Cyclists.com

Stage 2 of 3 · Capital Trail← Stage 1Stage 3 →

Melrose to Peebles

58 km gravel route1,325 m climbing4 h 50 minGPX

Melrose, Scottish Borders, United Kingdom · Gravel

A mountainous 58 km gravel route from Melrose, Scottish Borders to Peebles through Gattonside, Darnick and Bridgend, with 1,325 m of climbing. There is a 32 km stretch without a café, shop or water (km 5–37). Mostly unpaved: 71% is mapped as gravel or unpaved, 24% as paved and 5% has no surface data.

Signed route The waymarked Capital Trail, traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 2 of 3 of the Capital Trail. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

Download GPXMap

At a glance

Best for
Short, climbing-heavy rides for fit, experienced riders
Distance
58 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
1,325 m
23 m per km
Riding time
4 h 50 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Hard
Bike
Gravel or mountain bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mostly unpaved
24% paved · 71% unpaved · 5% no data
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
2.3 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 3.8 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water
Longest gap 32 km
48 cafés and restaurants · 11 shops · 3 water points · 2 petrol stations · 6 public toilets · 6 bike shops
Best months
Jun to Sep
Melrose climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Melrose → Peebles

Map and elevation profile

Priorsford footbridge
Photo: Anthony O'Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
1,325 m
Distance
58 km
0200400600800m0 km204058 km646 m · highest, at 48.9 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Melrose
  2. Gattonsidekm 1
  3. Darnickkm 2
  4. Bridgendkm 4
  5. Bauchlin Cottageskm 6
  6. Lindeankm 13
  7. Lindean Smithykm 13
  8. Sunderland Hallkm 14
  9. Traquair Millkm 37
  10. Peebleskm 58

This 58 km point-to-point cycle route starts in Melrose and finishes in Peebles, climbing 1325 metres overall. It begins near peaks such as Quarry Hill at 0.4 km. Early on, the route passes through several small settlements including Gattonside, Darnick, and Pavilion up to around 7.6 km at Upper Faldonside. From km 4.3, riders encounter the first climb lasting 3.8 km with an average gradient of 3.8%, reaching 241 m. Later climbs vary between 1 km to 9.1 km in length and can reach gradients up to 15% with a top elevation of 647 m at around 48 km from the start.

Why ride this route?

  • Tops out at 647 m, 47.9 km in.
  • A 5.3 km descent dropping 348 m.

Highlights

  • Passes beneath peaks such as Stock Law and Stake Law
  • Longest climb 9.1 km with 468 m gain
  • Largest elevation 647 m at 47.9 km
  • Maximum gradient 15% at 45.9 km

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Darnick 2.1 km
  2. Pavilion 2.8 km
  3. Bridgend 3.5 km
  4. Tweedbank 4.3 km
  5. Bauchlin Cottages 5.9 km
  6. Upper Faldonside 7.6 km
  7. Lindean 13 km
  8. Lindean Hall 13.3 km
  9. Lindean Smithy 13.4 km
  10. Lindean Mill 13.9 km
  11. Sunderland Hall 14.3 km
  12. Traquair 37 km
  13. Traquair Mill 37.2 km
  14. Kirkhouse 38.4 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideTop on this ride
Unnamed climb4.3 km3.8 km · 144 m · 3.8 % · max 8.5 %241 m
Unnamed climb9 km1.5 km · 51 m · 3.5 % · max 5.7 %281 m
Unnamed climb13.6 km6.6 km · 336 m · 5.1 % · max 11.3 %444 m
Unnamed climb22 km2.9 km · 97 m · 3.4 % · max 11.6 %513 m
Unnamed climb26.8 km1 km · 41 m · 4.2 % · max 6.7 %513 m
Unnamed climb31.6 km1.1 km · 41 m · 3.8 % · max 5.6 %426 m
Unnamed climb38.8 km9.1 km · 468 m · 5.1 % · max 15 %647 m

High point 647 m at 47.9 km; low point 86 m. Passes beneath Quarry Hill, Cauldshiels Hill, White Law.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 2.3 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
41% path · 36% track · 14% minor road · 4% quiet street · 5% other roads and tracks
Main roads
2.3 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
3.8 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Surface
Mostly unpaved: 71% is mapped as gravel or unpaved, 24% as paved and 5% has no surface data.
Gradient
40% climbing · 32% descending · 29% flat
Steep sections
10.8 km over 5% · 4.9 km over 8% · 1.9 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 13.4% at 45.9 km
Longest descent
5.3 km from 51.2 km, dropping 348 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 32 km, from km 5 to 37. Along the route: 48 cafés and restaurants, 11 shops, 3 water points, 2 petrol stations, 6 public toilets and 6 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 0 kmToilets · 80 m off route
  2. 0 kmHardies Bikes · bike shop · 80 m off route
  3. 0.1 kmTwelve Triangles · bakery · on the route
  4. 0.2 kmCo-op Food · supermarket · 40 m off route
  5. 0.2 kmWater point · 140 m off route
  6. 0.2 kmWight Chiropractor Clinic · clinic · on the route
  7. 3.8 kmDS Dalgleish · petrol station · 220 m off route
  8. 5.2 kmOchiltree's · restaurant · on the route
  9. 5.2 kmToilets · on the route
  10. 36.9 kmDrinking water · on the route
  11. 56.6 kmThe Fat Batard · bakery · 120 m off route
  12. 56.6 kmKeyStore · convenience store · 220 m off route
  13. 56.6 kmTop Up Tap · drinking water · 60 m off route
  14. 56.6 kmToilets · 100 m off route
  15. 56.6 kmBspoke Cycles · bike shop · 270 m off route
  16. 56.6 kmrightmedicine Pharmacy · pharmacy · 170 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 3.1 km — Tweedbank (station), 380 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 0 km — Mercat Cross (monument)
  • 5.1 km — Home of Sir Walter Scott (attraction)
  • 20.1 km — Three Brethren (peak)
  • 24.9 km — Brown Knowe (peak, 523 m)
  • 41.2 km — Glen House (castle)
  • 47.8 km — Birkscairn Hill (peak, 661 m)

Stay after this ride

  • Tontine Hotel · hotel · 100 m from the finish
  • Park Hotel · hotel · 270 m from the finish
  • Dilkusha House · guest house · 270 m from the finish
  • Green Tree Hotel · hotel · 280 m from the finish
  • Neidpath Inn · hotel · 350 m from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Melrose. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Food and coffee
Twelve Triangles (60 m), Jack's (130 m), Apples For Jam (30 m)
Shops
Co-op Food (190 m)

At the finish

Food and coffee
The Fat Batard (120 m), Costa (200 m), The Milkman (170 m)

Know before you go

  • 31.7 km longest stretch without café, shop or water from 5.2 to 36.9 km
  • 2.3 km on main roads without cycle lanes
  • 3.8 km on roads with 80 km/h or more speed limit
  • 71% of route on gravel or unpaved surfaces

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Victuallers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Anthony O'Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Jim Barton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Stage of

About this route

Route line
Traced from the waymarked route’s relation in OpenStreetMap.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months
Ten years of ERA5 weather for Melrose (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

See something wrong with this ride?

Less climbing