Holiday Highlights
- Cycling past the dramatic Tynemouth Priory
- Miles of pristine dunes and sandy beaches at Druridge Bay
- Stunning vistas as you approach imposing Bamburgh Castle
- Your first glimpse of Edinburgh from the Moorfoot hills
- The rugged beauty of the borders
- Flexibility to choose your own start date or one of our great value scheduled departure dates
- A celebratory dram in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat
Itinerary
Getting to Newcastle is easy. If you are planning to arrive by air, there is an airport at Newcastle with direct services to Newcastle Central train station. For those arriving by car, you will be able to leave your vehicle at your accommodation at no additional cost, or if the train is your preferred transport mode, you can either take a taxi from the station to your accommodation or it is just a short 10-15 minute walk away.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 450 Metres Approx.
Our Skedaddle representative will meet you this morning to provide you with your map and to talk you through how to use the navigation app.
You will then start your journey from the accommodation by cycling along the Newcastle quayside past the Millennium Bridge heading eastwards along the River Tyne to the coast. You will soon find yourself passing through the heart of the former ship building area of the Tyne. At Wallsend, the end of Hadrian’s Wall, keep an eye out for Segedunum Roman Fort Museum.
Continuing along close to the river you soon reach the Fish Quays of North Shields, where you’ll find a bustling little harbour. You are now at the mouth of the Tyne. A few more pedal turns lead you along the quayside, past Lord Collingwood and up a short hill into Tynemouth. This is a great place for a late morning coffee or to stock up on snacks for the miles ahead. From here you continue along the seafront, past the Victorian resort of Whitley Bay and on to the seaport of Blyth. You’ll soon leave the urban surroundings behind and pass into much more open countryside and quiet country lanes.
The next point of interest is the stunning Druridge Bay. With its seven mile sandy beach, nature reserve and some of Northumberland’s biggest sand dunes it is a real treat. Just a short distance on is Amble which proudly declares itself as ‘the friendliest port’ before you arrive into Warkworth with it’s impressive castle and onto your accommodation for the evening.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 600 Metres Approx.
Leaving Warkworth behind, you cycle towards the impressive medieval castles of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh and the attractive coastal village of Craster.
At Bamburgh, as well as the castle in its dramatic setting on a rocky outcrop, there is the Grace Darling museum, a famous heroine of the lifeboats. Just past Bamburgh you come to Holy Island, otherwise known as Lindisfarne, a key site in early Christianity and the place where the Lindisfarne Gospels were created in the 8th century. If the tide and time allows, it’s worth a visit by crossing the tidal causeway. From Holy Island, it’s on to the Elizabethan border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, with its complex defences built up over the years of border wars.
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 700 Metres Approx.
From Berwick-upon-Tweed, it’s inland along the Tweed valley to Melrose.
On the way you’ll cross the border into Scotland, then back into England over the famous Union Suspension Bridge, that spans the River Tweed between Horncliffe in Northumberland and Fishwick in the Scottish Borders. At the Chainbridge Honey Farm, you can get a cup of tea and feast yourselves on yummy cakes and enjoy them on a bright green Bristol Lodekka double decker bus (it’s travelled a long way!). As the name implies, you can buy lots of honey there too.
A few miles on you cross back into Scotland at Norham Castle, and on to Kelso, with the impressive Floors Castle. The final section today takes you into Melrose, famed for its impressive Gothic-style abbey, which is thought to be the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart!
- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 900 Metres Approx.
Leaving Melrose, you continue along the increasingly deep Tweed Valley, surrounded by forested hills and following the course of this famous salmon river to Innerleithen, home to Traquair House, reputedly the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland. The busy little town of Innerleithen is well known for its mountain biking scene, and no doubt you will see armoured and full face helmeted riders around the town. Heading north out of Innerleithen the route climbs up and over the Moorfoot Hills, with views of Edinburgh in the distance.
Dropping down from the hills and heading through Dalkeith and Musselburgh you make your way into Edinburgh through the Innocent Tunnel and past Arthur’s Seat to the finish point. Here you will be met by our Skedaddle representative where you will either start your return journey home by train or be transferred back to Newcastle.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
The route has some sections of urban riding, on quiet roads or purpose built cycle paths, but most of the route follows quiet country lanes, cycle tracks, and some bridleways.
The route mostly consists of a mix of tarmac and some compact gravel surfaces, meaning the ride can be completed on almost any type of bike. There are also a few off-road sections, with paths across grassy fields or farm tracks, including short steep sections, narrow bridges with gates and steps, where you will need to dismount, and a section along a muddy clifftop track, which is unsuitable for road bikes. However, there are tarmac alternatives to the standard route for these off-road sections if preferred.
It is possible to use an e-bike on this holiday. Although there are no significant climbs or long passes on the route, an e-bike could be beneficial to get you up some of the short, steep climbs if you are after a bit of a boost. Please note, e-bikes are generally heavier than standard bikes, so it is worth considering when handling the bike over some of the rougher / uneven terrain.
