GROUP AND GUIDED TOURS

GROUP TOURS

Arrival Day – Monday - Depending on arrival time, you have the option of a free short familiarisation cycle to Threave Castle. Early evening welcome meeting and provision of  tour itinerary information.

Day 1 – Tuesday -  Balcary Bay – 23 miles. A nice countryside circular tour to the coast passing Threave Garden and through Kelton and Gelston villages on the National Cycle Route. You then take a long downhill quiet country road through woodland and past Screel hill to the village of Auchencain on the coast. The village has a nice pub, The Smugglers Inn, but if too early for refreshment, you can continue your journey along a flat road along beside the coast for another 2 miles to Balcary Bay where the upmarket Balcary Bay Hotel is another option for a stop and refreshment. There is a nice walk around the bay from here if you wish. Return to Auchencairn by the same way, then continue on to take a different route to Historic Scotland’s Orchardton Tower - which you can climb up. Continue on to the quaint Palnackie village with its harbour, pub, craft centre before looping round to past the Doach wood and Carlingwark loch back to Castle Douglas.

Day 2 – Wednesday  -  The Laurieston Loop – 19 miles. Heading north towards Loch Ken and the Galloway Forest Park, you cross the River Dee before following the line of the loch, taking a look to Crossmichael village on the other side from the viewpoint at Balmaghie Kirk, a fine example of an old Scottish church. You soon arrive at the entrance to Ken Dee Marshes nature reserve where you can take a short cycle along the track to the walk to the bird hides. Continuing on the quiet road for a few miles you emerge near Woodhall loch and the entrance to Laurieston Hall. From here you pass a memorial to SR Crockett as you enter the quiet village of Laurieston with its pub The Laurie Arms near the crossroads. You soon arrive at the red kite bird of prey feeding station on the Galloway Kite Trail. It is well worth timing your arrival for around 2pm to see the spectacle of the birds swooping down for their food. Continue on to Glenlochar hamlet and depending how you feel you can take a shortcut back to Castle Douglas or continue on a quiet road to Bridge of Dee and Rhonehouse villages and past Threave Garden and the road to Threave Castle to take you past Carlingwark loch back into the town.

Day 3 – Thursday -  The Urr Valley Circuit – 16 miles - Cycle out of Castle Douglas into the countryside on an undulating route passing Clarebrand and Bridge of Urr villages to Kirkpatrick Durham village. You can have a refreshment here or take a detour to Springholm village to a popular pub/restaurant. Continuing gradually uphill you arrive at Hardgate village and then a circular tour around peaceful Haugh of Urr with another Laurie Arms pub. You have the option of two uphill routes back to Castle Douglas, one via Urr church and across a river ford (or by the adjacent foot bridge) on a quiet road and the other onto the National Cycle Route over two bridges and the River Urr and back across countryside with good views back to Castle Douglas. Extra miles can be added to this route to include the Solway Coast National Scenic Area.

Day 4 – Friday -  The Kirkcudbright Circuit – 20 miles – A great end to your cycling break, follow the National Cycle Route to the popular artists' town of Kirkcudbright with its art galleries, museum, castle and river trips. You can easily spend a few hours here. The Galloway Wildlife Conservation Centre is another attraction as you enter the town. Take another good route back to Castle Douglas via the Galloway Hydros Visitor Centre following the line of the River Dee later in the day.

Day 5 - Saturday  - Depart. Extra days cycling / nights can be arranged.

7 DAY GROUP TOURS

7 Day Group Tours - Arrive on a Saturday, 7 nights good quality guest house / hotel accommodation, depart on Saturday. 5 luggage moves included. Different accommodation each night except in Newton Stewart.(extra days / nights available).
To be flexible, daily mileages can vary from a minimum of 10 miles to just over 20 miles but can all be extended to least double with detours to suit those who would like to cycle further each or some days.

Dates for 2008 -  21st June;  26th July; 23rd August; 6th September. Cost - £575 p.p. (including cycle hire.)

