Today is the start of a tour around Dumfries and Galloway in Southern Scotland. The plan is to ride several of the 7 Stanes mountain bike trails as well as doing some sightseeing along the South coast.
We started at the forest of Ae. It was very sad to see that the local cafe and bike shop have been shut. Forestry Land Scotland (FLS) are really focused on commercial operations at the expense of recreational facilities these days.
It was fun revisiting the bike trails but it was clear that the trails are not really being maintained. That added to the fun for now but eventually it will make riding quite difficult as the trail washes away.
We are staying at Ae Forest tonight as part of the FLS stay the night scheme which is a great idea letting a small number of camping vans stay in selected forests.
Illya got to try his new cooking gadget – an Omnia “oven” – and managed to make a very yummy “toad in the hole“ served with a side salad. He is slightly concerned about the amount of gas it used but happy with the results! I doubt I’ll be on cooking duty much on this trip 😁.
Wee Van Tour 