Day 7 - Bonny Scotland

We were all ready to set off in reasonable time from Carlisle only for Rob to throw a spanner in the works and tell us that he needed to mend his rear 'tub'.  For those not in the know, that's a type of tubeless bike tyre that gets stuck to the wheel. He needed a high pressure bike pump to do this. As our luck with local locations seems to be this week, there was one located 200 yards down the road! We finally set off at 10:15am.
Alas the first signpost to Edinburgh gave it as 92 miles and not 73 as had been given on the internet. With the late start as well it was then unlikely we'd make it that day.
We made good progress early on and were soon cycling over the border. Sure enough, within 10 minutes of being in Scotland, the heavens opened and we got soaked!
I was apprehensive about the special 'scenic' route through Escdalemuir Martin had chosen for us and I was very close to not joining them and going up the main road. This would have been a big mistake. Some of the scenery was beautiful. Once again my lungs weren't up to some of the big climbs forcing me to take a time out, but some of the decents were fantistic fun and generally the road surface was superb.
As ever, the two fit blokes (physical, not the other meaning) left me at the back and we agreed to stop for a late lunch in the next village which turned out to have about 6 houses, a phone box, and a church. No pub/cafe at all and no sign of the lads. I then got a bizzare call from Martin saying they were in the next Buddhist Temple , but to make sure I chose the right one !!
This was the first Buddhist temple in the UK and has a coffee shop. We sat in there and warmed up and eat some food. Rob was in his veggie element, all chick peas and lentils! I suffered a chocolate pastry thing.
We left once we could all feel our toes.
After lunch was more hills and decents and stunning scenary. Then on to Peebles by which stage I was completely bushed, some of which was a 2.8 blood sugar.  Rob and I overuled Martin and we stayed at a smashing oldy worldy hotel where the average age of the residents was 87! Our bathroom was approximately 8 times the floor area of the Ibis 'pod' we had the previous night.
We went out for an upmarket curry which was even better than the one in Taunton. Martin and I finished off the night with the now standard night caps of Red wine and cider in the local inn !!!