Cycling in Scotland - Radfahren in Schottland

Cycling, especially cycling, is in Scotland a not very common leisure activity. The condition of some bicycle lanes is accordingly. However, this shortcoming is made up for by the unique landscape and the relatively low traffic. The English word "cycling" is used in Scotland often understood as "mountain biking". This should be borne in mind when consulting English speaking guides or information.

Safety / road traffic

Motorists in Scotland are not used to cyclists as much as is common in Central Europe. In cities in particular, cyclists are often not given enough space or their speed is underestimated. Outside the cities, however, drivers are generally friendly and considerate.

The following points should generally be considered:

  • It is driven on the left.
  • Helmet is not compulsory, but recommended.
  • There are hardly any bike paths alongside the road. Wherever there are, they usually have no right of way at junctions.
  • Where there are cycle paths alongside the road can these are used have to but not.
  • On larger streets in the cities there are often cycle path markings on the left (outer!) Edge. However, these are only recommendations and are therefore often (legally!) Parked by cars. The access roads mostly have bus lanes, these can be used by cyclists. Here, too, parking is usually only prohibited at rush hour (It's not as bad as it sounds: there is usually enough space between parked cars and the edge of the bus lane to comfortably ride a bike. When the cars are parked, the buses always run in the other Track with).
  • When cycling in groups (on roads, out of town), two people should ride side by side.
  • Roundabouts (Roundabout): They are best to be used in the same way as cars, i.e. when entering the right lane and swimming in traffic. One should Not drive at the outer edge of the roundabout: if you use the outer lane, you have to take the next exit! If necessary, get off and walk around outside the roundabout (on the sidewalk if available). Some roundabouts try to send cyclists by signposting, but you lose a lot of time, and crossing the entrances and exits on foot is not necessarily safer than riding in the roundabout.
  • bridges: The major bridges (Forth Road Bridge, Erskine Bridge, Kessock Bridge, Tay Bridge, Skye Bride) all have cycle / pedestrian paths and are free for cyclists.

Practicalities

  • Bike shops there is plenty in the cities, but often with a very limited range (and one that specializes in mountain bikers). The dimensions of wheels, screws, etc. now correspond to the international standard, so there should be no problems with the procurement of spare parts. An exception is that dynamo lighting in Scotland are practically unknown.
  • Rent a bycicle: is relatively expensive in Scotland (around £ 15 / day) and the bikes we rent are not of good quality. It is better to bring your own bike. Good mountain bikes are easier to find than touring bikes.
  • cards: Unfortunately there is no publisher who sells maps in Scotland in the bike-friendly 1: 100,000-1: 150,000 scale. Ordnance Survey's Landranger maps (1:50 000) are expensive and cover too small an area. The common car maps (mostly 1: 250,000) usually have no altitude information. The "OS Travel Map - Road" (1: 250 000) by Ordnance Survey can be considered a compromise. Two maps cover all of Scotland and at least some contour lines are present. The Sustrans maps for the respective national cycle routes (e.g. "Lochs and Glens North" for the northern section of NCN 7) are relatively expensive, but quite precise and peppered with a lot of additional information on cycling tourism.
  • Bicycle transport in train / bus: Bicycles are in the Trains Taken from ScotRail for free and unbureaucratically. A reservation (free of charge) is recommended, but not compulsory. There is usually one bicycle parking area for every two wagons. GNER, which runs the InterCitys from London to Edinburgh and partly further in Scotland operates takes £ 3 each way and requires reservations. The S-Bahn in the area Glasgow (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) take bicycles with them if there is space (in the boarding area), the whole thing is free. The Glaswegian The subway does not carry bicycles. buses do not take bicycles with you, neither city buses nor intercity buses. In remote areas, however, you can sometimes persuade the bus driver (especially if you have problems with your bike, bad weather, etc.). Tandems and recumbent bikes are only taken by GNER.

General route planning

The Scottish Highlands are mountainous! Most of the roads follow the valleys, which, however, also concentrates the traffic: there are hardly any side roads. South of the Great Glen (Loch Ness), most of the lochs have, in addition to the main road, a side road on the other bank, which is ideal for cycling. Most of the tourist traffic is concentrated on the route Edinburgh - Inverness - Fort William - Glasgow with a detour to Skye. Apart from this route, there is relatively little traffic in the main season, especially in the north.

The corner between Aberdeen and Inverness has little traffic and many side roads, but also less spectacular scenery than the rest of Scotland: slightly undulating hill country. In the south of Scotland (Borders / Dumfries & Galloway) there is little traffic and the landscape is less rugged than in the Highlands.

