Discover mile after mile of the world class cycling routes and biking trails that the region is famous for.
2024 is the tenth time in 15 years that the south of Scotland has held a stage start or finish of The Tour of Britain and the region was recognised as a UCI Bike Region, hosting events at the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.
With some of the best cycling routes and biking trails in the country, you can see why it attracts and plays host to the world’s elite cyclists and mountain bikers. But the area is also heaven for cyclists of every level and ability.
There's a whole variety of routes to choose from, with its quiet roads and stunning unspoilt scenery. The Scottish Borders has many waymarked long distance cycle routes and shorter routes from towns that can be explored. And the forests of the Scottish Borders provide some of the best mountain biking in the country.
From routes which are literally right on our doorstep at Tiny Home, to circular routes and trails throughout and across our region, there is something for everyone to enjoy on 2 wheels.
LOCAL CYCLING TRAILS – HAWICK
The starting point for the routes described in this leaflet is Upper Common Haugh car park, not far from the south end of the High Street, but on the opposite side of the River Teviot. Four colour coded, signed routes are both described and illustrated on the map attached - for the most part, the routes keep to minor roads and family groups and inexperienced cyclists should be quite happy using them. Two of the trails use short sections of the A6088 road, but don’t be deterred by the A classification as the road is usually fairly quiet.
Cavers and Stobs – 19m./30km
Vertish Hill Loop 7m/11.5km
Roberton – 14 m/22.5km
Denholm 14.5m/23km
DENHOLM CYCLE ROUTE
15 miles, moderate
This route heads east from Hawick with a couple of undulating miles as you leave the town. The route then follows the north bank of the River Teviot for some distance before making a steepish but fairly short climb away from the river.
Pass Hassendean Bank before a short climb to Denholm and then on to Whitriggs. Beyond this there is a fairly gradual climb before a rapid descent to Kirkton. Return to Hawick climbing up to Kaimend Farm before a steep winding descent. The last leg back to the town is an easy leg of the journey.
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DENHOLM AND LILLIESLEAF
26 miles, hard
This route takes you in a loop to the east of Jedburgh. The road climbs steeply out of the town to the summit on the north side of Dunion Hill.
You can see the Eildon Hills and further on the Minto Hills. Carry on to Denholm and after this the route travels through some rolling countryside towards Lilliesleaf. The road undulates but the trend is mostly downhill as you head towards Ancrum. You can visit Monteviot House and Garden or Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre for a break. Afterwards head towards Nisbet before returning back to Jedburgh following the Jed Water.
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HAWICK TOWN OF 1000 TRAILS – CYCLE ROUTES
Here are just some of the excellent cycling routes which feature on Hawick’s Town of a 1000 Trails website. Complete with downloadable maps and GPX files.
Denholm Loop Cycling Route - 21 miles
Earlside through Denholm Loop Cycling Route - 21 miles
Earlside Loop Cycling Route - 16 miles
Lilliesleaf through Ancrum and Minto - 29 miles
Jedburgh Loop through Bonchester - 47 miles
Newcastleton through Bonchester Bridge - 47 miles
Kirkton Hilly Cycling Loop Route - 46 miles
KIRKPATRICK C2C
This 250-mile coast to coast route travels through the south of scotland from Stranraer on the west coast to Eyemouth on the east coast. This is also the birthplace of the bicycle, where a humble blacksmith crafted the very first pedal-driven velocipede. Landscapes full of inspiration meet modern-day adventurers on the Kirkpatrick C2C. 250 miles await keen cyclists. Tackle the route at your own pace, exploring the local sights and tales or challenge yourself to long and intense days in the saddle.The route is ideally broken down into 4 or 8 stages, depending on your preference.
C2C Explorer stage 5
21 miles, moderate
The fifth stage of the Kirkpatrick C2C stretches from the village of Newcastleton to the town of Hawick. Cyclists will face a climb to the highest point of the route out of Newcastleton, before reaching the bike paths around Hawick.
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C2C Explorer stage 6
23.5 miles, hard
The sixth stage of the Kirkpatrick C2C takes you from the largest town in the Scottish Borders, Hawick, to the market town of Melrose. This stretch of the route offers a few climbs between Hawick and Selkirk before joining mostly flat roads towards Melrose.
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4 ABBEYS CYCLING ROUTE
56 miles - Hard
The 4 Abbeys is a circular route linking the four main abbeys in the Borders at Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh.
The route follows mainly quiet roads, although short stretches on ‘A‘ roads are unavoidable, a scenic route that takes in many historic interest points in the region either on the route or close by. The route is moderate with a couple of steep but fairly short hills. It is normally tackled in a clockwise direction, but can be done either way.
You should allow at least 7 hours 45 minutes to complete it, excluding the time taken to enjoy the destinations along the way.
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BORDERLOOP
Total distance 190 miles, challenging
Towns along the route: Melrose, Duns, St Abbs, Eyemouth, Coldstream, Kelso, Hawick, Broughton, Innerleithen.
The Borderloop is a circular journey by bike along the quiet lanes that criss-cross this beautiful region, with several possible shortcuts offering alternative itineraries. You can break up your journey into stages to eat, stay and relax in the picturesque Borders towns and villages along the way. The route is moderate with a few steep sections and will take around 7 days to complete depending on your ability and how often you stop to admire the view.This route requires the relevant experience to undertake such a distance. Please allow at least 2 days to complete it.
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BORDERLOOP 4 HAWICK
80 miles – challenging
Head west from Hawick on the B711 through Roberton and on past Alemoor Reservoir and on to Tushielaw on the B709 and then north towards the Gordon Arms.
Then continue north along the ‘Paddy Slacks’ towards Traquair and Innerleithen. You may wish to follow the River Tweed direct to Galashiels or head north on the B709 to Heriot before returning south via Stow and to Langshaw towards Galashiels and on to Melrose avoiding the busy A7. Leave Melrose on the B6359 to the south via Bowden and Lilliesleaf before returning to Hawick.There are a number of typical passes between valleys on this loop, as well as some short sharp climbs between Melrose and Hawick.
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MOUNTAIN BIKING – 7STANES
Dalbeattie. Forest of Ae. Glentress. Glentrool. Innerleithen. Kirroughtree. Mabie. Newcastleton
The 7stanes are world-class mountain biking centres that span the south of Scotland. Their award-winning trails offer some of the best mountain biking in the country and attract riders from across the UK and beyond.
You don’t have to be an experienced mountain biker to enjoy these famous trails: there are a wide range of routes to suit beginners, families and experts. Plus, many of the centres also have skills areas for you to practise your technique.
Newcastleton 7stanes
Close to the Scotland England border, Newcastleton has trails for all levels of rider and offers a great introduction to the 7stanes. The routes at Newcastleton are generally shorter than most other 7stanes, but the high quality single-track makes it a winner.
The blue route is perfect for beginners or families. It offers a gentle introduction to mountain biking complete with stunning views, forest paths and some fun descents.
Feel the power of the fast and furious red route! Fast and narrow singletrack guides you through the forest and around this adrenaline pumping route.
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Glentress 7stanes, Peebles
Glentress is one of the famous 7stanes mountain bike trail centres with award-winning trails that attract riders from the UK and beyond.
Glentress is the 7stanes flagship trail centre offering a range of trails to suits everyone from beginners to pros. Glentress Peel Cafe offers top quality local produce and the bike shop offers friendly, expert advice on bike hire, sales and repairs.
You don’t have to be an experienced mountain biker to enjoy these famous trails: there are a wide range of routes to suit beginners, families and experts. Plus, there’s a skills area for you to practise your technique.
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