Our 4 and 5 day Cycle Breaks
Mid-length cycling tours taking you into the heart of southern Scotland.
Our 4 and 5 day tours all start in Castle Douglas. You have an early arrival option of a short cycle ride to Threave Castle or Threave Gardens before you spend your first night in a tried and tested quality B&B.
Four day tours start the next day with another 3 overnight stays.
Five day tours have 5 days cycling days with 5 overnight stays. Additional accommodation can be arranged after the last day’s cycling if required.
Prices - also include a welcome meeting to go over tour info, provision of maps and tour info and back up service are based on 2 people sharing a room in a good quality 3 star B&B.
Cycle hire is £10 per day with a small extra cost for longer distance tours.
Comments below from The Bafficos, New Jersey.
'Thanks again for a great, great tour. We LOVED it. All of it. It was the most beautiful, serene, interesting and pleasurable of vacations. Thanks in large part to your expert organization and personal care and attention. We appreciated it very much'.
Comments below from Mark and Sharon Holzrichter, Colorado,USA.
'Thank you again for the wonderful tour you set up for us. We have been recommending you to people and telling them about the beautiful area and how relaxing the experience was with all your detailed planning'.
4 Day Tours
The Urr and Fleet Valley Circuit - 4A
You’ll travel through two of Scotland’s finest National Scenic Areas on this tour with daily distances of moderate lengths (19, 29, 22 and 25 miles). Beginning with a journey through the Urr Valley you’ll cycle to a stretch of coastline known as The Scottish Riviera, where beautiful landscapes conspire with picture postcard villages to create a perfect holiday atmosphere. You’ll then follow a partly coastal route, passing Dundrennan Abbey on the way to Kirkcudbright Artists’ Town, a beautiful harbour town with fantastic restaurants serving tasty local food. Continuing the tour you’ll travel along The National Cycle Route, with a highly recommended detour to a coastal beauty spot. Gatehouse of Fleet, with imposing Cardoness Castle, a kilt making centre and good pubs and restaurants is your next overnight stop and on your final day you’ll travel over moorland, passing through a forest with a choice of two routes back to Castle Douglas. |
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The Stewartry Discovery Tour - 4B
This tour is for those who like to fill every part of their break with things to do and places to see! The Stewartry Discover Tour has daily routes of 26, 25, 26 and 24 miles and you’ll stay in a different town each night. Gatehouse of Fleet is your first destination before heading west. You will then embark upon a cycle through a Glen and past a peaceful nature reserve before passing the 7stanes mountain biking centre and the visitor centre at Kirroughtree. The Gateway to the Galloway Hills, Newton Stewart, is your next overnight stop. Your continuing journey will take you along the Queens Way through the Galloway Forest Park, passing the Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall, a wild goat park and a red deer range before arriving at your next stop – the smallest Royal Burgh in Scotland, New Galloway. On your final day of cycling you’ll follow the line of Loch Ken and the Galloway Red Kite Trail, with options to visit Threave Castle, Threave Gardens or Sulwath Brewery on your return to Castle Douglas. Contact us to obtain more information on this tour. |
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Drumlanrig Castle and Kirkpatrick Macmillan - 4C
This beautiful, quiet tour takes you on a journey through rolling farming landscapes towards the home of the pedal bicycle. Your route starts with a trip to see the famous Glenkiln Sculptures, and into the Cairn Valley with it’s easy to follow signposted cycling routes. Your first night stay is in Thornhill, making this a 30 mile route, and the gentle journey into the Nith Valley is well rewarded with two nights at an excellent guest house. With its cycle-friendly network of roads and fascinating attractions, the Nith Valley is perfect for exploring by bike. We suggest a 26 mile route, easily tailored to suit your interests. Dumlanrig Castle and the Scottish Cycle Museum is nearby, as is Keir Mill – the village where Kirkpatrick McMillan, inventor of the pedal bicycle, worked as a blacksmith. The National Byways Cycle Route is used in parts for your next route, a 29 mile trip to a charming hotel near New Galloway, and on the way the Striding Arches, a new hillside sculpture by Andy Goldsworthy and the Green Tea House are good places to visit. Finish off your trip by returning to Castle Douglas via Loch Ken. Contact us to obtain more information on this tour. |
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The Solway Sands Tour - 4D