Avoid: A9 (Perth - Inverness and further north): practically the motorway. Here, however, NCN 77, from Pitlochry onwards NCN 7, offer good alternatives, they run parallel, often on the route of the old A9. For high season A82 (Glasgow - Glencoe - Fort William/ Oban) (alternative is NCN 78), and A87 (mainly Kyleakin - Broadford - Sligachan on Skye).

However, the national cycle routes in Scotland have been continuously expanded in recent years and allow relatively relaxed cycling on many sections.

Long-distance cycle paths

Route marking by a Sustrans ranger

Sustrans is a non-profit organization that is committed to the construction and maintenance of long-distance cycle paths. It is financially but not politically supported by the state. The construction of roads and cycle paths is seldom coordinated.

The paths constructed and signposted by Sustrans operate as the "National Cycle Network" (NCN). It is a mixture of former railway lines, secondary roads and a few new sections. The individual routes are numbered. Detailed maps for each route are available from Sustrans or in bookshops. Most of the signage on the National Cycle Network is done by volunteer rangers. The rangers check their route sections - more or less often, depending on their commitment - and indicate an alternative route in the event of damage or impassability of the route by means of stickers with the route number, e.g. on road signs.

Large parts of the NCN are (more or less) signposted secondary roads that often take long detours in order to avoid inclines or main roads. Those who are not afraid of road traffic can usually find alternatives with the help of a (car) map. However, some sections (especially the car-free) are highly recommended. Recommended sections of the National Cycle Network are

  • NCN 1 (North Sea Cycle Route): Dover-Thurso. The Scottish section runs through Berwick-upon-Tweed - Melrose - Edinburgh - Forth Bridge - Dundee - Aberdeen - Banff - Inverness - Lairg - Thurso. The Edinburgh - Forth Bridge section is particularly recommended as a car-free route from Edinburgh city center to the north side of the Forth Bridge. In Dunfermline there is a connection to the NCN 76 to Stirling (car-free) and further via secondary roads to Callander (NCN 7). A GPS track for the entire route can be found in the Bike tour wiki.
  • NCN 7 Lochs and Glens leads on its Scottish section of Carlisle via Newton Steward, Glasgow and Pitlochry to Inverness: The Aberfoyle Section - Killin is one of the most beautiful and spectacular of the NCN, but the Aberfoyle section - Callander only recommended for mountain bikers with MTBs or touring bikes with wide tires. Alternatively, the Callander road variant can be used here, even if it is not inclined with low inclines. Pitlochry - Inverness follows branch lines, disused parts of the old A9 and over the pass of Drumn Jungs the old A9, which is now designated as a cycle path, next to the newly laid route of the A9. GPS track in the bike travel wiki.
  • The route Forth and Clyde is made up of the NCN 75 and the NCN 754 and thus runs on two different routes from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Bathgate and back via Falkirk. Sections of the route on the disused railway line, along canals and, among other things, past the Falkirk Wheel enable a relaxed cycle tour in central Scotland. Raodbook and GPS-Track for the 754 (northern section) [www.radreise-wiki.de/Forth_and_Clyde in the Radreise-Wiki], GPS-Track for the southern section also in the Bike tour wiki.
  • NCN 75 Edinburgh - Portavadie next to the section that is part of the Forth and Clyde route, connects Glasgow with Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula and leads across the peninsula to Portavadie, where you can cross over to the Kintyre peninsula to connect to NCN 78 (Oban - Inverness).
  • NCN 78: Campbelltown (Kintyre) - Inverness. The Fort William section - Inverness is the Great Glen Cycle Way: the current route is only manageable for mountain bikes. The recommended alternative for touring bikes is from Fort William to Fort Augustus along the Caledonian Canal and then further on the (hardly used) south side of the Loch Ness.
  • Regional route 43: Glasgow-Edinburgh: Along the "Union Canal" and the "Forth-Clyde-Canal". Car-free travel from city center to city center. Like all UK canal routes, the path is maintained by British Waterways. Officially, you need a permit from British Waterways (free) to use it, and the speed limit on the trail is 10 km / h (6 mph). Both points are practically ignored by anyone. Especially within the cities, the path is very popular with walkers, so you should drive carefully.

