Peebles to Melrose

Peebles, Scottish Borders, United KingdomRoad

Signed route The waymarked Border Loop (Scottish Borders Council BL), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Stage 3 of 4 of the Border Loop. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

68 km
Distance: 564 m
Elevation gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Paved
Surface

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Head Post Office, Buccleuch Street, Melrose (post office in Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK) — Photo: Victuallers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 564 m
Distance: 68 km

Route overview

Suitable for riders comfortable with moderate distance and two climbs totalling 564 m elevation gain.

Stage 3 of 4 of the Border Loop: 67.5 km from Peebles to Melrose with 564 m of climbing, on the signed route.

This 67.5 km point-to-point ride starts in Peebles and heads southeast through several villages and towns including Cardrona, Old Howford, Traquair, and Innerleithen. The route includes 37 km on main roads without cycle lanes, mostly along the B709 for 23.4 km and B7062 for 11.2 km, with minor roads and some quiet streets and cycle paths making up the rest. Surface is predominantly paved (99%) with only 1% unpaved. The ride has two main climbs: a 5.8 km ascent from 19.3 km gaining 158 m at an average gradient of 2.7%, reaching 376 m at 25.1 km; and a steeper 3.3 km climb from 48.3 km rising 178 m at 5.4% average, with a maximum of 11% gradient. The highest point on the ride is 376 m, and the lowest 88 m near the finish. The longest descent is 3.8 km starting at about 25.2 km, dropping 74 m. Facilities at the start in Peebles include cafés, bike shops, and drinking water, while at the finish in Melrose there are cafés, bike shops, a supermarket, and toilets. There is a long 34.2 km stretch with no café, shop, or water between 14 km and 48.2 km, but bailout points are available at Stow (48.2 km) and Tweedbank (64 km).

Highlights

Climb from 19.3 km gaining 158 m
Climb from 48.3 km with max 11% gradient
Passes Traquair and Innerleithen
Ends in Melrose with facilities

Along the route

Measured from the recorded track and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Cardrona 6.4 km
Old Howford 8.5 km
Traquair Mill 11.2 km
Traquair 11.3 km
Innerleithen 13.8 km
Heriot 34 km
Fountainhall 41.9 km
Watherston 45.7 km
Stow 48.4 km
Wooplaw 53.5 km
Langshaw 57.8 km
Bridgend 63.5 km
Tweedbank 63.6 km
Darnick 65.2 km

Climbs

Climb	Starts at	Length	Gain	Average	Max	Top
—	19.3 km	5.8 km	158 m	2.7 %	4.7 %	376 m
—	48.3 km	3.3 km	178 m	5.4 %	11 %	360 m

High point 376 m at 25.1 km; low point 88 m. Passes beneath Tor Hill, Caerlee Hill, Dod Hill.

What this ride is like

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Roads: 55% main road · 39% minor road · 2% quiet street · 2% cycle path
Main roads: 37 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads: 40.4 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths: 2.1 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used: B709 (23 km), B7062 (11 km), Langshaw Road (5 km)
Surface: Paved throughout
Gradient: 20% climbing · 25% descending · 55% flat
Steep sections: 1.4 km over 5% · 1.1 km over 8% · 0.8 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 11.3% at 0 km
Longest descent: 3.8 km from 25.2 km, dropping 74 m