Beautiful hilltop roads intersperse this classic route
This route is one of our favourites due to the particularly beautiful scenery and the feeling that you are discovering something new, as the areas which we travel through are mostly untouched by tourism.
We start in the pretty seaside town of North Berwick, on the east coast and traverse the breadth of southern Scotland, more or less following the route of the Southern Upland Way (a famous walking route). This spine of hills serves as our guide as we travel through East Lothian, the Borders and eventually Dumfries and Galloway, home of Robert Burns (our national poet), finishing up in another pretty coastal town (this time on the west coast), Portpatrick. This is a relatively hilly route, but one which you won’t forget.
Plenty of stunning places to stop for a rest
Coast 2 Coast (C2C01) – Tough
Day 1 – Arrival in North Berwick
A chance to explore North Berwick and the local area. Pre-tour meeting at 2pm – introduction to route and any questions answered. If interested it is possible to go out on an easy warm-up ride in the afternoon.
Day 2 – North Berwick to Melrose
70 miles (112 km)
The first day on the bikes starts quite easily, travelling through the relatively flat farmland of East Lothian away from the coast and the majestic Bass Rock. The terrain becomes a bit more steep as we hit the Lammermuir Hills – a good introduction to the climbing to come.
The lovely gentle descent out of Eskdalemuir forest
Day 3 – Melrose to Moffat
75 miles (120 km)
A spectacular second day in the saddle as we hit the Border hills. Although this is physically the hardest day, the scenery here is fantastic and the roads are almost traffic-free, a cycling paradise. Watch out for stray sheep!
Day 4 – Moffat to St. John’s Town of Dalry
62 miles (99 km)
We leave the Borders behind us today and journey into the region of Dumfries and Galloway. This is the home of Robert Burns, our national poet and a very pretty and quite unexplored area. We pass the impressive and historic Drumlanrig Castle, which houses a replica of the very first bicycle – invented in a village nearby.
Day 5 – St. John’s Town of Dalry to Portpatrick
54 miles (87 km)
The last leg of the Coast 2 Coast part of the tour is a gentle way to finish this part of the holiday. The hills of the Southern Uplands fade away as we approach the Irish Sea and the secluded fishing village of Portpatrick. A beautiful place to cruise into.
The tour travels along some stunning forest roads
Day 6 – End of Tour
After a well earned rest, its time to head home. You will be picked up by the 2 Wheel Tours support car after breakfast and taken to Stranraer in order to continue your journey by train.
Upcoming Tours in 2011:
Sunday 7th August – Friday 12th August
We specialise in small group tours, and as such the size of group for each tour is limited to a maximum of 6 people. Places tend to get booked up quickly so don’t spend too long mulling it over!
This tour is priced at £750 per person (based on sharing a twin room – single supplement £150)
Included in the price:
- An experienced guide to lead the group.
- Vehicle support.
- Accommodation in characterful 3 or 4 star small, family-run hotels or B&B’s.
- Fully planned route.
- Local information.
- Luggage transfer.
- Bike Hire (subtract £50 if bringing your own bike)
If you are interested in joining us, please let us know by using the Booking Enquiries form on the right.
