Remains of Craighead Viaduct (geograph 1664904) Remains of Craighead Viaduct (geograph 1664904). Photo: Lairich Rig / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Open the interactive map → Map of NCN 74 - Scottish Borders

Official route · Sustrans

NCN 74 - Scottish Borders

142.8 km 1182 m climbing About 2 days 3% off road Road cycling Lake District & Cumbria

The route runs north from the Solway plain through Gretna Green and along the Annandale corridor before climbing steadily through Crawford and Abington into the Southern Uplands.

The terrain is open and exposed on the higher ground between Raecleugh Farm and Abington, with settlements thinning out noticeably. North of Lesmahagow the line drops toward the Clyde valley and the settlements come quickly again through Hamilton, Blantyre and Bothwell to Uddingston. Nearly all of it is on road.

The figures

Distance142.8 km
Climbing1182 m
Off road5 km, about 3% of the route
Riding timeabout 7 hours, roughly 2 days at a moderate pace
RegionLake District & Cumbria
Route fromSustrans

Worth knowing before you go

The gap between Gateside and Crawford is long and rural, with few settlements and limited resupply. Ecclefechan, Crawford, Abington and Lesmahagow are the most reliable points to restock along the way. The route is straightforward to navigate for most of its length, but the section through the tightly spaced settlements approaching Uddingston at the northern end requires attention.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

Plan this route → Download the GPX

Other route guides

NCN 74 - Scottish Borders is an official route from Sustrans (their website).