Cycling in Edinburgh
5 cycling routes from Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 47 to 105 km, 423 km mapped in all, with up to 833 m of climbing in a day. Rolling riding (5 m of climbing per km on average), mostly road and gravel routes, 16% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane. Best months to ride: Jun to Sep.
At a glance
- Routes
- 5
- Lengths
- 47–105 km
- Biggest day
- 833 m
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Bike
- Road bike
- Difficulty
- Moderate to Hard
- Named climbs
- 1
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- Longest gap
- 16 km
- GPX
- Every route
- National Cycle Route 1: Edinburgh to Loch Leven47 km432 m ↑Moderate·One-way·From the mapGPX
- Great North Trail (Central Belt)83 km81 m ↑Moderate·One-way·From the mapGPX
- Edinburgh – North Berwick90 km261 m ↑Moderate·Loop·May 2022GPX
- Exploring Fife on Max’s MTB98 km683 m ↑Hard·Loop·May 2022GPX
- Edinburgh to St Andrews105 km833 m ↑Hard·One-way·From the mapGPX
Know before you go
Added up from the recorded routes and OpenStreetMap; nothing estimated.
- Surface
- Paved almost throughout — 25 km of gravel or unpaved road across the routes.
- Roads
- 16% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane · 164 km on cycle paths or lanes.
- Climbs
- 1 named climb.
- Bail-outs
- A railway station or ferry within reach on 5 routes.
Cycling guide to Edinburgh
Cyclists riding from Edinburgh can choose from several point-to-point routes. The Edinburgh to St Andrews route covers 105 km with 833 m of climbing, passing many towns such as South Queensferry and Kinross. It features 13.3 km on main roads without cycle lanes and 18.5 km on cycle paths. There are 11 railway stations near the route and a longest service-free stretch of 15.6 km.
Another option is the Great North Trail, 83.3 km long, with only 81 m climbing and predominantly on cycle paths (73.3 km). This route passes through many suburban and town areas including Craiglockhart, Linlithgow, Falkirk, and Kirkintilloch, with 22 nearby railway stations. The National Cycle Route 1 to Loch Leven is 47.2 km with moderate climbing (432 m) and mainly paved surfaces, featuring 19.6 km on cycle paths and 3.9 km on main roads lacking cycle lanes. It also has 11 nearby railway stations and long stretches without services of up to 15.9 km.
More on best time to ride, terrain
Best time to ride
May
Terrain
Routes vary from mostly flat to rolling terrain. The longest climb is 4.7 km with an average gradient of 2.7%, reaching 282 m elevation. Highest points on routes are around 286 m. Gradients generally moderate, maximum around 6.8%.