Stranraer to Eyemouth coast-to-coast cycle route revealed ahead of World Cycling Championships

The route passes cycle-friendly sites like the world’s oldest cycling club in Hawick. Credit: South of Scotland Destination Alliance

The route for the UK's newest coast-to-coast cycle challenge has been revealed.

The 250-mile Kirkpatrick C2C will take riders across the South of Scotland from Stranraer to Eyemouth when it is officially launched in the summer.

The route is named after Kirkpatrick Macmillan, the 19th century Dumfriesshire blacksmith who invented the first pedal-driven velocipede.

Businesses along the Kirkpatrick C2C route are gearing up for an influx of new visitors in the months ahead. Credit: South of Scotland Destination Alliance/Google Maps

Initial projections suggest the route could attract up to 175,000 new visitors to the region, with a direct spend of £13.7 million per year.

The route is being launched with two levels of challenge in mind. The Explorer approach takes cyclists across the country in eight stages, with daily cycling distances varying from 21 miles (Newcastleton to Hawick) to 51 miles (Dumfries to Newcastleton).

Meanwhile, the Challenger version can be done over four days, starting with a 74-mile stretch from Stranraer to Kirkcudbright and finishing with a 59-mile ride from Selkirk to Eyemouth.

Gordon Smith from VisitScotland said: "The Kirkpatrick C2C is a fantastic addition to the region’s already strong cycling offer. 

"The opening of this route comes at an exciting time for cycling in Scotland as we count down to hosting the biggest cycling event in the world, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, including events in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway."

The South of Scotland Cycling Partnership Strategy has the aim of making South Scotland the leading cycling destination in the country. Credit: South of Scotland Destination Alliance

Romano Petrucci, Chairman of the Stranraer Development Trust, said: "We are delighted and excited to have been chosen as the starting point for the KC2C experience.

"Our hope is that visitors and cyclists alike will take time to explore our hidden gem here in the south-west corner of Scotland, and we are very confident they will love what they see and look to return again and again."

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