Cycling Meditations: Larkhall to Thorntonhall via Quarter, Earnockmuir, Auldhouse & Jackton

Again, a pretty self-explanatory route passing through some quiet open country to the south of East Kilbride. I have already done 2 other posts on this blog starting from Larkhall via Stonehouse and Chapleton, and another one going via Strathaven, both ending up in Glasgow, but this one is a little different.

Although the Larkhall to Thortonhall route is a little shorter and a little less lovely than the Larkhall to Eaglesham route via Strathaven, it is nevertheless a fine route, that passes through a couple of quite interesting little neuks, and enjoys plenty of open vistas across the valley and further east towards Edinburgh. The roads are for the most part country lanes but there are a couple of hairy moments that you do have to watch out for.

The quiet back road up towards Thinacres Farm...

Quarter's aesthetically pleasing 'Booling Club'

The first of these neuks is the village of Quarter, that looks as if it has added a dormitory to its originally petite size. It is a fine little village with some fine bungalows, and a fine church that you pass as you head out and towards Limekilnburn. Quarter is the sort of place you pass through and people wave to you, the window-cleaners, the postman, the vicar, the old wifie coming back from the Spar with her messages, in spite of the fact that they've never seen you before and do not know you from Adam. Yet, i think this is the crux of it: it is because you are a stranger that they wave! Small places like this have generally managed to stave off modernity's un-ease, and topsy-turviness, so that hospitality has not become so institutionalised, and is still very much organic, just like it was in the old days. It is this 'hospitality' that, white van man and SUV woman aside, keeps me coming back to these old roads and old places. In the city, we are required to switch off our primal response and recognition systems (for if we didn't we would probably spontaneously combust) and replace them with secondary systems that have been cleverly tweaked by the market. In this way, we can walk through a busy street and not see anyone let alone wave to them and recognise their presence.This is a very imppiortatnt point that I have learned from cycling around the shires, and which again contradicts the market philosophy. That the most interesting people you will likely meet are not your 'friends' but are people you have never met before: the strangers bringing tidings from other lands. Let's face it, you've heard everything your freinds have got to say, maybe several times... but the words of strangers.... now that could be interesting.

Quarter's church.

Passing through Limekilnburn, (what a lovely name !), was a shock to the system in the same way passing through any village or hamlet is that has had its heart torn out by ratcheting a motorway through it. For me all roads that have a national speed 'limit' are motorways regardless of how many lanes they have. This one only has two, just a main road really, but the speed and the thunder of some of these trucks hurtling through was a real shock. Considering how close some of the homes were to this hurtling. Absolutely appalling architectural design and road-planning.

Thankfully though we are just crossing over it and not going along it. There is a short, maybe half a kilometre, stretch on the main road, but thankfully it is downhill and we're not on it for long. We take the turn at Viewfield Reservoir (marked on map) and head along until the left turn takes us up the very tranquil road towards Earnockmuir Farm.