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Edinburgh to Newcastle

(22 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by panyagua
  • Latest reply from panyagua
  • This topic is resolved

  1. panyagua
    Member

    Can anyone suggest a route from Edinburgh (or ideally the FRB) to Newcastle that could be accomplished in two roughly equal days, is reasonably direct, not too busy with motor traffic, and avoids steep hills if possible? I know that's a lot of criteria, but Mrs Panyagua and I are thinking of a wee jaunt to the Netherlands in April via the Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry, and we'd love to be able to ride it all from home. However we'll be loaded with panniers, and time constraints mean we couldn't really take more than two days.

    Any suggestions?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  2. CocoShepherd
    Member

    The national cycle route 1 is perfect for this although would be a push to do it in two equal days with loaded bikes. You'd need to do ~70 miles or so each day. On the plus side its a flat route as it hugs the coast almost the whole way, and some really spectacular scenery. More info here https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/coast-and-castles-south-newcastle-to-edinburgh/

    Edit: and largely free of traffic
    Edited edit: takes you right past the ferry terminal

    Posted 4 years ago #

  3. acsimpson
    Member

    @CocoShepherd, Are there still unsurfaced stretches of it somewhere north/south of Berwick?

    Posted 4 years ago #

  4. Roibeard
    Member

    Any suggestions?

    Take the (LNER) train. It will be bad enough cycling from the station to the ferry, and coming back it will be sickening (having gone natively-Dutch, UK cycling will be a shock to the system).

    LNER because their services have (had?) better cycle & pannier storage in a guard's van, rather than the commuter-orientated (if one could even be that chartiable) cupboards.

    I thought (possibly wrongly) that the NCN route had some significant hills around Eyemouth (at least).

    Robert

    Posted 4 years ago #

  5. Roibeard
    Member

    PS - I've got Dutch cycle maps if you want to borrow some. They're not easy to obtain on this side and their navigation system is blissfully easy, possibly even more so than reliance on GPS...

    Robert

    Posted 4 years ago #

  6. panyagua
    Member

    Thanks for replies - I did wonder if NCN1 might be the way to go, but experience tells me the routes can be very indirect with detours through bland (and sometimes intimidating) housing estates. But I guess we wouldn't be going through many large centres of population apart from Newcastle itself, so will look into it. 70 miles a day isn't out of the question - we both ride 200km Audaxes from time to time - but would need to make allowance for being laden.

    @roibeard -will probably take your advice for the return journey, although I gather the new Azuma trains aren't particularly accommodating when it comes to bikes. And thanks for your kind offer of a loan of the Dutch cycle maps: that would be excellent. I'll send you a PM if and when we're committed to making the trip.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  7. Frenchy
    Member

    I think going via Dunbar to Berwick would be better than following NCN 1 over the granites. Flatter, shorter and easier to say "Sod this, let's get the next train" anyway.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  8. amir
    Member

    Great idea - it's great over there and the ferry is super.

    How about taking the train to Tweedbank and starting from there? You could take a fairly flat way over to Etal (follow the Tweed on the other side from the main road) then make your way to the NCN 1 on the coast.

    The cyclepath from the ferry port to Newcastle train station is relatively good for here and mainly off-road - but somewhat hiller and glass strewn than in the NL. It takes longer than you'd think, especially with panniers. It's also pretty hard to find a good way between the river where it starts and the station.

    The Fietsnoop app is brilliant for route finding (point to point Dutch style) and it will download gps tracks (which is good if you forget to look out for the numbered points). The maps are good for overall planning but the app is more up-to-date and zoomable.

    Take bells! And make sure your brakes work (for the towns - with mad fellow cyclists). Also look up in advance what the street signs mean. It is worth knowing the difference between cyclists permitted and prohibited.

    We may be going as well sometime in the spring (or to England or to France or ....)

    Posted 4 years ago #

  9. acsimpson
    Member

    @Frenchy, good point. It's the 76 which takes the coast to Berwick. The maps are available here https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ncn

    Posted 4 years ago #

  10. neddie
    Member

    One thing to bear in mind on the Newcastle - Amsterdam ferry is they have a captive market for meals.

    There are no sandwiches or other substantial snacks available to buy on board.

    So you are forced into buying an all-you-can-eat dinner and an all-you-can-eat breakfast at £30 per head and £18 per head respectively, no matter how hungry you may or may not be.

    For a family of 4, the meals ended up costing as much as the ferry ticket! I wouldn't have minded so much if I had known in advance (and had the option of either buying something beforehand or stumping up)

    It's nice to have a relaxed breakfast before getting going in NL, but I wouldn't bother with breakfast on the way back as you have to get up early and end up rushing it. Just get something in a nearby food emporium in or around Newcastle.

    Grrrh!

    Posted 4 years ago #

  11. Morningsider
    Member

    NCN1 goes over the Granites! That's some serious hills for heavily laden bikes. NCN76, along the cost, is flatter but involves a killer hill at Pease Bay. Both routes converge just before Berwick upon Tweed, where you have you skelp across the A1.

