Routes and Roads - Southern Scotland and Borders
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This region goes from Perth on the edge of the Highlands south through the Kingdom of Fife, over the Forth to the Border just north of Berwick upon Tweed. Then it cuts south west to Carlisle and the Solway Firth. It’s where most people live in Scotland and has some excellent biking areas. Where to start..?. There’s the NE of Fife (known as the East Neuk), the boundary of the Highlands at Crieff and Lochearnhead, down into the Southern Uplands on glorious winding roads and the stunning forest and hill country of Galloway. The Ayshire coast road south of Ayr to Stranraer is stunning. There’s Edinburgh to Moffat. Along the Tweed valley. And plenty of short local routes known to local Ducatisti, who are always ready to point out good routes.
Popular Meet Places
The Glen Tearoom on the A708 Selkirk-Moffat road beside the Loch of the
Lowes. A biker-friendly place in a stunning location beside the loch. Great
for sitting outside in the sunshine in summer.
Powmill tearoom in Fife on the A977 Kincardine Bridge-Milnathort. Plenty
of space to park up and friendly too.
Clatteringshaws Loch tearoom on the A712 a few miles west of Castle Douglas.
Bike friendly and good food. 
Roads
A701 Moffat north to Edinburgh - o'er the Devilsbeeftub, stunning scenery
and flowing bends make for one of the best biking roads anywhere in the world.
A72 Blyth Bridge-Selkirk - A
lovely winding road running through the border hills and along the Tweed
valley. Beware of wet leaves on the road in Autumn.
A708 Selkirk-Moffat - Stunning
scenery as the road works its way into the Border hills around St Mary’s
Loch and the Loch of the Lowes. Stop at the café next to the loch before
continuing to Moffat, up and over the summit into Dumfries-shire and past the
Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall. The last few miles into Moffat are a bit bumpy
if you’re on a sportsbike, though. And watch out for the peacocks at one
of the houses in the forest section near Moffat.
B7020 Moffat-Lochmaben-Annan - A
quiet country road through beautiful open farmland and the tidy village of Lochmaben.
A719 Ayr-Girvan - If
you like riding along with the smell of the sea in your nostrils and a stunning
view across the Firth of Clyde to Arran and Kintyre then this elevated run along
the coast is for you.
A714/712 Girvan-New Galloway - Plenty
of twisty bits on this road as it climbs inland away from Girvan. Take care !.
Then it winds along through the beautiful Galloway forests before following the
river Dee down to the town of Newton Stewart. Take a left here on the A712 for
New Galloway for yet more of this superb terrain. Get refreshed at the tearoom
at the nature reserve at Loch Clatteringshaws.
A70 Cumnock (Ayrshire) – Balerno (Midlothian) - Not
as well known as it deserves to be but this is a great cross-country road which
passes through few towns or villages and always allows good progress to be made.
The first section from Cumnock can be a bit bumpy but you are soon out in the
open countryside and happily zipping along without much traffic most of the time.
There are good views of Tinto Hill and the Pentlands as you get towards Balerno
in the outer suburbs of Edinburgh.
A821 Aberfoyle-Callander - This
one has to be listed as it involves the climb over the Dukes Pass. It’s
a short, scenic section but one which is let down a bit by a poor surface and
lots of tourists in summer and most weekends.
A85 Perth-Crianlarich - A road which is understandably
popular with local Ducati owners. From Perth onwards you are getting closer to
the hills which mark the boundary of the Highlands. You soon get away from the
town of Perth and you soon get to Crieff through rolling open farmland with great
views over the big expanse of Strathearn to your left. Some nice wiggly bits
just before Crieff warm you up for the next section, which takes you fairly rapidly
through the villages of Comrie to St Fillans at the end of Loch Earn, which is
very scenic. However, you probably don’t want to stop here and you don’t
need to as the next five miles or so along the lochside are stunning. In summer
you feel you are going through a green tunnel at times, with the dense trees
along the twisty lochside road. After that you probably do want to stop at the
village of Lochearnhead, which has several pubs and cafes to choose from.
A826/827 Crieff-Aberfeldy - This
takes you north into the highlands from Crieff and soon has you climbing up into
the hills and on through the Sma’ Glen up onto wide open moorland scenery.
Eventually you drop steeply down to Aberfeldy, where you might be glad of a rest
and a cuppa.
A85/A827 Crianlarich-Ballinluig - A fast road through
mountain, loch and forest scenery. Killin is a scenic place to stop, as is Kenmore
at the E end of Loch Tay. On through Aberfeldy on some very twisty flowing road
and you reach Ballinluig at the junction of the boring-for-bikes A9 Perth-Inverness
road.
A916 (true !) Cupar-Buckhaven - This Fife road is a must
for the Ducati connotations. Which other country names a road after a famous
motorcycle ?!. Not specially wonderful but pleasant nonetheless and if you have
a real 916 you can stop at one of the road signs and take a photo with a readymade
caption. See
what others think of this road
A823 Crieff-Dunfermline - After
setting out from Crieff across the flat of Strathearn and up to Gleneagles on
long straight stretches this is always an exhilirating ride. From Gleneagles
the road cuts through the Ochil Hills with many great twisties and good views.
At Glendevon the road cuts over to Rumbling Bridge and Powmill (good tearoom
on the left just as you hit the village), where a left turn whips the road up
and over past the Knockhill racing circuit in its windswept location up in the
hills overlooking the Firth of Forth.
A706 Forth-Breich - A short
piece of amusement, this one. A few miles of rollercoaster tarmac – take
seasick pills first!
Port Seton-North Berwick - If
you like a short, invigorating blast along a twisty road beside the shoreline
go for this one. Watch out for cars driven by blind people reversing out of the
shoreside car parks onto the road !.