Our 7 day Group Tour is

THE GLORIOUS GALLOWAY CYCLE TOUR

Arrival Day - Saturday - Depending on arrival time, you have the option of a free short familiarisation cycle to Threave Castle. Early evening welcome meeting and provision of  tour itinerary information.

Day 1 - Sunday - Castle Douglas to Kirkcudbright - 10 miles (plus detour options) - Easy
You begin by taking the National Cycle Route past Carlingwark loch then onto a peaceful road through two villages and rich faming countryside. You follow the line of the River Dee valley as far as Tongland village near Kirkcudbright. Here you can visit the Galloway Hydros Visitor Centre and have a look around the dam, fish ladder and 1930's style office. There are several detour options we can recommend at the tour welcome meeting if you would like more cycling around the area. Kirkcudbright sits beside the River Dee and has a small fishing harbour and yachting marina. It is themed as an artists' town, having several art galleries, a museum and historical sites including Maclellan's castle. River boat trips take you down the Dee estuary. We recommend an excellent restaurant. Guest house accommodation in Kirkcudbright.

Day 2 - Monday - Kirkcudbright to Gatehouse of Fleet - 14 miles (plus detour options) - Easy
Today's route takes you along the National Cycle Route and never far from the coast. There are several short distance cul de sac off shoot roads down to the coast, some which we particularly recommend.The village of Borgue has a hotel/restuarant but farther along you arrive at the popular award winning Cream o'Galloway ice cream farm and visitor centre. It is a must for a stop to sample the unusual flavoured ice cream. Your cycle route now takes you off road on a track through a wood for a couple of miles before emerging onto tarmac again at the front of the top hotel in the area, The Cally Hotel, with its private golf course nearby. Continue down the long drive and into Gatehouse of Fleet - your accommodation place for the night. Gatehouse is another nice 'wee toon'. Cardoness castle is nearby and worth alook over the Fleet estuary.There are several nice walks around the town and beside the River Fleet. There are again some excellent pub / restaurants in Gatehouse. 

Day 3 - Tuesday - Gatehouse of Fleet to Newton Stewart - 19 miles - Moderate
You now leave the coast and head for the Galloway Hills. Ascending up a glen, still on a cycle route - it is not too steep - you arrive at a beauty spot with Cairnsmore of Fleet Nature Reserve (which you can visit) and old viaduct in the distance. It is a peaceful route with great views - watch out for sheep meandering across the road. You go down the other side of the hill to the granite town of Creetown where you can visit a well appointed gem rock museum with refreshing tea room. Taking the cycle track along the old railway line you pass beside Kirroughtree mountain biking centre, regarded as one of the best in the world. You can take a detour on an easy trail here if you wish or just have a refreshment at the visitor centre. After a short steep hill - or a longer detour - you arrive in the market town of Newton Stewart beside the River Cree. Newton Stewart has several hotels and restaurants and even a small cinema. Guest house accommodation in Newton Stewart.

Day 4 - Wednesday - Circular Tour to Wigtown Book Town - 22 miles - Easy
Today's circular tour allows you to have a rest day or half day if you wish. The route is fairly flat on a quiet coastal lane. As you enter Wigtown be sure to visit the Martyr's Stake on the shore. Wigtown is Scotalnd's book town where you could browse through the book a shops all day if you wished. It is the former county town for Wigtownshire, the elegant county buildings now a site for a CCTV camera viewing room for a nearby oprey nest. A couple of miles away is Bladnoch whisky distillery and visitor centre beside the River Bladnoch. If you wished, you could go further into deepest Machars to visit Garlieston village on the coast where the Mulberry Harbour was made during the last war and Galloway House Gardens a nice detour. Your return route to Newton Stewart is inland through farming countryside. Accommodation in Newton Stewart again.

