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Stage 2 of 2 · Great North Trail (Scottish Borders)← Stage 1

Peebles to Edinburgh

54 km gravel route976 m climbing4 h 29 minGPX

Peebles, Scottish Borders, United Kingdom · Gravel

A mountainous 54 km gravel route from Peebles, Scottish Borders to Edinburgh through Romanno Bridge, West Linton and Carlops, with 976 m of climbing. Mixed surface: 41% is mapped as paved and 58% as gravel or unpaved.

Signed route The waymarked Great North Trail (Scottish Borders) (Cycling UK), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 2 of 2 of the Great North Trail (Scottish Borders). Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for
Short, climbing-heavy rides
Distance
53.7 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
976 m
18 m per km
Riding time
4 h 29 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Moderate
Bike
Gravel or mountain bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mixed, much unpaved
41% paved · 58% unpaved · 1% no data
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
3.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 4.1 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 1.9 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water
Longest gap 18 km
36 cafés and restaurants · 9 shops · 6 water points · 6 public toilets · 3 bike shops
Best months
Jun to Aug
Peebles climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Peebles → Edinburgh

Map and elevation profile

Loganlea Reservoir in the Pentland Hills.
Photo: Klaus with K · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
976 m
Distance
54 km
0100200300400500m0 km204054 km421 m · highest, at 29.9 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Peebles
  2. Romanno Bridgekm 14
  3. West Lintonkm 19
  4. Carlopskm 24
  5. Kirktonkm 40
  6. Torphinkm 49
  7. Bonalykm 50
  8. Craiglockhartkm 52
  9. Kingsknowekm 52
  10. Edinburghkm 54

Starting in Peebles, the route heads northeast passing Romanno Bridge at 14.3 km and West Linton at 19 km. The first half concentrates 68% of the total elevation gain, featuring multiple climbs including a steep 1.8 km section with an average 7.4% gradient early on. The terrain varies with 38% on tracks, 24% on quiet streets, and 19% on paths; paved sections account for 41% while gravel or unpaved surfaces cover 58%.

Why ride this route?

  • The most climbing per kilometre of the 7 rides from Peebles: 18 m per km.
  • Tops out at 422 m, 28.9 km in.

Highlights

  • Climbing near The Mount at 26.3 km
  • Passing Hog Knowe peak at 5.5 km
  • Long 3.7 km descent starting at 48.2 km
  • Bavelaw Castle near 34.1 km

Along the route

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

Places passed

  1. Romanno Bridge 14.3 km
  2. West Linton 19 km
  3. Cargarrie Lea Hazlieburn 22.3 km
  4. Carlops 23.8 km
  5. Kirkton 39.8 km
  6. Castlelaw 42.3 km
  7. Torphin 48.7 km
  8. Bonaly 50 km
  9. Colinton 50.7 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 climb0.9 km1.8 km · 130 m · 7.4 % · max 12.3 %303 m
Unnamed climb5.9 km2.5 km · 141 m · 5.7 % · max 13.3 %400 m
Unnamed climb11.5 km1.3 km · 70 m · 5.5 % · max 7.7 %349 m
Unnamed climb18.7 km2.8 km · 93 m · 3.3 % · max 7 %327 m
Unnamed climb23.6 km2 km · 80 m · 4 % · max 6.5 %367 m
Unnamed climb26.9 km1.9 km · 79 m · 4.1 % · max 7.5 %422 m
Unnamed climb41.3 km2.7 km · 197 m · 7.4 % · max 10.5 %420 m
Unnamed climb46 km0.8 km · 58 m · 7.1 % · max 11.6 %293 m

High point 422 m at 28.9 km; low point 79 m. Passes beneath Hamilton Hill, Hog Knowe, Kilrubie Hill.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 3.7 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
38% track · 24% quiet street · 19% path · 7% minor road · 12% other roads and tracks
Main roads
3.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
4.1 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths
1.9 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used
B7059 (3 km)
Surface
Mixed surface: 41% is mapped as paved and 58% as gravel or unpaved.
Gradient
32% climbing · 37% descending · 31% flat
Steep sections
7.3 km over 5% · 3.4 km over 8% · 2 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 11.8% at 8 km
Longest descent
3.7 km from 48.2 km, dropping 182 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 18 km, from km 1 to 19. Along the route: 36 cafés and restaurants, 9 shops, 6 water points, 6 public toilets and 3 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 0 kmThe Fat Batard · bakery · 240 m off route
  2. 0 kmToilets · 230 m off route
  3. 0 kmBspoke Cycles · bike shop · 390 m off route
  4. 0 kmrightmedicine Pharmacy · pharmacy · 210 m off route
  5. 0.4 kmRosetta Road Store · convenience store · 40 m off route
  6. 1 kmWater tap · 50 m off route
  7. 18.9 kmCo-op Food · convenience store · on the route
  8. 18.9 kmToilets · on the route
  9. 19 kmWest Linton Pharmacy · pharmacy · on the route
  10. 19.1 kmThe Old Bakehouse · restaurant · on the route
  11. 23.8 kmAllan Ramsay Hotel · pub · 210 m off route
  12. 37.5 kmLoganlea Fishery · café · on the route
  13. 47.7 kmToilets · on the route
  14. 47.7 kmRepair stand · on the route
  15. 50.7 kmCo-op Food · convenience store · 210 m off route
  16. 50.7 kmColinton Village Pharmacy · pharmacy · 140 m off route
  17. 50.8 kmThe Swing Cafe · café · 150 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 52.2 km — Kingsknowe (station), 500 m off route

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

Worth a stop

  • 0.2 km — Cross Kirk (ruins)
  • 5.5 km — Hog Knowe (peak, 292 m)
  • 20.5 km — Stonypath Temporary Camp (archaeological site)
  • 34.1 km — Bavelaw Castle (castle)
  • 37.5 km — Howletts House (ruins)
  • 44.2 km — Fala Knowe (peak, 439 m)

Stay after this ride

  • Crosskeys Studios · apartment · 590 m from the finish
  • Bonaly Scout Centre · campsite · 2.7 km from the finish
  • Travelodge · hotel · 2.6 km from the finish
  • Dalmore Lodge · guest house · 2.6 km from the finish
  • Parkview · guest house · 2.6 km from the finish

Start and access

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

At the start

Food and coffee
The Bridge Inn (120 m), Peebles Chinese Takeaway (60 m), Ozkan's Grill (70 m)

At the finish

Trains and ferries
Kingsknowe (500 m)

Know before you go

  • Longest stretch without café or shop: 17.5 km from 1.4 to 18.9 km
  • 3.7 km on main roads without cycle lane
  • 4.1 km on roads with speed limits 80 km/h or higher
  • Steepest 500m gradient at 11.8% around 8 km

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

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Klaus with K · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Anthony O'Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Tim Heaton · 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 Peebles (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
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