Stage 3 of 5 · National Byway (SW Scotland)← Stage 2 Stage 4 →

Moniaive to Newton Stewart

55 km road cycling route533 m climbing3 h 54 minGPX

Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom · Road

A hilly 55 km road cycling route from Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway to Newton Stewart through St John's Town of Dalry, with 533 m of climbing. Most of it (33.6 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane, 27.8 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more. The first 24 km has no café, shop or water.

Signed route The waymarked National Byway (SW Scotland) (regional route NB), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 3 of 5 of the National Byway (SW Scotland). Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for: Short, climbing-heavy rides for confident riders at ease in traffic
Distance: 54.7 km; Point to point
Elevation gain: 533 m; 10 m per km
Riding time: 3 h 54 min; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Moderate
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 99% paved · 1% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly main roads; 33.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 27.8 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water: Longest gap 24 km; 6 cafés and restaurants · 3 shops · 1 petrol station · 2 public toilets
Best months: Jun to Aug; Moniaive climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start → finish: Moniaive → Newton Stewart

Tower House, Moniaive — Photo: M J Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 533 m
Distance: 55 km

Route description

Moniaive
St John's Town of Dalrykm 24
Newton Stewartkm 55

Starting in Moniaive, the route heads to St John's Town of Dalry at 23.9 km, then continues on to Newton Stewart and Minnigaff. The first 4.6 km lead into a climb lasting 5.3 km with a gain of 161 m averaging 3% and max 4.9%, reaching 324 m at 9.9 km. There is a second climb beginning at 26.7 km lasting 5 km with a gain of 184 m averaging 3.7% with a maximum of 7.3%, topping out at 239 m near 31.7 km.

Why ride this route?

Tops out at 324 m, 9.9 km in.

Highlights

Climb to 324 m at 9.9 km
Climb with max 7.3% gradient near 31.7 km
Passes through St John's Town of Dalry at 23.9 km
Ends near Minnigaff archaeological site

Along the route

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

Places passed

St John's Town of Dalry 23.9 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
Climb	Starts at	On this ride	Top on this ride
Unnamed climb	4.6 km	5.3 km · 161 m · 3 % · max 4.9 %	324 m
Unnamed climb	26.7 km	5 km · 184 m · 3.7 % · max 7.3 %	239 m

High point 324 m at 9.9 km; low point 15 m. Passes beneath Barlaes Hill, Tods Hill, Blawquhairn Hill.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

This is not a cycle-track route: 61% is on main roads without a cycle lane, 27.8 km of it where the limit is 80 km/h or more. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.

Roads: 62% main road · 36% minor road · 1% track · 1% other roads and tracks
Main roads: 33.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads: 27.8 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Main roads used: A712 (17 km), B729 (9 km), B7000 (4 km)
Surface: Paved: 99% of the route is mapped as paved, 1% as unpaved.
Gradient: 26% climbing · 35% descending · 39% flat
Steep sections: 1.1 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 8.2% at 0 km
Longest descent: 3.4 km from 10.2 km, dropping 84 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 24 km, from the start. Along the route: 6 cafés and restaurants, 3 shops, 1 petrol station and 2 public toilets.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0 kmGlenwhisk · café · 90 m off route
0 kmWatsons Grocers · supermarket · on the route
23.9 kmThe Clachan Inn · pub · 40 m off route
24 kmSt John's Town Services · convenience store · on the route
24 kmToilets · 60 m off route
24.1 kmShell · petrol station · on the route
35 kmCafé · 60 m off route
35 kmToilets · 60 m off route
54.4 kmCreebridge Mill · pharmacy · 730 m off route

Worth a stop

0 km — Mercat Cross (monument)
24 km — Dalry Motte (archaeological site)
35 km — Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre (attraction)
39.9 km — Deer Park (attraction)
45.1 km — Glen of the Bar (viewpoint)
54.4 km — Minnigaff Motte (archaeological site)

Stay after this ride

Minigaff Youth Hostel · hostel · 230 m from the finish
Brewery Pool Guest House · guest house · 480 m from the finish
Cree Bridge House Hotel · hotel · 670 m from the finish
The Galloway Arms Hotel · hotel · 890 m from the finish
Stables Guest House · guest house · 910 m from the finish

Start and access

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

At the start

Food and coffee: Glenwhisk (90 m), Craigdarroch Hotel (10 m), George Hotel (110 m)
Shops: Watsons Grocers (20 m)

At the finish

Pharmacy and medical: Creebridge Mill (730 m)

Know before you go

33.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane
27.8 km on roads with 80 km/h+ speed limits
Longest stretch with no café, shop or water is 23.9 km after Moniaive
1.1 km of climbing over 5% gradient

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

2 photographs from the road

Photo: M J Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Anthony O'Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Ann Cook · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Stage of

National Byway (SW Scotland)

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 Moniaive (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Thursday 3rd September 2026
Page last updated: Friday 4th September 2026

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Moniaive to Newton Stewart