Day 5 - Thursday - Circular route to Glentrool - 31 miles - moderate/strenuous.
This beauty spot is ceratinly worth a visit if you are able to cycle the distance. It can be shortened to 25 miles if you cycle the same route along the riverside there and back. Glentrool is in the Galloway Hills and popular with walkers and tourists due to its breathtaking 'Scottish Highlands like' views over Loch Trool. A visitor centre and small hotel is nearby. If cycling the suggested longer route you cycle into the hills on a quiet road with no fences - beware of the sheep again - and pass beside another loch on the way, again with great views over the hills. The return journey is downstream and pictuesque beside the River Cree passing a nature reserve  on the way back to Newton Stewart. Same accommodation in Newton Stewart again.

Day 6 - Friday - Newton Stewart to St. John's Town of Dalry/ New Galloway - 20 miles - moderate.
Today you take the beautiful Queens Way through the Galloway Forest Park. Following the signposted National Byway Cycle Route takes you all the way to the picturesque hillside town of St. John's Town of Dalry or deviate to New Galloway, the smallest Royal Burgh in Scotland. The route begins by following the Penkiln Burn on a narrow road, then emerging below Cairnsmore of Fleet to join the Queens Way past Murray's monument and waterfall, wild goat park and red deer range before arriving at Clatteringshaws loch and visitor centre and tea room where you can see an informative display of forest wildlife. Depending on accommodation requirements and availability you either take a quiet road over a hill to the Garroch glen to Dalry or continue on to New Galloway,  Both these hillside towns have charm and offer you the chance to step back in time. You are also able to detour to visit both towns and another sleepy village at the end of today.

Day 7 - Saturday - Dalry/New Galloway to Castle Douglas - 26/22 miles - moderate.

From either overnight accommodation place, your last day follows the line of Loch Ken downstream to Castle Douglas.The road, folowing the Galloway Kite Trail, initially runs beside the loch and then passes the entrance to The Bennan viewpoint with unsurpassed views over the loch and hills beyond.You also pass the Raiders Road forest drive entrance to the Black Water of Dee. You can detour to both venues. Further on you can visit Ken Dee Marshes nature reserve or the red kite bird of prey feeding station.
Depending on your departure arrangements, accommodation can also be arranged tonight.

With Group Tours, a tour would run with a minimum of 2 participants.

As it cannot be guaranteed that other participants will initially book for a specific Group Tour, we suggest that those wishing to go on a group Tour inform us of a date by which you need to know if the tour will run.
Note :- We would not normally cancel a tour for any other reason than lackof numbers.

We can of course run the same tour as a self-guided tour, with a welcome meeting, using our tour information pack, and meeting you most days during our luggage transfer trips. Our B&B providers and any attractions attendants en route are also friendly and usually available for a chat.

Our Guided Tours cover around 25 miles a day and are led by a local leader with excellent knowledge of the area.

7 Day Guided Tours - Arrive on a Sunday, 7 nights good quality guest house / hotel accommodation, depart the following Sunday. Our tour leader guides you along minor roads and through countryside to picturesque villages and towns with many places of interest along the way.

Dates for 2008 -  15th June;  20th July; 17th August. Cost - £675 p.p. (including cycle hire.)

Our Guided Tours will have similar content in respect of scenery and the number of places of interest to the Glorious Galloway Cycle Group Tour but will largely be different. Depending on the tour participants ability, our tour guide will have the flexibilty to choose the best route. Accommodation will be booked in advance when sufficient tour numbers have been gained.

With Guided Tours we require a minimum of 6 participants.

Again, as it cannot be guaranteed that other participants will initially book for a specific Group Tour, we suggest that those wishing to go on a group Tour inform us of a date by which you need to know if the tour will run.
Note :- We would not normally cancel a tour for any other reason than lackof numbers.

We can of course run the same tour as a self-guided tour, with a welcome meeting, using our tour information pack, and meeting you most days during our luggage transfer trips. Our B&B providers and any attractions attendants en route are also friendly and usually available for a chat.

Please contact us for more information.