Known as ‘Scotland’s Queen of the south‘, the historic market town of Dumfries is your destination for the start of this holiday. Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns was inspired by the landscape and character of the region and walking around the centre of the town you’ll find a statue to the Scottish bard who lived in the area and wrote some of his most famous works here.

Easily accessible by road and rail, your accommodation is a short walk from Dumfries station. If you decide to arrive into Dumfries by car, you will be able to park for the duration of the trip, either at the hotel, or free on-street parking is available nearby. Your friendly Skedaddle guide will meet you at the accommodation in the evening and there will be a chance for a chat about the next few days riding over dinner in a local restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 860 Metres Approx.

After breakfast, a pleasant cycle path awaits just one kilometre from our B&B. Crossing the River Nith we quickly leave the hustle and bustle of Dumfries behind us. After around half an hour, we reach our first off-road section in Mabie Forest. Following a short, steep climb, the route settles into gravel tracks that lead past Lochaber Loch, home to an osprey hide, before offering our first distant views over the Solway Firth.

The gravel bike trails are mostly well-surfaced at first, though there’s a short, tricky singletrack section to negotiate before a long off-road descent to our coffee stop at New Abbey (also known as Sweetheart Abbey). The name comes from the legend of Dervorgilla of Galloway, who carried her husband’s mummified heart with her after his death. The devoted couple are still buried together at this picturesque and well-preserved site.

After a stint back along the road, we cruise through open countryside passing Loch Arthur and the hamlets of Beeswing and Corra, before cutting south on some lumpy gravel tracks to our lunch stop. Our afternoon is a little gentler going, as we descend to the coast and the scenic coastal village of Rockcliffe. A fun off-road section takes us up and down to the old fishermen’s cottages of Kippford, before a final foray into the mixed oak, beech and pine woodland of Dalbeattie Forest. Here we take the wide forest tracks which are criss-crossed with mountain bike tracks towards Dalbeattie, where we’ll stay for the night.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 565 Metres Approx.

After a long day in the saddle yesterday, we can afford to set off a little later as today’s ride is the shortest of the trip. We leave the granite-clad buildings of Dalbeattie on a series of winding single track roads interspersed with a few busier sections, which take us to a scenic spot at Carlingwark Loch in Castle Douglas.

Heading northwards, we cross the old bridge over the River Dee, and along forgotten farm roads with big sky views. Keep your eye out for red kites, as we pass the birds of prey centre at Lauriestone, before the landscape changes dramatically from farmland to dense woodland and remote moorland. We head off-road, riding up past ancient woodland and tranquil streams, which is soon followed by a fun zig-zagging descent that leads us to our hotel for the evening, in the quaint village of Gatehouse of Fleet.

Situated at the end of the Fleet Estuary, you should have time to wander around this lovely 18th century village, and perhaps take a walk down to the historic Cardoness Castle, or relax in your hotel before a group dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 775 Metres Approx.

Fuelled up on a hearty Scottish breakfast, we set off northwards up a quiet road along the river, with beautiful views over the Galloway Hills. Tarmac soon gives way to gravel and the impressive Big Water of Fleet Viaduct comes into view. We ride under this amazing piece of transport architecture, which still stretches proudly across the upper Fleet valley, even though the last train rolled across it over 60 years ago.

From here, we follow the track bed of the old Portpatrick Railway, passing Loch Skerrow and Stroan Loch. The landscape soon feels more remote as we turn onto Raiders Road, named for the cattle rustling and feuds the area was once known for. Today, it’s a peaceful, relaxing stretch, with wide gravel tracks that make it a gravel rider’s paradise.

We follow Raiders Road for 13km (9 miles) alongside the Black Water of Dee, passing the Otter Pools with their grassy banks and shallow waters. The route rolls gently before bringing us to our lunch stop near Clatteringshaws Loch.

A short stint along the road leads us to our final section of riding this afternoon which has a bit of everything, quiet cracked tarmac roads, chunky Galloway gravel tracks, and free-flowing singletrack sections, which take us down to our hotel on the outskirts of Newton Stewart.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 900 Metres Approx.

Good news! There is no need to pack your bags this morning, as we’ll be doing a loop ride from the hotel today. We have a gentle 10km (6 mile) warm-up following a stunning single-track road along the River Cree from the hotel, before rolling onto our first gravel section through Doon Forest, a diverse mix of wide forest tracks and rolling singletrack, which takes us up to the remote Loch Trool. We pass Bruce’s Stone, overlooking the site of the Battle of Glen Trool, where Robert the Bruce supposedly rolled boulders down onto his English enemies, after which we head eastwards and upwards, towards Loch Dee.

Riding further info the wilderness the longest climb of the day takes us up wide gravel roads, where our efforts are rewarded with spectacular views across the Galloway Hills. After a fun descent and having worked up an appetite, the Skedaddle van and a delicious picnic lunch will await us just beyond the end of Loch Dee.

The gravel riding fun continues after lunch, as we pedal our way along undulating fire roads and access tracks transitioning between open moorland and forest. This stretch of the route is a great opportunity to see local wildlife, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for deer, ospreys, red squirrels and even wild goats, who roam freely around this remote terrain! Following a final climb out of the forest, the tarmac ahead will be a welcome sight, as we roll the final few kilometres back down to Newton Stewart on the road. We’ll spend a second evening relaxing here, before moving on again tomorrow.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 955 Metres Approx.

A short section of quiet road this morning warms the legs and then we are soon onto some steep gravel tracks which wind their way up and down through Kirroughtree Forest, this 7Stanes centre is a mountain biker’s haven, but don’t worry, we’ll stick to the wider gravel bike trails through the forest, rather than the technical red and black trails.

Out of the forest, we have an easier ride to the former ferry town of Creetown, following the National Cycle Network traffic-free path along another old railway. After a quick coffee stop there is a long but fairly gradual climb up Cambret Hill with expansive views across Wigtown Bay, and over to the Mull of Galloway peninsula beyond. You can even see across to the Isle of Mann on a clear day. After descending on the road, we peel off onto a bumpy farm track. This soon narrows into a tricky stretch of singletrack that will put our bike-handling skills to the test, before a rewarding descent into Gatehouse of Fleet. We won’t be stopping here tonight though, as our journey continues south towards the stunning Galloway coast.

We ride through the grounds of Cally Palace, Dumfries’ answer to Downton Abbey, with its manicured lake and pristine lawns, then hug the dramatic coastline along Fleet Bay. Fabulous gravel tracks thread their way between gorse and low trees, leading us out to the sands of Carrick Bay, an idyllic picnic spot.

After lunch, while the gravel eases off, the roads remain quiet. We’ll appreciate the smooth surface as we lift our heads to take in the views across this gorgeous peninsula.

A final climb, followed by an off-road descent to the River Dee estuary, brings us to the “Artists’ Town” of Kirkcudbright, our final destination. There will be time to wander this bustling town, with its quirky shops, cafés, restaurants, and an array of historic churches and keeps to explore, before our final dinner together. It’s a chance to celebrate a week of Galloway gravel bike adventures and reminisce about the journey before we go 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 11.00am to allow for any delays.