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Cycling in and around the Scottish Borders
Think of the Scottish Borders and think of big spaces. Heather-clad hills rising to over 2700 ft, hundreds of square miles of forests and woodland, lochs and rivers. And with a population of just 100,000 you soon realise that most roads carry very little traffic and that the Borders is a real paradise for cyclists.

Cycle Routes ( Waymarked Road Routes )
The 4 Abbeys Cycle Route:
A 55 mile circular route linking the four main abbeys in the Scottish Borders, namely those at Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh. A full colour brochure is available to buy at Scottish Borders Tourist Information Centres, which includes detailed route instructions, background historical detail and colour maps and photographs to allow you to navigate the route in a simple and easy way.
The Tweed Cycleway:
Starting at 650 ft above sea level in Biggar and finishing on the coast in Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Tweed Cycleway is a waymarked cycle route, 89 miles long, running through the heart of the Scottish Borders with the River Tweed as its linking theme.

Although at times you may go for some distance without seeing the Tweed, it is an attractive route, avoiding busy roads almost entirely, with many fine hill and forest views and handsome towns along the way such as Peebles, Melrose, Kelso and Coldstream. Carstairs Junction is the nearest railway to the start in Biggar (there is a good route on minor lanes from Carstairs Junction through Thankerton to Biggar) and there is a railway station at the finish in Berwick. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS
Forest Routes
Glentress Forest:
Glentress is the oldest Forestry Commission forest in South Scotland, with plantings dating from 1920.

Areas of mature trees combine with younger second generation crops and high moorland tops to provide an attractive and interesting diversity of wildlife habitats and spectacular views for the off-road cyclist. The Anderson Trail is an ideal beginners route mainly on forest roads. Anderson was an eminent professor of forestry in the 1930s. The Dunslair Trail is more demanding and technically difficult, suitable for the more experienced rider. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS
Cardrona Forest:
Cardrona complements Glentress, providing a good alternative venue for both novices and the more advanced rider. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

Elibank, Traquair & Yair Forests :
Elibank & Traquair Forest is the largest in the Tweed Valley, providing a wide range of habitats which combine to create an attractive environment for the visitor.

The long climb to the top of Minch Moor (on the Cheesewell and Minchmoor Trails) is amply rewarded by magnificent views to all points of the compass. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS
Craik Forest:
Craik Forest rises from 200m (654ft) at Craik Village to over 450m (1470ft) above sea level and is over 4000 hectares (10,000 acres) in size. It is a watershed forest with high hills, steep valleys and fish spawning streams.

Felling and replanting is starting to produce a forest with many ages of trees, open space and broadleaf woodland. Of all the Forestry Commission holdings in the Scottish Borders this is the one with the best waymarking. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS
 

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