Cycling on the Merrick

A 1940s photograph shows a group of young men gathered round the cairn at the summit of the Merrick, south west Scotland's highest mountain. Nothing unusual there, except for the fact that they all have bicycles. It's an amazing record of the successful outcome of a challenge from a newspaper editor and a tribute to one of Ayrshire's cycling pioneers.

David E T Bell (1907-65) was born and educated in Dumfries, then he moved to Ayr where he worked as a gardener. Health and fitness were his passions and when he was introduced to cycling he saw it as a means to achieve both. But Davie Bell was much more than a sportsman. He was a keen local historian and an outdoor man with an eye for nature. He had a wonderfully descriptive writing style, which ensured that thousands followed his adventures as 'The Highwayman' in his weekly column in the Ayrshire Post.

One week the Post published a letter from a reader who had gone to the summit of Merrick on a pony. He closed his correspondence with the challenge, 'It only remains for someone to make the ascent on a bicycle.' The Highwayman rose to the bait and, with four friends, set off through the mist covered Minnoch Valley heading for Merrick. Riding and walking, sometimes using a sling to carry their bikes, they progressed slowly up the hill, some of them collapsing and gasping for breath, while Davie's pal, Harry Fairbairn kept up a constant monologue, 'Jings this is smashing. I never saw anything like this.' Eventually they reached the summit and took a photograph to record the feat. Then followed the descent of the sloping ridge of the Neive of the Spit to Ben Yellery 'one hectic mile of crashing and bumping that smashed my back mudguard.' From Ben Yellery they covered another 2,000ft (610m) at a slower pace to finally descend through granite boulders to Loch Trool.

Davie Bell continued with his passion for 'rough stuff' for the rest of his life, making journeys to remote bothies like Back Hill of Bush or hauling his bike to the summit of the rocky island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde. On each journey he took his readers with him, producing a weekly column for 30 years. When he died in 1965 subscriptions poured in from friends and admirers and a memorial cairn was erected at Rowantree Toll on the Straiton to Newton Stewart road.

What to look for

From the corner of Loch Enoch come back a little way to the south west, heading towards the summit of Buchan Hill and look for a large outcrop called the Grey Man of the Merrick. It's a well-known landmark in these hills and resembles the face of a man.

While you're there

Take a trip to Whithorn where Christianity first arrived in Scotland towards the end of the 4th century. This is where St Ninian founded his early church Candida Casa, the White House, from where the name Whithorn comes. Once a popular place of pilgrimage, and a thriving community until pilgrimages were banned under pain of death after the Reformation, it is once again receiving attention because of recent archaeological discoveries. You can visit the interpretation centre, the dig and the old priory.

Where to eat and drink

Well this is the Galloway Hills and a pretty remote area. Not only is a picnic a good idea but by the time you've conquered Merrick you will feel in need of sustenance. The other options include a visit to the Stroan Bridge tea room and The House O' Hill at Bargrennan.