Road · United Kingdom
Kalemouth and Nisbet
A hilly 32 km road cycling loop from East Nisbet, Scottish Borders through Old Ormiston, Kirkbank and Marlefield, with 299 m of climbing. The first 24 km has no café, shop or water.
At a glance
- Best for
- Short, climbing-heavy rides
- Distance
- 31.8 km
- Elevation gain
- 299 m
- Riding time
- 2 h 16 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Bike
- Road bike
- Surface
- Paved
- Traffic
- Some main roads
- Food & water
- Longest gap 24 km
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start and finish
- East Nisbet
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 299 m
- 32 km
Route description
- East Nisbet
- Old Ormiston
- Kirkbank
- Marlefield
- Cessford
- Crailinghall
- Hartrigge
- Bonjedward House
- Palace Farm Cottages
- East Nisbet
This 31.8 km loop starts near East Nisbet and passes through Old Ormiston, Kirkbank, Eckford Mill, Marlefield, and Otterburn on mainly minor roads. The route follows 67% minor roads, 27% main roads, and a small section on quiet streets. The B6401 road is ridden for 5.6 km. There's a 109 m climb starting at 19.7 km past Crailinghall reaching 204 m elevation around 21.9 km, averaging 5% gradient with a max of 6.6%. The main climbing is in the second half, with 54% of gain in the first half. After the climb the route descends for nearly 3 km before returning to Nisbet.
Highlights
- Stone monument near start
- Ormiston Castle site near Old Ormiston
- Climb past Crailinghall to 204 m height
- Ruins of Nisbet Church at finish
Along the route
Places passed
Climbs
| Climb | Starts at | On this ride | Top on this ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed climb | 19.7 km | 2.2 km · 109 m · 5 % · max 6.6 % | 204 m |
Traffic, surface and gradient
Expect stretches on main roads without a cycle lane (8.8 km in all) between quieter sections.
- Roads
- 67% minor road · 27% main road · 3% quiet street · 3% other roads and tracks
- Main roads
- 8.8 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
- Fast roads
- 14.6 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
- Main roads used
- B6401 (6 km)
- Surface
- Paved: 98% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved.
- Gradient
- 25% climbing · 23% descending · 52% flat
- Steep sections
- 1.6 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 6.5% at 20.9 km
- Longest descent
- 2.9 km from 22.1 km, dropping 124 m
Food, water and services
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 24 km, from the start. Along the route: 19 cafés and restaurants, 4 shops, 1 water point, 1 petrol station, 1 public toilet and 1 bike shop.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 24.4 kmRepair stand · 420 m off route
- 24.7 kmCo-op Food · supermarket · 270 m off route
- 24.7 kmJedburgh Pharmacy · pharmacy · 320 m off route
- 25.5 kmBorder Meringues · café · 150 m off route
- 25.5 kmEsso · petrol station · 190 m off route
- 26 kmDrinking water · 150 m off route
- 26 kmToilets · 150 m off route
Worth a stop
- 0.2 km — Stone (monument)
- 4.4 km — Ormiston Castle (site of) (archaeological site)
- 13.8 km — Old Smithy (ruins)
- 24.7 km — Loupin’- on stane (monument)
- 31.7 km — Nisbet Church (ruins)
Know before you go
- 24.4 km without a café, shop, or water from start
- 8.8 km on main roads without cycle lanes
- 14.6 km on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or higher
- 2% unpaved surface
