Great North Trail (John O' Groats)
The Great North Trail (John O' Groats) runs from Rosehall to John o' Groats over 3 stages: 223 km and 1,554 m of climbing in the UK. Every stage has a map, elevation profile, road facts and a GPX file.
Route at a glance
- Distance
- 223 km
- Climbing
- 1,554 m
- Stages
- 3
- Countries
- 1
- Average stage
- 74 km
- Longest stage
- 108.3 km
- Most climbing
- 751 m
- Riding time
- ~19 h
- Surface
- Mixed surface
- Bike
- Road bike with sturdy tyres, or gravel bike
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- GPX
- Every stage + whole tour
- Start
- Rosehall
- Finish
- John o' Groats
Full route map
Itinerary: 3 stages
Average 74 km and 518 m a stage. Longest day: stage 2 (108.3 km). Most climbing: stage 1 (751 m). Shortest: stage 3 (31.9 km).
| Stage | Route | Country | Distance | Climbing | Surface | Difficulty | Time | GPX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosehall to Altnaharra | UK | 82.7 km | 751 m | Mixed surface | Hard | 6 h 54 min | GPX |
| 2 | Altnaharra to Watten | UK | 108.3 km | 594 m | Mixed surface | Hard | 9 h 02 min | GPX |
| 3 | Watten to John o' Groats | UK | 31.9 km | 209 m | Paved | Easy | 2 h 39 min | GPX |
How difficult is this tour?
223 km and 1,554 m of climbing over 3 stages: 74 km and 518 m a stage on average.
The longest day is stage 2, Altnaharra to Watten (108.3 km); the most climbing is on stage 1, Rosehall to Altnaharra (751 m); the shortest is stage 3, Watten to John o' Groats (31.9 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 223 km is 4 riding days at 60 km a day, 3 riding days at 80 km a day and 3 riding days at 100 km a day.
Surface and traffic
Mixed surface: 80% is mapped as paved and 20% as gravel or unpaved.
0 km (0%) is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane; 100 km (45%) is on main roads without one, and 54 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more.
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 72 km, on stage 1.
Signed routes this tour follows
- Great North Trail (John O' Groats) - stages 1, 2, 3
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
- 3 of 3 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 72 km, on stage 1.
What it was actually like to ride
About this tour
The Great North Trail (John O' Groats) covers 223 km across three stages in northern Scotland, taking you from Rosehall through Altnaharra and Watten, and finishing at John o' Groats.
Stage 1 from Rosehall to Altnaharra spans 82.7 km with 751 m of climbing. This stage features four main climbs, including two climbs over 2 km long with gradients up to 10.2% and maximum heights reaching 409 m.
Stage 2, the longest at 108.3 km, runs from Altnaharra to Watten and involves 594 m of ascent. The terrain is more gently rolling with three climbs around 2 to 4.4 km in length and average gradients below 4%, topping out at 211 m.
The final stage runs 31.9 km from Watten to John o' Groats, climbing 209 m. It includes a single short climb of 2.3 km at a moderate gradient, rising to 82 m. Each stage has at least one water or food stop. The route lies entirely within Great Britain and does not specify months or temperatures for the ride.
Photos from the road
Stage 1 · Rosehall to Altnaharra 
Stage 2 · Altnaharra to Watten 
Stage 3 · Watten to John o' Groats
Questions riders ask
How far is Rosehall to John o' Groats by bike?
223 km along this route, in 3 stages averaging 74 km.
How long does it take to cycle from Rosehall to John o' Groats?
Moving time is estimated at about 19 hours. At 60 km a day it is 4 days, 80 km a day it is 3 days and 100 km a day it is 3 days.
How much climbing is involved?
1,554 m in total. The most climbing in a day is 751 m on stage 1, Rosehall to Altnaharra.
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 108.3 km.
Is it suitable for a road bike?
80% of the route is mapped as paved and 20% as gravel or unpaved. 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.
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.