Day 2 Beattock Summit to Kirk o’ Shotts.

We’re in credit on miles from yesterday! We see some peculiar-looking beasts at the side of the road, looking like cattle but quite a bit smaller and with long woolly coats, a bit like some kind of un-natural union between a sheep and a cow. Probably a Galloway, but given the nearness to Roslin Experimental Agricultural Station, you never know.

Gradients are surprisingly gentle again, and the roads are good, so we soon make Lanark for lunch. Suddenly there is a sign saying Steep Hill, and they are not kidding. I make it anyway. Norman gets his shoe stuck on the pedal, and falls off. Nasty. I didn’t laugh. Well, not much. We push on after a lunch break, and pass through Shotts and HMP Shotts (could you tell the difference?). The road to Kirk o’ Shotts is closed for resurfacing, but we take it anyway, and are waved through by some tolerant road-menders. The logistics team come and pick us up. We meet up with a team of youngsters (age 16-20 ish) with Dad doing logistics. Depressingly, they seem to be doing it in half the time we are.