For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here
Coast and Castles uses a part of the National Cycle Network, a route from the charity, Sustrans, who are working to make it easier for everyone to cycle in the UK. Skedaddle will donate to Sustrans for every mile that you and others ride on this route with us. If you fancy donating more to Sustrans, you can choose to make your own donation for the development of the National Cycle Network when you make a booking with us.
Leisure Cycling Grade
Moderate/Active – Aspects of both our grade 3 and 4 holidays. Suitable for the leisure cyclist who rides frequently, and who’s comfortable with some moderately challenging climbs. Some of the terrain may vary, potentially including sections of uneven or unpaved ground.
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Holidays that are graded as a 3-4, will have aspects of both our grade 3 and 4 holidays. These tours are suitable for those who keep themselves relatively fit and maybe enjoy an afternoon out on the bikes at the weekend. Your preference may be for flatter terrain, but you don’t mind tackling some hills, the occasional steep climb and some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc.). It might be however that on some days the distances will be longer than a standard grade 3 trip, or some of the climbs may be quite challenging. You may also require some previous experience of tackling some uneven / unpaved ground to comfortably and safely ride certain sections of the route.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Dates & Prices
Daily departures available from April to end of September, call us about October. Choose your own dates from:
2025 £935 per person
You either can make a booking online or over the phone. Once we have your details, we’ll be able to check availability.
SAVE ON 2025 EARLY SEASON ESCAPES!
Book your early cycling escape before the 31st of October and save £45. Applies to departures between the 1st April and the 30th April 2025. Apply the promo code FYR2025 when you book. Your discount will be applied once your booking is confirmed.
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a £150 deposit and nothing more to pay until 30 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included
A) Accommodation (shared twin/ double rooms)
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Access to an app for holiday information and navigation
D) A printed map
E) Luggage transfer service
F) Local Skedaddle representative
G) Emergency tool kit, pump etc. (if renting your bike from Skedaddle)
H) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included
A) Bike and helmet rental (available if required)
B) Travel or flight costs or charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to cultural or historical sites and visitor centres
I) Other optional activities
The Essentials
News, Reviews & Stories
8 reasons to cycle Northumberland
Lose yourself in this beautiful county, riding off into the hills, admiring endless coastal skies and immersing yourself in the ancient history.
12 hours in...Newcastle
Stopping off in Newcastle pre/post trip? Don't miss our ultimate guide to the city.
Reviews
Katriona, Warwickshire, UKA very personal service...We absolutely loved our 4 day cycle in the NE. The route was absolutely fantastic and on the whole the weather was good. Beautiful!
The team at Skedaddle were helpful and supportive from the word go. The office team were impressive in their attention to detail and the support provided by our driver on the trip was also very good.
As a whole it was a very personal service, so I would say it is very good value for money. Thank you.
Elaine, NorthamptonshireBeautiful scenery...Amble to Berwick Upon Tweed was our favourite day – beautiful scenery and good weather.
Everyone was very helpful when planning the trip, including when we had to call for assistance on our last day, due to our friend being taken poorly. The app was really useful and we made good use of it!
We would like to say a special thank you to our transfer driver, he was very understanding and went well over his usual working hours to assist us in an unexpected situation.
Allan, BuckinghamshireVery good...We all had a great time. You even organised good weather for us,despite forecasts of heavy rain nearly every day.
All contact with you was excellent. Alison organised everything brilliantly & I particularly like the contact you made with us a few days before we went making sure everything was ok and providing emergency contacts. Peter was also excellent,briefing us before departure and getting us back to Newcastle on the last day – a really nice man.
Eve, KentLoved the contrast...Loved the contrast between the first two days of sea and beaches and the third and fourth days of rural views and some hills.
Sophie, WorcestershireWe didn't have to worry...Our representative was an excellent ambassador for Skedaddle, gave us a warm welcome and a great trip back from Edinburgh through beautiful Borders countryside and lots of anecdotes, very highly recommended.
We didn’t have to worry about the luggage at all, it was always there. Very friendly and prompt communication from Skedaddle.
Karen, DevonThe route is so well thought outEvery day was brilliant, you turned a corner or came over a hill to another beautiful view, sometimes taking our breath away. We were totally spoilt with the most wonderful weather, the sun shone every day and at times we were the only ones on the trails and roads – the route on the whole is so well thought out that over the total distance of 200 miles we think we only were on a main road for a total of no more than 5 miles over the whole 4 days! After 4 days of almost solitude on the roads arriving in Edinburgh was a bit of a shock!! The coastal days were so beautiful and then the feeling of getting to the top of the hills on the last day and the views were brilliant too.
The E bike I hired was brilliant thank you, no issues at all and the little extras like the phone holder and drink holder just made my ride easier. I took so many photos on the trip as my phone was close to hand. The bike was a perfect fit and was so easy to ride. We would definitely look at booking again with you as the peace of mind that you were there for back up if anything happened to us or the bikes was very reassuring.
HelenSkedaddle to the rescue!Skedaddle came out with a replacement bike when my son’s chain set was severely twisted in a fall and un repairable. I am sure we could have found another solution but Skedaddle were excellent collecting his bike and bringing another within a matter of hours and keeping lost holiday time to an absolute minimum.