Road · United Kingdom
Green Circular Route
A rolling 38 km road cycling loop from Monifieth, Angus through Douglas, Fintry and Claverhouse, with 188 m of climbing. 57% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.
At a glance
- Best for
- Rolling day rides
- Distance
- 38 km
- Elevation gain
- 188 m
- Riding time
- 2 h 43 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Bike
- Road bike
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Traffic
- Mostly cycle paths
- Food & water
- Regular
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start and finish
- Monifieth
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 188 m
- 38 km
Route description
- Monifieth
- Douglas
- Fintry
- Claverhouse
- Balgowan
- St Mary's
- Gowrie Park
- West End
- City Centre
- Monifieth
This 38 km circular route starts and finishes in Monifieth, passing through numerous suburbs and localities including Douglas, Whitfield, Pitkerro, Birkhill, and Broughty Ferry among others. The highest point is at 177 m elevation around km 13.1. The main climb extends from km 9.9 for 3.2 km with an average gradient of 3.3% and a gain of 106 m.
The surface is mainly paved (89%), with some gravel or unpaved sections (5%) and some unmapped (6%). The route features a variety of road types: 20.1 km on cycle paths, 6.2 km on paths, 5 km on quiet streets, 3.9 km on minor roads, 1.5 km on roads with cycle lanes, and 0.5 km on main roads. The route is mostly flat with 75% flat terrain, 12% climbing, and 13% descending. The longest descent is 3 km starting at 14.9 km with a drop of 111 m.
Amenities include cafés, pubs, shops, water taps, toilets, and bike shops at various points along the way. The longest stretch without café, shop, or water is 3.7 km between km 7.1 and 10.8. Bailout stations are available at Dundee (25.7 km) and Balmossie (35.1 km).
Why ride this route?
- 57% on cycle paths or lanes.
Highlights
- Main climb from 9.9 km to 13.1 km
- Highest point at 177 m elevation
- Cycle paths cover 54% of the route
- Longest descent of 3 km starting at 14.9 km
Along the route
Places passed
Climbs
| Climb | Starts at | On this ride | Top on this ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed climb | 9.9 km | 3.2 km · 106 m · 3.3 % · max 4.6 % | 177 m |
Traffic, surface and gradient
Much of the route is separated from traffic: 57% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.
- Roads
- 54% cycle path · 17% path · 13% quiet street · 10% minor road · 6% other roads and tracks
- Cycle paths
- 21.6 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
- Surface
- Predominantly paved: 89% is mapped as paved, 5% as unpaved or gravel and 6% has no surface data.
- Gradient
- 12% climbing · 13% descending · 75% flat
- Longest descent
- 3 km from 14.9 km, dropping 111 m
Food, water and services
No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 219 cafés and restaurants, 43 shops, 2 water points, 7 petrol stations, 18 public toilets and 8 bike shops.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 2.2 kmAldi · supermarket · 100 m off route
- 2.8 kmStarbucks · café · on the route
- 5.4 kmBoots · pharmacy · 230 m off route
- 7.1 kmForfar Road Service Station · petrol station · on the route
- 8 kmLanka House Group · bike shop · 540 m off route
- 11.4 kmNine Maidens · pub · 30 m off route
- 15.9 kmToilets · on the route
- 17.6 kmAldi · supermarket · 90 m off route
- 17.8 kmAsda · petrol station · 140 m off route
- 25 kmTesco · petrol station · 40 m off route
- 25.3 kmTesco Extra · supermarket · 100 m off route
- 25.7 kmToilets · on the route
- 26.1 kmForks Café · café · on the route
- 26.7 kmElectric Bikes Scotland · bike shop · on the route
- 32.5 kmBoughty Ferry News · convenience store · 60 m off route
- 32.5 kmRepair stand · 300 m off route
- 33 kmWindmill Public Toilet · toilets · on the route
- 34.5 kmEsso · petrol station · 230 m off route
Need to bail out?
- 25.7 km — Dundee (station), 110 m off route
- 35.1 km — Balmossie (station), 30 m off route
Worth a stop
- 2.5 km — Claypotts Castle (castle)
- 16.3 km — Hawk Owl (attraction)
- 22.4 km — Tay View (viewpoint)
- 26.2 km — Tay Road Bridge Monument (monument)
- 32.7 km — Broughty Castle (castle)
Start and access
At the start and finish
- Food and coffee
- Best Kebab and Pizza House (310 m), Tong's Dynasty (290 m), The Bell Tree (360 m)
- Shops
- Co-op Food (320 m)
Know before you go
- Longest stretch without cafe, shop or water is 3.7 km from 7.1 to 10.8 km
- 0.5 km on main roads
- Steepest 500 m section at 4.5% gradient at 10.6 km
