Cycle Scottish Borders

A 3 day, two-night tour of the Scottish Borders. I roughly followed the 'Borders Loop' sustrans route. It was well signposted and covers some really nice roads to cycle on.
I wild camped just outside Berwick on night one and then the Melrose YH which I see is now closed.

Edinburgh

Starting at The Meadows, Edinburgh. It goes up to Arthur’s Seat and then thro'/ around/ under/ over/ the suburbs of Edinburgh. Follow R1 until junction with R76 behind Queen Margaret’s University just outside Mussleburgh.

Musselburgh

R76 twists and turns through busy traffic (all-day) through Musselburgh. Along by the race course, then take the coastal road. This toys between scenic sea views and not so nice towns. Carry on to Prestonpans. Head inland to Longniddry Station and go behind this on to a very good bridleway (no traffic). Ending up in Haddington

Haddington

Straight through Haddington, heading for the big hill, Traprain Law. Good views and a very pleasant road to ride on. Next small town is East Linton. Not much to see here other than the river falls. On to Dunbar alongside the A1 through to West Barns. Head down to the beach and the bridge to 'nowhere'. Follow the short coastal road by the golf course and into Dunbar High Street.

Dunbar

Explore the harbour area, get some lunch, then head out off Dunbar, following track alongside railway, behind the Cement Works and in front off the Power Station. If the A1 is quiet best just carry on down that road, part dual-carrageway and fast traffic, unfortunately.
At Thorntonloch (see below) the route officially runs with the A1. At the next roundabout you are expected to go down a very steep hill to Pease Bay (see below). You can of course, stay on the A1 to Cockburnspath (pronounced 'Co-burnspath') to bypass this silly detour with an incredable steep climb back out. Next heading is towards Coldingham over what is called the 'moors road'. Watch out - at a sharp bend the route leaves this road and onto back-lanes to Eyemouth. Do not be tempted to miss this bit, it was a lovely section to ride on.

Eyemouth

Don't look for a camping site in or near Eyemouth - there isn't any. Harbour area is a 'must visit'. Still on R76 head back to A1, straight over on to Ayton. Onwards through some nice back lanes with big well-hidden houses to Berwick.

Berwick

Just about a mile outside Berwick I wild camped - plenty places without causing anyone concern. Don't bother too much about visiting Berwick. Large supermarket just outside town/A1 junction does a early breakfast. Now go on R1 going west, follow River Tweed. A nice quite section well sign-posted.

Union Bridge

Cross the Tweed by the magnificent Union Bridge. (see below)

Melrose

Probably the best section to ride on from here, twists and turns on good tarmac lanes. pass thro' the towns of Kelso and Newton St Boswells. Second night stay at Melrose Youth Hostel (now closed). Don't bother with Galashiels - far to busy.

Innerleithen

Over the hills and twisty road (R1) to the outskirts of Bonnyrig and Dalkeith. This bit not so nice. Don't follow R1 as it loops needlessly around the east of Edinburgh. Head straight for city centre and experience some of the worse pot-holed roads in the country!

Cycle Borders

Cycling in the sparsely-populated Borders is a delight for the confident tourer, and can feel like the best of the 1960s. It’s an area of local shops, friendly communities, handsome market towns with good cafes, and little traffic. There’s wilderness beyond the lush Tweed valley, a few notable climbs, and certainly lots of big scenery. Now that the Borders railway – axed in 1969 but rebuilt in 2015 – is back up and running, it’s easy getting to the heart of this under-rated region.
National Cycle Routes are few, apart from the Tweed Valley Cycle Route (part of NCN1) that runs 95 moderately challenging miles from Berwick to Biggar through many of those fine towns: Kelso, Melrose, Peebles, etc. Highlights include going over the historic Union Bridge north of Horncliffe, and two equally picturesque traffic-free crossings of the Tweed at Newtown St Boswells and just west of Melrose. It’s worth detouring a little north of Newtown to (Sir Walter) Scott’s View.
For wild and remote scenery with great climbs and downhills, explore the back roads round Talla Reservoir and St Mary’s Loch. The quiet narrow road climbing and falling gently north out of Innerleithen (also part of NCN1) has unbeatable scenery and can involve miles of freewheel, depending on wind direction. Innerleithen is a mountain biking hub, thanks to the Stanes centre, and its chic bistros and cafes are popular with local club cyclists.

HISTORY NOTES

Thorntonloch

Saturday May 13th 1950, two boys - James and John McCallum - looked across from their house at Thorntonloch and saw what they thought was a line of black rocks. They went down to the beach and found that 147 pilot whales had stranded on the beach. Thus begins the story of one of Scotland's major environmental disasters.

The Union Bridge

The World’s Oldest Vehicular Suspension Bridge

Samuel Brown (1776-1852) was an extraordinary entrepreneur. A naval captain from Newcastle, who founded a company that supplied chains to the Royal Navy, he realised that chain technology could be used to support the platform of a bridge. The bridge was the first iron suspension bridge in Europe to carry vehicular traffic. Designed in 1817 and opened in 1820, the bridge held the record for the longest clear span deck in the world until the opening of Thomas Telford’s Menai Bridge in 1826. The Egyptian-inspired Scottish pylon, that supports the chains, is the earliest surviving road bridge pylon in the world.

Samuel Brown went on to become the most prolific suspension bridge engineer in Britain, building 23 bridges and chain piers and pioneering the era of long span bridges. He was the only engineer of his generation who received a knighthood from the King. His company also made the chains which form the background to Robert Howlett’s iconic photograph of Brown’s younger contemporary, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Pease Bay

There are some maintain, that the banks o' Clyde
Are fairer far the Loch Lomondside.
While others write in various style,
O' the Trossach glen, an' the Misty Isle.
O' Arthur's Seat, wi' its cliffs an scars,
An' snow clad peaks o'Lochnagar.
But for downright beauty, there's nought I know,
Surpasses the Glen, where the Pease burn flows.

James McFarlane 1936

A 3 day, two-night tour of the Scottish Borders. I roughly followed the 'Borders Loop' sustrans route. It was well signposted and covers some really nice roads to cycle on. I wild camped just outside Berwick on night one and then the Melrose YH which I see is now closed.