2AB – Balcary Bay and Kirkcudbright artists’ town

Start – Any day of the week.
Distance – Both 20 mls (32 km) with longer options.
Grade – Easy/Moderate.
Comments – Stay in Castle Douglas and explore the area with these two interesting circular day tours. Suitable for your first cycling holiday break.
Price – £130 p.p.

Tour Features - Below we briefly list the interesting features you will find on each day of the cycling tour. Full information on where to find these features is provided in the Tour Information Pack - supplied on arrival at the welcome meeting.  Route maps and local info leaflets are included in the pack along with our suggestions on the best places to visit and also refreshment stops.
All the cycling routes have of course been selected to provide the best scenery each day between your overnight stops.

Pre-tour accommodation is in Castle Douglas.

Day 1 – Balcary Bay Circuit

Distance – 20 miles. Grade – Easy.
Terrain – downhill then fairly flat.
Summary – Cycle down a glen with an option for a hill walk. A pub and hotel option for lunch with again popular walks at Balcary Bay. Climb a tower on the way back with another village pub and craft shop option. Brewery tour on return to Castle Douglas!

Features

Carlingwark Loch – beside Castle Douglas.
Douglas Mausoleum – pagoda style burial chamber beside the route.
Kelton Kirk – typical Scottish kirk beside the road.
Mid Kelton – an example of new building in an old hamlet with nearby churchyard.
Gelston village – with nearby Gelston castle.
Screel Hill – popular hill walk.
Aucherncairn – an old smugglers haunt. See out info. for a nice circuit option.
Balcary Bay – a great 2 miles flat seaside cul de sac route with other attractions – see our info.
Orchardton Tower – a 15th century tower house – the only circular one in Scotland. Climb up!
Palnackie village – old harbour village with facilities and nearby attractions. See our tour info.
Threave Garden – one of Scotland’s finest gardens. Several places of interest which we advise about.
Threave Castle – ring the bell for the boatman to take you to the castle on the island.
Sulwath brewery – a small brewery and visitor centre – a good place to end the tour!
Castle Douglas ‘food town’ – with lots of attractive independent shops.

Day 2 – Kirkcudbright artists’ town.

Distance – 20 miles.    Grade – Easy.
Terrain – a gradual rise then downhill both ways.
Summary – A circular route with Kirkcudbright half-way. Ideal to spend an hour or two over lunch and look around.

Features:

Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park – a popular visitor attraction.
Kirkcudbright – Scotland’s artists’ town with castle, fishing port, art galleries and the Stewartry museum. An interesting place to stop and look around. We provide an info booklet.
Rhonehouse village – former home of Kelton Fair.
Threave Garden – one of Scotland’s finest gardens. Several places of interest which we advise about.
Threave Castle – ring the bell for the boatman to take you to the castle on the island.
Sulwath brewery – a small brewery and visitor centre – a good place to end the tour!
Carlingwark Loch – beside Castle Douglas.
Castle Douglas ‘food town’ – with lots of attractive independent shops.
Tour End