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
- A celebratory dram in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat
- Flexibility to choose your own start date
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: 445 Metres Approx.
Your journey starts by cycling along the Newcastle quayside past the Millennium Bridge as you head 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 and at Wallsend – the end of Hadrian’s Wall you’ll need to 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 very mouth of the Tyne and a few more pedal turns lead along its quayside, pass Lord Collingwood and you’ll reach 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. Next comes Amble which proudly declares itself as ‘the friendliest port’ before arriving into Warkworth with it’s impressive castle and onto your accommodation for the evening.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 295 Metres Approx.
Leaving Warkworth behind your route takes you 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 rock outcrop, there is the Grace Darling museum, a famous heroine of the lifeboats.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 335 Metres Approx.
Just up the coast from Bamburgh you come to Lindisfarne, otherwise known as Holy Island, 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 well worth the additional 7 mile round trip to visit the island 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, and your accommodation for the night.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 375 Metres Approx.
From Berwick-upon-Tweed, it’s inland, along the Tweed valley to Kelso. 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 an old green double decker bus! 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 and your first night spent over the border!
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 635 Metres Approx.
This morning you head to Melrose, famed for its impressive Gothic-style abbey, which is thought to be the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart! 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.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
- Ascent: 595 Metres Approx.
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.
Show ProfileUnderstanding Profiles
Use these profiles to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- Ascent / Descent in metres (vertical axis)
Click 'see gradient' to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- % Gradient (vertical axis)
Please check the scales on both graphs, and both axes as they both may differ from day to day.
White vertical lines indicate unpaved sections or slightly rougher terrain. Using both graphs, alongside the grading and terrain information provided, will give you a full picture of how flat, bumpy or steep the climbing on your particular tour is going to be. Please keep in mind this is an indicative guide and GPS units and software produce different statistical information.
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
Aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 trips
Suitable for those looking for some cycle friendly routes
Some modest climbs
Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc)
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?
Trips that are graded as a 2-3, will have aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 rides. These tours are still suitable for those perhaps who have recently got into cycling, and offer an array of accessible, cycle friendly routes, cycle paths and quiet roads, however there will be some days / sections where you may have to tackle some ups and downs, the occasional steeper climb and perhaps some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc). Suitable for those with a decent level of physical fitness, looking for some leisurely rides with occasional (achievable!) challenges along the way.
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 $1610 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.
Alternatively for a great value trip choose one of our scheduled weekend departures below:
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a $250 deposit and nothing more to pay until 60 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
Jonathan, Somerset, UKA great antidote!My favourite day was probably day 2, though day 3 was close. Lovely scenery up the coast with plenty of off road trails. The weather also helped!
Cycling is a great antidote to the COVID restrictions in our daily lives, the sense of freedom is great, and whilst out on the bike all is as if normal.
Hugo, NetherlandsIncredible coastal route...Bamberg to Berwick, with the holy island, and incredible nice coastal route was my favourite day. Also the last day through the Moorfoot hills, the 5th day along the river with Melrose, and the second day from Warkworth to Bamburgh were also wonderful… in fact all routes were very nice! We were glad we didn’t take the detours because all roads were do-able.
Michael, IndianapolisAmazing!It was an amazing time. Of course good weather (except for one day of start to finish rain), helps but even that day had its virtues. Our accommodations were wonderful and the food was just wonderful. The sites were beautiful and the route fairly easy to navigate.
Sarah, London, UKThe organisation of everything was perfect!We really enjoyed the holiday – the organisation of everything was perfect, the bikes were great, route wonderful and staff at Skedaddle couldn’t have been more helpful. Thank you!
Everything from my first contact with the office, to the bike man and the explanation about how it all works, the bikes, the notes we received, the transfer of luggage, the last contact from the same member of office staff (which was a nice touch!), to meeting our guides on the first day, was great.
Organisation of the accommodation all went according to plan! All the accommodation was good quality and had very ample breakfasts and we enjoyed the variety between B&Bs and hotels. All were great in accommodating our bikes. Every day had such variety that each was great in its own way. The Sustrans route 1 is amazing! We loved the coast, the country lanes, going past such wonderful scenery and the opportunity to visit some of the sights along the way as there was enough time to do it all. We wanted to go from A to B, but also to look at things along the way and have time to see more of the final destination each day, all of which we managed.