Continuing on St Ninians Way

On the British Pilgrimage Trust website the path I have been following from Glasgow to Carlisle is called St Ninians Way.  Within that path is the Whithorn Way, from Paisley to Whithorn.  This part of the route is also the National cycle path 7, so a lot of this section is on quiet back roads. 

Accomodation reared it's head again after Newton Stewart, sometimes too exorbitant, sometimes non-existent. I ended up staying in the village of Creetown for three nights and commuting back and forth.

The war memorial at Creetown....

...and the clock tower.

The journey from Newton Stewart was on an old railway line,  running along the side of the hill, overlooking the valley.   The path took me through some delightful forest.  Interestingly, I was stopped at one point to provide directions to some English visitors who had become disoriented.   I fear that they had a much bigger walk than they were anticipating from the discussion. 

The hazy view across the valley.  Three days previously I was on the opposite side of the water. 

The cycle way to Creetown 

One of the mile markers that periodically appear on the way.

I stayed in the only accomodation available in Creetown at the very reasonable price of £35 a night, and the next day set off for the village of Gatehouse of Fleet, with just a day pack.  At my host, Panny's, suggestion I made a detour to see the viaduct that crosses the Big Water of Fleet.  According to Panny it was a 15 minute detour, which might have been possible if I were running - fast! It was 2 kilometres each week, following the old railway line in, and the road on the return journey back to my path.  I did enjoy seeing the viaduct,  but the low cloud / mist / fog / haze, or whatever it was meant that clear views were missing!

The views are not clear because of the haze, but they have a different kind of magic.

On the way to the viaduct.

The viaduct, 20 arches encased with red brick to add support in 1924 - 26.  This viaduct appeared in 2 films - the 1935 film The 39 Steps, and another in 1975, Five Red Herrings.  Like so many railway lines, this one closed with the 1965 Beeching cuts.

Another mile marker

Back on the path I had a long chat to a bloke from a large estate nearby who had come to feed the pheasants.   Apparently he had bred a couple of white ones, extremely rare, and there will be a bounty on them when the shooting season opens, which will be donated to cancer research.  I was very glad to accept a lift from him for the last few kilometres into the village of Gatehouse of Fleet after my long detour, being dropped at a cafe where I could warm up while waiting for the bus.

A welcome warm cafe.

Gatehouse of Fleet 

The first Gatehouse 

My destination  the next day was Kirkcudbright.   It took me days to get the pronunciation right Kur- coo-bree!.  For a long time there was a mutual misunderstanding of what village we were talking about, with no one understanding the name!  

I actually followed my own route on this day.  The set path wandered  the long way round, and so I took another more direct road, not missing much because, as it has been for around the last week or so, the haze was pretty bad, and this day there was just enough moisture in the air that it was necessary to wear a raincoat. 

The bridge into Kirkcudbright.

The bus got me back to Gatehouse of Fleet with enough time to have a coffee at the cafe before I had to catch the next bus back to Creetown. 

I was to carry my full pack the next day, but because the timing of buses was tricky I planned to go to my destination, Castle Douglas, leave my pack at the hotel, and walk back to Kirkcudbright, returning by the 3.40 bus.  As the morning bus delivered me in Castle Douglas, I had to work hard to not linger.  Yes, I had to stop and have some breakfast, but this village is such a delight, it was very tempting to just forget walking and explore instead.  However, I resisted the temptation and set off on a fairly easy day of walking. 

My abode in Castle Douglas 

I am assuming that this is a belted Galloway - the cattle from this region.

A building in the High Street in Castle Douglas. 

The library in Castle Douglas, with a poppy banner on display. 

Reaching the bus stop with 20 minutes to spare I waited patiently with the other would be passengers, including about 20 high school students.   As we waited, and waited, and as it got later and later the passengers dwindled, presumably with parents / grandparents collecting the students, and others just giving up.  I couldn't, and neither could another chap who lived in Dumfries.  Eventually, after the time for 2 buses had elapsed we decided to share a taxi back to Castle Douglas at £15, arriving close to 2 hours later than we expected, so it was a matter of dumping my day pack in my room and heading straight out for dinner.

The venue for dinner, just around the corner from my hotel, which only served  breakfast.