    On balance, I would go the coastal route.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  12. PS
    Member

    So you are forced into buying an all-you-can-eat dinner and an all-you-can-eat breakfast at £30 per head and £18 per head respectively, no matter how hungry you may or may not be.

    For breakfast the best plan is to wait until you get off the boat, progress directly to Boulangerie Oscar, 500m along the quayside from the ferry terminal, and load up on fantastic breads, cakes and pastries (almond croissant and their ham and cheese croissant both highly commended). There's a decent friendly café next door for all your caffeinated needs as well.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  13. amir
    Member

    The breakfast is really good though, especially for cyclists and if you book in advance it is much cheaper - £8 or £9 for eat all you can. And you have plenty of time as the arrival time is 9.15 or 9.45am. The quality is very good, especially of the baked goods.

    For the evening meal, we generally get something from the supermarket (salad, sushi) and spend the saving on beer (5 euros a pint).

    Posted 4 years ago #

  14. Greenroofer
    Member

    The killer hill at Pease Bay (which, like life, is nasty, brutish and short) is part of a longer climb that features in the 'Scottish Lowland Hill Climbs' book. Steady, rather than steep, but worth being aware of before you commit to it with panniers.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  15. LaidBack
    Member

    @amir
    I think that's a great suggestion as much more rewarding to cycle through. Could go out one way and back the other.
    @roibeard
    LNER have effectively blockaded trips to and from Scotland using the new Amuzas from a cycling point of view. Such a shame - will they bother much about trying to win that trade back?

    Adventure Syndicate's Jenny Graham, Lee Craigie and friends did the coastal route on way to Denmark at Christmas and even they found it hard - took two days. Ok - they were on cargo bikes taking turns at carrying each other!

    Posted 4 years ago #

  16. amir
    Member

    I remember a ride with Cyclingmollie, DaveC, Kaputnik, Uberuce plus another. It was Uberuce's first 100 mile ride (nothing previously anywhere near that distance) and he did it on a fixie. We went via Pease Bay to St Abbs. To this day, I don't know how he got up that hill.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  17. CocoShepherd
    Member

    Yeah sorry I meant to add that I'd recommend you follow the route from Edinburgh via Dunbar to Berwick, rather than the official route 1 that goes up the hills.

    @acsimpson there is a horribly unsurfaced section south of Berwick and there's even a point further down in Northumberland that takes you on the beach. It's pretty easy though to find an alternative route and all the surrounding roads tend to be very quiet as cars use the A1. Actually the whole NCN route meanders a bit and its relatively simple to adapt and take more direct roads wherever you want, then join back up later with the official route. It's also well signed for the entire journey which helps.

    I've done Newcastle to Edinburgh twice going this route and it's really really genuinely fantastic. @panyagua I'm very jealous and wish I was going with you

    Posted 4 years ago #

  18. CocoShepherd
    Member

    As has also been pointed out, going via Dunbar and Berwick gives you options to get the train if you find it hard going. The route south of Berwick is nicer so if there is part of the route that you want to skip on the train then I'd skip Edinburgh to Dunbar or Berwick.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  19. gembo
    Member

    @cocoshepherd, do you mean the bit in Northumberland in the national park? It is a rough track, bizarrely when I was doing it there was a row of cottages and a work colleague was out in her garden when I went by. We did Newcastle to tynemouth - nice, turned corner v. Windy through the dilapidated holiday town, up through Blyth and that was windy then once beyond the Allan smelter and into rural Northumberland totally lovely. We went to Howick and stayed in a great B and B next day out to Farne Islands then on to Berwick. We were v. Early for train so caught an earlier one and they were cool with the bikes not being booked.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  20. CocoShepherd
    Member

    Actually I was meaning the stretch a couple of miles south of Berwick which from memory takes you along the cliffs. But you're right, the track through Druridge Bay (if that's where you mean) is rough, I think large gravel? Druridge Bay is lovely though, in the right light the water looks turquoise and with a bit of sun on your back it's heaven. Northumberland coast is totally underrated. You were lucky to get your bike on without booking, must have charmed the guard

    Posted 4 years ago #

  21. gembo
    Member

    @cocoshepherd, got you, kind of through fields and then along road at south end of berwick. All lovely.

    As is lindisfarne, Budle Bay, Bamburgh,, Belford, warkworth, et cetera. if you avoid friday and Saturday nights and go when geordie schools are still going (ie early July) you dont see many folk apart from Edinburgh humans.

    Bamburgh had poor signal so you would meet people you knew out on the green phoning home. I met @nelly formerly of this parish I recollect. Big fan of Northumberland. If you ever locate an actual local in north Northumberland they can be a tad Thrawn. But i do Thrawn. Down by Haltwhistle etc more used to company but all I and all there is nobody there really.

    Posted 4 years ago #

  22. panyagua
    Member

    Thanks for all the information everybody - can rely on CCE to answer the questions I should have asked, as well as the ones I did ask!

    @amir - I did wonder if starting from Tweedbank could be a good option, so might look into that.

    I know Northumberland reasonably well, but mainly the hilly inland routes. Although like @gembo I did ride to Bamburgh and have a random encounter with friends from home.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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