Walking 1000 miles from Lands end to John O'Groats in aid of The Air Ambulance (starts april 7th 2024)

Thursday 28 August 2014

Day-24 following the Clyde

The first glance out the tent told me the weather had changed, no longer is the top of Tinto visible, this morning she is wearing a veil of clouds, moody and menacing!.. Tho no longer my problem!
Kit packed and away in quickly into Wiston and out again onto a rough farm track to the A73. A very quiet A road happily.
Through Roberton with a brief sit down in a bus shelter, carrying on past an old mound once occupied by a Roman Fortlet now occupied by trees and farm equipment.
A quick dodge east and over the Clyde then under a railway and I'm on what must have been the only road along the valley in the past, a tiny single track road, how things change!
By now rather dehydrated I go into Abington where I have a shop marked on the map, groceries bought and a hot chocolate from a machine being drunk as I sit outside on a picnic bench, along come two lejog cyclists a father and son team who are making up they're route as they go!
Nicely refreshed I head on to Crawford in bright sunshine once again the only person in this tiny road, a ruined castle is my first impression of Crawford followed by a ruined hotel and another shut for staff training, not my day for a good hot meal then! The high light of Crawford was a pet parrot who could imitate the sound of a bubble popping perfectly! 
Walking from Crawford the clouds gather and visibility diminishing with the onset of heavy rain i now have the company of the A74 (M) motorway to add to my displeasure! Not a pleasing companion! Especially for 8km!..head down and keep going time!.
Finally into woodland and the roar of the motorway recedes, along with the clouds, thankfully this gives the ground a chance to dry before I pitch the tent, I push an additional 7km further than planned, passing various signs saying 'no unauthorised access' I've become very adept at missing these signs in the last four weeks!. The extra push was so worth while, as with the sun still shining I reach 'the Devils beef tub' a great gouge out the land (pic) and for me the start of the Annandale way!..but that's for tomorrow.