EuroVelo 12 from Edinburgh
The EuroVelo 12 from Edinburgh runs from Edinburgh to Inverness over 7 stages: 521 km and 3,107 m of climbing in the UK. Every stage has a map, elevation profile, road facts and a GPX file.
Route at a glance
- Distance
- 521 km
- Climbing
- 3,107 m
- Stages
- 7
- Countries
- 1
- Average stage
- 74 km
- Longest stage
- 105 km
- Most climbing
- 833 m
- Riding time
- ~37 h
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Bike
- Road bike with sturdy tyres, or gravel bike
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- GPX
- Every stage + whole tour
- Start
- Edinburgh
- Finish
- Inverness
Full route map
Itinerary: 7 stages
Average 74 km and 444 m a stage. Longest day: stage 1 (105 km). Most climbing: stage 1 (833 m). Shortest: stage 2 (58.8 km).
| Stage | Route | Country | Distance | Climbing | Surface | Difficulty | Time | GPX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh to St Andrews | UK | 105 km | 833 m | Mostly paved | Hard | 7 h 30 min | GPX |
| 2 | St Andrews to Arbroath | UK | 58.8 km | 46 m | Mixed surface | Moderate | 4 h 12 min | GPX |
| 3 | Arbroath to Stonehaven | UK | 70.1 km | 452 m | Mostly paved | Moderate | 5 h | GPX |
| 4 | Stonehaven to Newmachar | UK | 63.4 km | 492 m | Mostly paved | Moderate | 4 h 32 min | GPX |
| 5 | Newmachar to Turriff | UK | 60.3 km | 373 m | Mostly paved | Moderate | 4 h 18 min | GPX |
| 6 | Turriff to Elgin | UK | 81.2 km | 446 m | Mostly paved | Moderate | 5 h 48 min | GPX |
| 7 | Elgin to Inverness | UK | 82.1 km | 465 m | Paved | Moderate | 5 h 52 min | GPX |
How difficult is this tour?
521 km and 3,107 m of climbing over 7 stages: 74 km and 444 m a stage on average.
The longest day is stage 1, Edinburgh to St Andrews (105 km); the most climbing is on stage 1, Edinburgh to St Andrews (833 m); the shortest is stage 2, St Andrews to Arbroath (58.8 km).
At 74 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 60–100 km.
Riders can go faster or slower than the documented itinerary: the same 521 km is 9 riding days at 60 km a day, 7 riding days at 80 km a day and 6 riding days at 100 km a day.
Surface and traffic
Predominantly paved: 90% is mapped as paved, 9% as unpaved or gravel.
94 km (18%) is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane; 51 km (10%) is on main roads without one, and 138 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more.
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 26 km, on stage 7.
Signed routes this tour follows
- EuroVelo 12 from Edinburgh - stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Best time to ride
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, Jun to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.
Logistics
- 6 of 7 stage finishes have a hotel, guesthouse or campsite mapped within a short ride of the finish.
- The longest stretch without a café, shop or water on any stage is 26 km, on stage 7.
What it was actually like to ride
About this tour
EuroVelo 12 from Edinburgh runs through seven stages across Great Britain, covering a total of 521 km with 3107 m of climbing. Starting in Edinburgh, it heads north towards Inverness, passing through a variety of towns and landscapes.
The tour begins from Edinburgh to St Andrews, a longer day of 105 km with 833 m of climbing. This stage includes several ascents, with the highest point at 285 m and climbs ranging from 2.5 km to 4.7 km featuring gradients up to 7.7%.
Stage 2 to Arbroath is shorter, 58.8 km with only 46 m of climbing, making it the flattest day. Following that is a 70.1 km ride to Stonehaven with 452 m of elevation gain, including multiple climbs of up to 9.2% gradient. Stage 4 runs 63.4 km to Newmachar with 492 m climbing, featuring two notable ascents early in the route.
Stages 5, 6, and 7 cover distances between 60.3 km and 82.1 km, with moderate climbing. These stages include some short climbs and reach altitudes up to 179 m to 176 m respectively. The route passes through numerous towns with plentiful water and food stops, the maximum number being 40 on the first stage.
The route is measured by GPS but has no recorded temperature or particular month mentioned. Water or food stops are frequent on all days, with the lowest count at 8 on stage 5 and up to 40 on stage 1. The tour does not cross borders, remaining entirely in Great Britain.
Photos from the road
Stage 1 · Edinburgh to St Andrews 
Stage 2 · St Andrews to Arbroath 
Stage 3 · Arbroath to Stonehaven 
Stage 4 · Stonehaven to Newmachar 
Stage 5 · Newmachar to Turriff 
Stage 6 · Turriff to Elgin 
Stage 7 · Elgin to Inverness
Questions riders ask
How far is Edinburgh to Inverness by bike?
521 km along this route, in 7 stages averaging 74 km.
How long does it take to cycle from Edinburgh to Inverness?
Moving time is estimated at about 37 hours. At 60 km a day it is 9 days, 80 km a day it is 7 days and 100 km a day it is 6 days.
How much climbing is involved?
3,107 m in total. The most climbing in a day is 833 m on stage 1, Edinburgh to St Andrews.
How difficult is the route?
At 74 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 60–100 km. The longest day is 105 km.
Is it suitable for a road bike?
90% of the route is mapped as paved and 9% as gravel or unpaved (1% has no surface data). Based on that: road bike with sturdy tyres, or gravel bike.
Is there a GPX file?
Yes. Every stage has its own GPX download, and the whole tour is available as one GPX file with a track per stage.
Does the route follow EuroVelo?
In part: EuroVelo 12 from Edinburgh on stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
What is the best time of year?
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, Jun to Sep are good for riding along the whole route.