Edinburgh to Dublin - Scenic and Slow!

I made it! I'm in Dublin, just about to tuck into some Irish beef chilli con carne, drinking a Guinness, and listening to some fab live music.

This morning I decided to take a bit of time to explore Drogheda before heading off. Check out was 11, but I packed everything on the bike ready to go when I got back - this also meant that if I wasn't back for 11 everything was out the room, and I wouldn't be charged for an extra night! I took a walk along the main Street and popped into St Peters church. A gorgeous building built as a Catholic church in the 19th century, unusually inside the town walls as the penal laws at the time decreed that all catholic churches must be outside the town walls. The church is the home of the head of St Oliver Plunkett - archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland who was hung drawn and quartered by the Protestant English state for practising and converting people to Catholicism. The head is on display, but I didn't take a picture as I wasn't sure if it would be deemed offensive to the few people who were there. The building itself is beautiful though, with gorgeous stained glass windows in each trancept and carvings throughout. I'm not at all religious, but I do find churches to be very peaceful places.

After leaving St Peters, I walked back along the street hoping that Highlanes would be open, an art gallery within part of what used to be a franciscan monastery. Unfortunately it was closed, and didn't open until 10.30. A little further along the street though I came across St Laurence's gate - a Barbican gate surviving from around the 13th century. Amazing to think it has been standing for over 700 years! I headed back along the street to a tourist office which was in another historic building - the Tholsel, which was where all business and commerce would have taken place a few centuries ago. They advised me to visit the Millmount before leaving, I still had an hour and it was fairly close, so I decided to check it out.

I found it without too much trouble and went in, the cost was just a few euros, but I hadn't yet been to a cash machine, and they didn't take cards! It's ok, I could have a look round the museum while the weather was a bit showery, then go to the petrol station round the corner and then see the tower. Noel who worked there was great, and pretty much gave me a personal tour of parts of the exhibit and the tower itself. They have some of the oldest guild banners in Ireland, and tons of photos and artefacts from over the years. Ranging from an impressive telephone and exchange collection, to toy prams, to a coracle or currach - a woven, then hide covered paddle boat used widely in Ireland and parts of Scotland for fishing. Once I'd had a look round I set off to a find that cash machine.

Maybe it's just me, but I have found that Irish people seem to be quite bad at giving directions! 'Just go up round there and turn this way and you'll see it no problem' had left me confused on a few occasions on this trip! I found the petrol station eventually only to find there was no machine, cash back was available so I bought a sandwich and juice for later, and then discovered that my prepay euro card wouldn't allow cashback d'oh. Next nearest cash machine directions again a bit vague....finally found one and made it back to the Millmount.

Dues paid, I got to see the tower. The Millmount itself was originally actually a Norman motte, basically a watchtower, which was built further up into a fort, dismantled, built up again dismantled and built up... it had been much damaged in various skirmishes, but has now been restored to its pre civil war glory, and provides fabulous views across the city. Needless to say I spent far longer there than I had planned. I headed back to the hostel, and finally set off just before one. I wasn't worried though, I figured I had a pretty easy days cycling ahead, and lots of time before I needed to be at the hostel - which I hadn't actually booked yet! I hadn't checked the exact mileage for the day either, but I figured between 40 and 50 miles depending on which route I took, on fairly flat roads for the most part. I had been given a few options by the helpful guys on the forum, and just needed to decide what to do.

To begin with I set off towards Balbriggan, planning to follow the coast down to Skerries, and then cut across towards Old Town and down into Dublin from there. The main piece of advice seemed a to be at all costs avoid the road to Swords. Once out of Drogheda as expected the road was fairly flat, and before I knew it, I was speeding through Balbriggan and once again following the coast down towards Skerries. There are a couple of viewing platforms along this road and I stopped at one to admire the view, and also to phone the hostel I had booked for the following night to ask for a room tonight as well. Job done, I took another look at the map and realised there was a turn off towards Ardgillan Castle just a little before Skerries. Given I had not stopped much to admire anything other than the scenery I thought maybe this would be a good place to stop and eat the sandwich from earlier. I could head west towards Old Town from there.

Plan made I set off again, I hadn't considered that turning inland would mean a climb, but of course it did! I managed it fairly well though and was soon turning in the gates of the castle. After a minute or two following a little lane a fantastic vista opened out before me - sweeping green lawns with the narrow lane curving through it to head down to the castle itself, a grand old building set looking out to sea. I stopped at a bench and ate my lunch enjoying the sunshine. The showers had cleared as I left the hostel, and I had another fab day of weather - and if there was a bit of a headwind at points, for the most part I was glad of the breeze. I debated with myself about going down the road to the castle and having a proper look around, but in the end decided that I was content to have admired it from a distance.

I turned further inland, and soon found myself on undulating country lanes, more climbing than descent at this point, but rewarded with stunning views opening out between the trees, the farming country here is mostly crops rather than grazing land, although there is a little of that too. I soon found myself passing the restaurant bar Man o War, which is where I turned towards Old Town. The road descended again and I got a fabulous downhill for a bit, before it flattened out. The roads I was on were proper country lanes, at one point I crossed the busy road to Swords, which had been on the first route I created and soon discarded on the forum. I was very glad I had asked for advice!

Heading through Ballybroughal on the way to Old Town I passed a sculpted stone Celtic cross which had been erected to commemorate one of the uprisings, and soon after this the road was lined with big country houses, all sitting in their own grounds with beautifully manicured lawns and well kept gardens. It was extremely pretty.

I rolled into Old Town just before 4, and was going to carry on through, but there was a lovely looking old pub with benches right there. It was too inviting and I stopped for a drink. The barman Eugene was lovely, there were just 3 older men in the bar and they were all interested to hear about my trip. I took my lemonade outside after chatting a bit as it seemed very dark in there after the brilliant sunshine outside. I was surprised and touched when Eugene brought me out a notepad and pencil torch from Old Town as a gift.

Feeling much refreshed I set off again, and after pausing to check the route a couple of times soon found myself back on much busier roads. I was coming into Dublin on R135, busy, but with a bus lane I was using, it was also very wide and at first I was afraid I had strayed onto a main road that I wasn't supposed to be on, but I saw a cyclist struggling up the downhill I was enjoying on the other side, and soon after I was back in a cycle lane, and speeding down into Dublin city. I had made it. My phone directed me to one of the main thoroughfares, when I was sure I had input the hostel address, and then promptly died. I still had the tablet though, and soon found the hostel and my bed for the night.

After some time to freshen up and allow the phone to charge I was just thinking about heading out when 2 girls appeared, they were from Canada - but small world - one of them had been living in Edinburgh since last October, and the other was a friend visiting for a month. They had always wanted to visit Dublin together and decided to take the opportunity while she was here. After a bit of chat about the festivals and providing some tips I finally headed out to look for eats and found myself here at Buskers bar.

Hard to believe in less than another short 48 hours I will be back home.