This tour takes you through landscapes full of history and places that inspired people to achieve wondrous things. A popular countryside route takes you to the famous Glenkiln Sculptures at Glenkiln Reservoir. There are two options to Dumfries from here, and the longest gives a 26 miles day route via the Cairn Valley, downstream all the way to Dumfries. Nicknamed the Queen of the South, Dumfries is the region’s main town and was the home of Robert Burns for most of his life making this the perfect place to visit during Homecoming Scotland 2009. The next day you’ll explore both sides of the River Nith estuary. To one side is Caerlaverock Castle and Nature Reserve. To the other the Mabie Forest 7stanes mountain biking centre and your next overnight stop, New Abbey. This tiny village is dominated by the beautiful Sweetheart Abbey, a love story wrought in stone. Continuing along the coast you can visit the birthplace of John Paul Jones founder of the US Navy, a nature reserve and glorious stretch of sandy beach before arriving in Kippford. On the last day you’ll journey along both sides of the River Urr Valley, passing Dalbeattie mountain biking centre before returning to Castle Douglas. Contact us to obtain more information on this tour. |
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5 Day Tours
Rockliffe and Fleet Valley National Scenic Areas - 5A
Two National Scenic Areas are visited on this tour. Begin by following the Urr Valley to the coast to a National Trust for Scotland area known as The Scottish Riveira. Follow a partly coastal route passing Dundrennan Abbey to Kirkcudbright 'artists town'. Several good restaurants in Kirkcudbright.The National Cycle Route covers much of the next leg with a coast detour we recommend. Gatehouse of Fleet, with Cardoness Castle, has several attractions, good pub / restaurants and an ideal stop for 2 nights. For an extra day in the Fleet Valley NSA you can cycle, walk or swim at a nearby beach. The last day takes a moorland route passing through a forest with two options to get get two Castle Douglas. All reasonable daily cycling distances of, 19,29,22 and 25 miles. Contact us to obtain more information on this tour. |
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Newton Stewart and The Machars - 5B
The Machars area is a distinct peninsula to the west of our base in Castle Douglas. Begin by heading for Gatehouse of Fleet, a popular tourist town by a countryside route for your first night's B&B (26mls). Rise up a beautiful glen through the National Scenic Area to an upland Nature Reserve to arrive at Newton Stewart, the 'Gateway to the Galloway Hills' (25mls). You spend two nights here as the next day is a circular route south into the fairly flat Machars. You choose your distance - up to 51 mls, with Wigtown book town, Bladnoch whisky distillery and Isle of Whithorn some of the attractions. Follow the Queens Way through the Galloway Forest Park to the smallest Royal Burgh in Scotland, New Galloway (26mls) where your accommodation is a small hotel. Your last day follows the line of Loch Ken and the Galloway Kite Trail with options to visit Threave Castle, Threave Garden or Sulwath brewery after your slightly shorter distance last day (24 mls). |
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The Nith Valley Tour - 5C
Begin this tour by taking a quiet countryside route to the Glenkiln Scupltures and then down the Cairn Valley to Dumfries, the largest town in the area (26mls). Take a river and town circuit by cycle path before cycling north by the Nith Valley via Ellisland, former home of Robert Burns, celebrated poet. Continue through farming countryside for your first night's stay in an excellent guest house in Thornhill (2 nights) - 23 miles. Tomorow explore the Nith Valley with several attractions including Drumlanrig Castle and the Scottish Cycle Museum - we suggest a 26 miles route which can be more or less! The National Byways Cycle Route is used in some parts for the next day with again some dramatic upland scenery. Visit Moniaive, a pleasant hillside village, before following the National Byways Cycle Route to stay in a charming hotel in New Galloway area (29 mls). On the last day cycle back to Castle Douglas via Loch Ken and the Galloway Kite Trail. |
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Solway to the River Dee - 5D
Cycle via the Glenkiln Scuptures via the Cairn Valley and downstream to Dumfries (26 mls), the main town of the region with several Robert Burns attractions featured in Homecoming Scotland 2009. The next day explores both sides of the River Nith estuary, one side to Caerlaverock Castle and Nature Reserve and the other via Mabie 7 Stanes Mountainbiking Centre and on to stay the night in old fashioned New Abbey (26 mls). Tomorrow visit the birthplace visitor centre of John Paul Jones founder of the US Navy, a nature reserve and excellent beach to finish at Kippford with an excellent pub in a National Scenic Area (24 mls). Cycle both sides of the Urr estuary through several villages and coastal detour to Kirkcudbright artists town (29mls). Head back to Castle Douglas via the David Coulthard museum, the Cocoa Bean Chocolate Factory and Galloway Kite Trail feeding station (26 mls) or short route if desired (10 mls). |
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