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New gravel route unveiled in 'perfect biking area'

Cycling UK Two people on bikes cycle past a large stone with rugged hills in the background and a loch up aheadCycling UK
The new route is the first entirely Scottish one for Cycling UK

A charity best known for its long-distance bikepacking trails has launched its first entirely Scottish route.

Cycling UK said the 330km (205 mile) Gallovidian Gravel itinerary in Dumfries and Galloway offered a a sense of adventure, history, heritage and nature.

It was produced working with adventure bikepackers and route designers Guy Kesteven and Kieran Foster.

The route starts in Dumfries and has been designed in three intersecting loops to allow riders of all experience levels to enjoy a "taster" trip.

Cycling UK A map showing the path of a cycle route across Dumfries and GallowayCycling UK
The route is made up of three loops to allow riders to get a "taster"

South-west Scotland enjoys a growing reputation for gravel riding thanks, in particular, to the annual Gralloch event in Gatehouse of Fleet.

Cycling UK said it aimed to "bring more people to lesser-known areas of the UK to boost local economies and help more people experience the wellbeing benefits of cycling".

Bicycle tourism has been estimated to be worth billions of pounds annually across Europe and support thousands of small businesses.

Survey data collected by Cycling UK along its King Alfred's Way route in 2020 demonstrated that on average each person riding the route spent more than £100-a-day.

Commercial director Katie Hammond said: "It's always exciting to be able to unveil a new route, knowing that at the same time, it'll boost the local businesses and communities, connecting more of our cities, towns and villages."

Kesteven, who helped plan the route, said they had worked hard to take in "traffic free paths and quiet back lanes, linking trail centres, craggy coasts, smugglers coves, seemingly endless forests and wild mountainscapes".

"Despite being the closest part of Scotland to England, the area remains largely overlooked and undiscovered," he said.

"It's somewhere you can experience the wild solitude of Scotland's dark sky parks, whilst also taking in deep history, delightful towns, villages, remote farms and stunning scenery at every turn.

"In short, it really has been the perfect biking area to build a route in."

Routes are free to download from the Cycling UK website as a GPX file, ready to use with a cycling computer or smartphone.

Alongside the file, riders will also receive essential safety tips about how to ride responsibly and respect the countryside.