Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Blumendj
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Jul 2019, 12:12am

Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by Blumendj »

Hi,
I live in the US. Am planning on touring in Scotland in Aug/Sept and was hoping to get some insights on the route from Inverness to Edinburgh. We’re planning on spending 3 days on that part of the trip. Most of the forum discussions have involved going north and recommend going through Dalwhinnie rather than further East through Braemar. We have a cycling guide that suggests the route through Braemar. I’d appreciate recommendations on the best route South and, if any one has a cue sheet (or GPS file) for the best route, that would be helpful.
JMaude
Posts: 36
Joined: 5 Aug 2008, 6:26pm

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by JMaude »

I have cycled south from Inverness to Edinburgh. The route I took was the Sustrans route via Aviemore, Pitlochry and Perth. I took 3 days with overnights in Aviemore and nth of Pitlochry. There is a section after Newtonmore which is a dedicated cycle path close to the A9 - the surface is on the whole pretty good. I don’t recall any issues with the route.....but it was a while ago.

As for gps, create your own using the excellent cycle.travel website....just follow the red dots on the map. Alternatively ridewithgps.com also has the route.
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by LollyKat »

It depends how you define "best" route. Going via Dalwhinnie the gradients are gentle, and there is a segregated cyclepath for a lot of the way, though the surface has deteriorated in places. The Braemar route is a lot more strenuous and about 20 miles longer. Some of the roads are very small and unlikely to be busy, but there are no segregated paths and the area around Braemar ("Royal Deeside") may be busy at that time. The scenery is spectacular.

Here is one route to Perth, some of which I have done. It includes Cawdor for the castle which is fun to visit, and Ballater which is an attractive little town with a good independent hostel including a bike shed. Sorry I can only add a screen capture of the map rather than attach a GPX route, but hope you can follow it.

braemar_route.jpg
Blumendj
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Jul 2019, 12:12am

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by Blumendj »

Thank you. This was very helpful.
keithg
Posts: 128
Joined: 11 Jan 2008, 5:07pm

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by keithg »

Both routes via Sustrans NCN 7 and Dalwhinnie and the Braemar way are good choices. The latter has a couple of very impressive hills but is more scenic.
You won’t go wrong with either.
The former may have a section of track south of Dalwhinnie which is being resurfaced in August and will offer a short lift from a vehicle to bypass the contractors doing the work but this should be only a mild inconvenience.
Hilly and scenic on mostly minor roads or flatter and signed on tracks and minor roads, you choose!
From Perth to Edinburgh, I would personally choose A912 to bridge of Earn, then Kinross, Kelty and Kingseat to Dunfermline. It’s quite direct and not especially scenic, there are variations you could take but they’re not esp. great, I use this route quite a lot.
Sustrans Route 1 will take you to the Forth Bridges. This map shows the Sustrans routes nationally which, as a local volunteer for them, I’m ashamed to say are of variable quality of surface and signing. Click on the map to see a useful large scale map showing the various UK routes https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-rout ... k/route-7/
This map shows the Bridges to Edinburgh. Sustrans routes take the strain (some would say pleasure) out of the decision making process when touring in the UK as a visitor. They are very much a work-in-progress and vary from excellent to er...less good!
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-rout ... ad-bridge/
I hope you have fun and the weather is kind, the bad news is our prevailing winds and from the SW, so expect a headwind or 2!
Blumendj
Posts: 3
Joined: 22 Jul 2019, 12:12am

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by Blumendj »

Thanks. It sounds like we can’t go wrong.
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SimonCelsa
Posts: 1232
Joined: 6 Apr 2011, 10:19pm

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by SimonCelsa »

I last travelled that way a couple of years ago using the routes as mentioned earlier.

A useful resource is this one: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/117268

I was going to the South of England and aiming for fairly long days so my first stop after Inverness was Dunkeld at about 110 miles. The whole route to Edinburgh is fairly straightforward and although you traverse a couple of relatively high passes (for the UK) the gradients are pretty easy. You are never that far from a main road.

There is an off-road option I think but that would take quite a while and you would be eaten alive by midges and clegs if you attempted it in the wrong season.

Enjoy your trip!
Pakoraboi
Posts: 10
Joined: 8 Aug 2019, 11:05am

Re: Recommendations Needed for Iverness to Edinburgh Route

Post by Pakoraboi »

Hello

I am planning to do the same route but in the opposite direction: Edinburgh to Inverness, following the route I've seen more than one person suggesting: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/117268

I'm a complete beginner, haven't been on a bike in ages but I'm going to buy a bike soon and this is something I plan to do next summer so plenty of time to get a good amount of miles under my belt.

This is what I'm planning:
- 3 days
- Overnight stops in Dunkeld and Newtonmore
- Minimal packing so I can travel light. I'll be staying in bnb's and eating out

What would be the best time to do it? I was thinking July-August because of the "warmer" weather but what about midges? Do you recommend a better period?

Also, I assume there are bnb's in the places I mentioned but if there are better alternatives nearby please let me know

Finally, any other suggestions?

Thanks :D
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