Cycling in Duns
3 cycling routes from Duns, Scottish Borders, United Kingdom, 16 to 28 km, 69 km mapped in all, with up to 378 m of climbing in a day. Rolling riding (9 m of climbing per km on average), mostly road routes, 19% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane. Best months to ride: Jun to Sep.
At a glance
- Routes
- 3
- Lengths
- 16–28 km
- Biggest day
- 378 m
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Bike
- Road bike
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- Longest gap
- 26 km
- GPX
- Every route
Know before you go
Added up from the recorded routes and OpenStreetMap; nothing estimated.
- Surface
- Paved almost throughout.
- Roads
- 19% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane.
- High point
- 320 m on Duns Green Route.
- No services
- 26 km on Duns Yellow Route.
Cycling guide to Duns
Duns in the Scottish Borders provides three loop cycling routes: Blue Route (16.1 km, 92 m elevation), Green Route (25.7 km, 378 m elevation), and Yellow Route (27.5 km, 130 m elevation). Each route passes through small settlements such as Peelrig, Cairnbank, Langton Edge, and Swinton, returning to Duns. The Green Route includes the highest climb, reaching 320 m near Langton Edge, with gradients up to 6.6% over 3.1 km. The Blue and Yellow Routes have gentler gradients and lower high points, with maximum elevations of 156 m and 135 m respectively. Riders encounter mainly paved roads, with minimal gravel sections only on the Green Route. Most routes run on roads without dedicated cycle lanes, particularly the Green Route with 9.5 km on main roads without cycle lanes. Services are sparse, with the longest stretches lacking shops or cafés up to 26 km, and no railway stations near the routes.
More on terrain
Terrain
Terrain is predominantly rolling with elevation gains ranging from 92 m to 378 m. Gradients are generally mild, although the Green Route features a climb of 3.1 km averaging 3.4% with sections up to 6.6%. Highest point is 320 m on the Green Route, with others peaking below 160 m. Surfaces are almost entirely paved with very little gravel.