it went to Glasgow. The auto announcement hadn’t been switched to the correct one. We set off on time and I reached Sanquhar on time. I was surprised how many people got off and on. Last month I was the only one to get off. It was dark with light drizzle as I set off to ride north for a short way to pick up the B740. The map shows a road bridge crossing of the river but there was only a foot cycle bridge. I turned right on to the B740 and started to climb steadily. After a couple of miles I came to a stone wall on the right and a gate. Through the gate was a reasonable place to camp and the wall prevented anyone on the road seeing me.

Sanquhar Railway Station in the drizzle