Our meeting point this afternoon is the Scottish market town of Dumfries, just 30 mins drive north of the border, or a short hop on the train from Carlisle. From Dumfries, we transfer to our first night’s accommodation in Stranraer. For those arriving by car, you will be able to leave your vehicle at Dumfries station for the duration of the trip.

We aim to leave Dumfries at around 15.30 today, for the transfer to Stranraer, which takes about 1 hour 30 mins to 2 hours. We will spend the night in Stranraer, where there will be the opportunity to meet your fellow Skedaddlers over a meal and a drink, and your guides will have a chat with everyone about what to expect over the next few days.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 670 Metres Approx.

After breakfast we are transferred to the Mull of Galloway. Often referred to as ‘Scotland’s Land’s End‘, this wild, cliff-lined headland is the most southerly point in Scotland. After unloading the bikes, and a chance to wander around the impressive Mull of Galloway Lighthouse and RSPB reserve, we are immediately treated to breath-taking views. On a clear day, you can see the Isle of Man to the south, the Lake District to the east, and Ireland to the west – all from the same spot! Look out for guillemots, kittiwakes and even the occasional puffin, as we head north along a single-track road with views over Luce Bay and the Solway Firth.

It’s a lumpy ride from the off this morning, as we take the back roads between the western and the eastern sides of the peninsula. We stop for coffee on the serene Port Logan Bay Beach, before riding along a flat off-road track which weaves through the grounds of Logan House and its botanic garden. We’ll continue to catch glimpses of the coast on both sides of us, as we pedal along the undulating deserted roads through this rolling landscape. We’ll drop into the charming coastal town of Portpatrick for lunch, where pastel-coloured houses surround a sheltered harbour. We leave the coast this afternoon to continue north through the rolling countryside before arriving back in Stranraer for our second night on the shores of Loch Ryan.

If your legs aren’t too tired from the day’s ride and you get the chance to walk around the town this evening, it’s worth wandering down to the pier, to check out the striking ‘Velocipede’ sculpture, which pays homage to Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a local blacksmith credited with developing one of the earliest pedal-driven bicycles, the Velocipede, back in 1839!

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 465 Metres Approx.

Although it’s the longest day today, it’s also the least hilly. Within a few lochside pedal strokes of setting off, we’ll be away from the town and heading along quiet country lanes. The terrain is a little gentler going this morning, as we pass lochs and cross open farmland. We ride under the majestic Glenluce Viaduct, before heading south towards the coast, and the opposite side of Luce Bay to where we rode yesterday. Our first treat is the sheltered bay of Stairhaven, where we’ll stop for a bite to eat and to admire the view.

After a short climb, we reach the gorgeous Auchenmalg Bay with its expanse of stunning sandy beach. We then make our way inland, following narrow lanes cutting across the Machars peninsula, which lead us to Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town. From here, it’s a fairly flat ride across the floodplain as we skirt Wigtown Bay, and look northwards over the Galloway Hills, before a scenic cycle path takes us along the River Cree to our hotel on the outskirts of Newton Stewart. If there’s still time after today’s ride, there will be an optional visit to Galloway Distillery for a tour and a wee dram of local whisky, gin or vodka, before dining together at the hotel’s restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 645 Metres Approx.

After breakfast this morning, we leave Newton Stewart on cycle paths and quiet roads which take us up into Kirroughtree Forest – this Seven Stanes centre is a mountain biker’s paradise, but don’t worry, we’ll stick to the road rather than the technical trails! Out of the forest, we have a gentle ride following the National Cycle Network traffic-free path along the Portpatrick old railway line, to the former ferry town of Creetown.

We climb gently along a pleasant glen before a narrow single-track road takes us deeper into the heart of Galloway through woodland and into open moorland, and the impressive Big Water of Fleet Viaduct comes into view. We ride under this amazing piece of transport architecture, which still marches proudly across the upper Fleet valley, even though the last train rolled across it over 60 years ago. From here, tarmac gives way to a wide gravel track, which we follow up and then down for 12km (7.5 miles), as we get wide open views over Loch Grannoch and the Galloway Hills to the north and west. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife along this remote section of trail – it’s not uncommon to see deer, ospreys, red squirrels and even wild goats, who roam freely around this rugged terrain.

We’ll stop for lunch when we reach tarmac again at the dam of Clatteringshaws Loch, a large freshwater reservoir which is a haven for waterbirds in the summer months. There’s a short stretch along the side of the loch before a final descent takes us into St John’s Town of Dalry, where we’ll have our evening meal at a traditional Scottish inn before settling in for the night.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 555 Metres Approx.

There’s a diverse mix of landscapes and terrain today, as we pedal our way along undulating roads through managed forests, agricultural land and expansive moorland from Dalry. We set off along the River Ken valley towards the village of New Galloway, before a long, gradual climb takes us up into the hills. We’ll get a real sense of wilderness this morning, as we are more likely to pass deer than cars on the potholed single-track road which skirts Blackcraig Hill past woodland and windfarms.

We weave our way along a series of undulating back roads through the small villages of Corsock, Merkland and Kirkpatrick Durham down to the Old Bridge of Urr and under the A75 into the 18th century market town of Castle Douglas, where we’ll stay for our penultimate evening in Galloway.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 430 or 655 Metres Approx.

After four days of riding eastwards across this beautiful county, today we start to head west again towards our destination of Kirkcudbright on the coast. We start our ride on rural lanes through agricultural land, where potholes, gravel patches and lumps of grass are more of an issue than traffic. We take the scenic National Cycle Network route through Airieland before we peel off towards Dundrennan. Pedalling along countryside lanes, we skirt past the Dundrennan military testing range, before a picturesque coastal road takes us to our picnic spot for today.

Shortly after lunch, we reach the ‘Artist’s Town’ of Kirkcudbright which is our final destination, and there will be the option for anyone who wants to finish their ride for the day here. However, if time and weather permit, we recommend continuing the ride beyond Kirkcudbright to do an additional 24 km (15 mile) loop. For those of us opting to do the additional loop, we ride out of the town along a scenic road parallel to Kirkcudbright Bay. A short climb takes us up to Borgue, with stunning views over the Solway Firth, the Isle of Whithorn, and back over to where our ride started on the Mull of Galloway peninsula. We then drop down to a secluded beach on Brighouse Bay, before heading back to Kirkcudbright.

There will be a chance to wander around this bustling town with quirky shops, cafes, restaurants and an array of historic churches and keeps to explore before our final dinner together where we can celebrate and reminisce on the week’s ride before going our separate ways tomorrow.

• Meals: Breakfast

Following our final breakfast this morning, there will be a 45 minute transfer back to the station and our cars in Dumfries. After saying your goodbyes, you are free to depart. We suggest not booking any trains before 11.00 to allow for any delays.