Day 9 Brodick to Glespin

Ardrossan

Horse and I emerged from the iron womb of the ferry and into drizzle at 9.30am, leaving only 7 hours of reasonable daylight. The plan was to head mainly in an easterly direction and join up with the NCN74 heading south along the B7076. There were more direct routes to the border, but I'd read bad things about those busy roads, and at least one end-to-ender had been killed on them. A wide pedestrian/cycleway shared the promenade into Saltcoats, where a road closure prevented me from joining the coastal path, so I had to head into the town on a B road. The

NCN73

diversion was poorly signed and it was a Saltcoats mystery tour until I saw the next blue NCN73 pointing into some parkland. The cycle route was surprisingly enjoyable, generally avoiding built-up areas and following rivers and farmland to Kilmarnock, where I took a B road to Hurlford and onto the old railway leading to Galston. From Glaston I was in a navigational black hole. In an effort to save weight I'd thrown away the atlas map of the Isle of Arran without checking the other side, which of course was the section I now needed. Judicious use of two posties saw me into Sorn, where I stopped at a cafe for a couple of slabs of gooey stuff and a pot of tea.

Along the River Irvine

Chris Hoy Cycleway to Galston

"Are you setting in?" the lady asked. For a minute I was flummoxed. Was this the Ayrshire way of asking if I was setting out i.e. on a journey. I was about to give a swift resume when I thought she might be enquiring about the weather i.e. was the rain setting in. But it hadn't started yet. She must have spotted the blank look on my face and rephrased her question. "Would you like to eat in here or outside?" Ah, my light came on. "I'll be setting in thanks."

Back road to Sorn

From Sorn I took the B743 east for about 10km along the River Ayr, before joining the A70 with some trepidation. This was one of the longest sections of 'proper' A roads on the trip, though only the first one since leaving Ardrossan. The traffic was fairly light, though I still had a scary truck that overtook while there was a car coming from the opposite direction. It was far too close for comfort. I was relived to reach Glespin and turn off the A road. There was a great wee camping spot by the river, under some large beech trees, but with a sewerage farm just upstream, and lots of foam on the surface of Douglas Water, I biked back into Glespin to fill up the waterbag at the first house.
I brewed up and made a stir-fry, read a few chapters of my book and turned in early.

Day stats 85km 586 Metres of ascent
Off road 29km 
A road 17km 
B road 32km  single lane 
Unclassified road 7km