Other recommended routes

For cycling:

  • Loch Katrine (Trossachs): A road goes 3/4 around the hole. Driving is only allowed for (half a dozen) residents: Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar. From there 5 km single track to Inversnaid (Loch Lomond), where a pedestrian ferry also brings bicycles to the west bank of Loch Lomond.
  • The Mad Wee Road (Inverpolly): 10 km north of Ullapool turn left towards Achiltibuie / Lochinver. The next 15 km continues Mad Wee Road on the coast to Lochinver and further on Old Man of Stoer over to Unapool.
  • Mull / Outer Hebrides: Little traffic because of the relatively high ferry costs for cars. However, the Outer Hebrides can be very stormy.
  • Applecross (Bealach na Ba): Whether recommendable depends on the personal attitude: The "Bealach na Ba" pass on the road to Applecross is the highest road in Great Britain at 629 m. For Scottish cyclists, conquering the pass is the ultimate test of fitness. You are sometimes cheered on by drivers: Tour de France feeling in Scotland.
  • Cape Wrath: To the Northwest Cape Scotland leads a nearly 20 km long single track, which can only be reached via the pedestrian (!) ferry at Durness. The only motorized vehicle on the road is the minibus that takes tourists from the ferry to the cape (lighthouse). Road quality is accordingly.

For mountain biking:

  • Cairngorms National Park: in the south (almost at the eastern tip of Loch Laggan) there is a MTB Fun Park with various downhill trails. If you want, you can have your bike brought up the mountain and only enjoy the trails over the rocks, through the forest and over a wooden walkway.
  • Near Fort William: the "Witch's Trails" lead on the Ben Nevis mountains between Torlundy and Spean Bridge through different terrain (forest, fields, stone slopes). The trails are very well signposted and the World Cup Circuit offers some challenges even for advanced MTB riders.

Connection to the airports / ferry ports

Usually in Scotland at one of the airports Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glasgow-Prestwick or Newcastle arrive. With the ferry you only have the option of arriving via Newcastle / North-Shields in the north of England.

  • Edinburgh: The A8 past the airport has a cycle path, but it is not particularly good. You can follow it towards Edinburgh. Alternatively, at the next possibility, turn right down from the A8 (towards Gogarbank). After 1 km to the left and after 300 m again right. Directly after the motorway bridge you come to the Union Canal and without any further traffic to the city center. You can also follow the cycle path on the A8 in the other direction (west) to the Newbridge Roundabout. From there, a better bike path leads north directly to the Forth Bridge.
  • Glasgow: The most difficult connection: All the signposted routes lead to the motorway: First, follow the signs to Glasgow. After driving under the autobahn, turn left at the roundabout and not to the right as signposted. Then turn right at the next roundabout (towards Paisley). In Paisley you can get there by train or road Glasgow, or has direct connection to the NCN7 (east) to Glasgow, or NCN7 (west) and NCN75 after Greenock and to the ferry to Dunoon.
  • Glasgow-Prestwick: NCN7 runs right past the terminal. direction Glasgow It starts with 1 km of main road, but then it gets better. Glasgow-Prestwick is the only Scottish airport to have a rail link: trains to Glasgow drive every 30 min.
  • Newcastle: The airport is 10 km northwest of the city. The metro (U / S-Bahn) goes to the airport but does not transport bicycles. The signposted route to the city center goes along the A696, which is developed like a motorway. Cycling is allowed but not recommended. But you can switch to the parallel B6918 directly from the airport. Out of town, the A696 quickly becomes small, little traveled and very scenic. If you want to cycle from Newcastle to Scotland (Edinburgh is 160 km away), this is definitely an alternative.
  • North Shields: Public transport does not take bicycles. Newcastle city center is 10 km away. The signs lead to motorway-like roads, but there are enough alternatives (Hadrian's Cycleway, NCN72, approx. 15 km, some malicious bollards at junctions, well signposted). The Newcastle to Edinburgh intercity transports bicycles, but advance booking is required. One train a day to Inverness.

Popular bike tours

There are some organized folk bike tours. It can be exciting to take part in these if you happen to be in the area. The purpose of these bike tours is to collect donations for a good cause, so it is expected that the participants either pay an entry fee (7-15 £) or collect donations in advance. Return transport by train / bus is organized (costs extra).

  • Edinburgh-St Andrews: Usually on the third Saturday in June. Start: Edinburgh Market Street, about 110 km on side streets, around 700 participants. Entry fee is £ 7 and all income and donations go to LEPRA (British Leprosy Relief).
  • Pedal for Scotland: Mostly the last Sunday in August. Glasgow (George Square) - Edinburgh along side streets, approx. 80 km, around 2000 participants. Entry fee £ 15 (£ 10 prepaid). Income and donations are used for different purposes every year (2006: Leukaemia Research).

literature

  • Kay Wewior: The Scotland Bike Travel Book. A bike tour guide. Nordhausen 2008 (2nd edition). ISBN 978-3-8334-4853-9 .
  • Scotland by bike: CYKLOS bicycle travel guide. A cycling guide to mainland and islands in Scotland. The stage network of 80 suggested routes in Newcastle ties in with "England by bike". ISBN 3-921939-68-2
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