Dumfries and Galloway

With miles of picturesque, rocky shorelines and acres of dense forests, the lowlands are a supremely beautiful and peaceful place to be.

The vivid variety of the landscape here means there’s every kind of cycling for every kind of cyclist, with countless trails that ribbon through the vast countryside.

The region will play host to the Para-cycling Road events at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. But if the non-stop action gets too intense, a walk around the Logan Botanic Garden is a great way to unwind and refresh the mind.

Home to truly remarkable plants (including some exotic beauties from South and Central America, Southern Africa and Australasia), this is unquestionably one of

Fast Fact

Scotland’s most special gardens. If you visit on a sunny August day, the vibe will be truly tropical.

MUST-DO

Situated by the beautiful Loch Ken, there’s loads to do for adults and kids at the Galloway Activity Centre. Take your pick from kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, climbing, archery, mountain biking, laser combatting and Scotland’s first 40ft-high swing. Or even better: do everything.

MUST-SEE

There are five major whisky producing regions in Scotland: Speyside, Islay, Highlands, Campbeltown and Lowlands. Annandale Distillery is a fine example of a Lowland distillery, first opened in 1836 and reborn in 2014 following an extensive restoration project. Despite the much needed modernisation, the master distillers at Annandale still make whisky according to traditional methods. Well worth a visit whether you take the full tour or just sample some of their wares.

MUST-RIDE

The stunning Drumlanrig estate offers 9000 beautiful acres to explore, while the Solway Coast 200 will take you from the wild cliffs of Scotland’s most southerly point to the English border at Greta Green. The region is also home to five of the 7stanes trail centres - worldclass mountain biking centres spanning the south of Scotland, each with their own unique stone sculpture.

Fast Fact

The Dundee docks is home to the HMS Unicorn, the world’s 6th oldest ship. And don’t miss the RRS Discovery, the ship Captain Robert Falcon Scott captained to the Antarctic.

Dundee

The ideal city break location with a historic waterfront and buzzing cultural scene, there’s loads to see and do in Scotland’s city of discovery.

The heat is well and truly on in Scotland’s sunniest city as it hosts the Gran Fondo Time Trials and welcomes all to the bonnie banks of the River Tay.

A compact and accessible city, Dundee is brilliant for walking and even better for biking as you can see and do so much in just one day.

MUST-DO

If adventure is your thing, Wild Shore Dundee is your place. Set in the beautiful City Quay, the watersports facility offers an aqua park, cable wakeboarding, ringo and stand up paddle (SUP) boarding sessions – perfect for cooling down after riding your bike round the city.

MUST-SEE

V&A Dundee is the first ever purpose-built design museum in Scotland, where you can experience the story of Scotland’s design past, present and future. The breathtaking building, designed by Kengo Kuma, sits at the heart of Dundee’s stunning waterfront regeneration.

MUST-RIDE

The Green Circular is a 26mile cycle route round the city, linking big parks while staying away from main roads, and with helpful signs pointing out all the interesting things along the way. If you fancy venturing further afield, the Sidlaw Hills are a great place to start. And if you left your bike at home, don’t worry. Dundee Cycle Hub has you covered.

From off-street paths and former railway lines to sea view esplanades, explore Scotland’s capital city on two wheels. Plan your visit www.edinburgh.org/cycling

Edinburgh

Scotland’s capital is a city like no other, home to ancient streets, gothic buildings, hidden pubs, secret shortcuts and some truly special cycling.

In Scotland’s gloriously charismatic capital, the Medieval Old Town sits side by side with the Georgian New Town, combining a oneof-a-kind history, heritage, culture, place and people, all crowned by the iconic Edinburgh Castle sitting atop an extinct volcano. The city is no stranger to drama, and despite all those bumpy cobbled streets, legions of bikes will descend on Edinburgh, as the start line of the Men Elite Road Race for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

MUST-DO

No visit is complete without a wander around the mighty and miraculous Edinburgh

Castle. The castle houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny, the famous 15th century gun Mons Meg, the One o’Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland. In addition to guided tours provided by the castle stewards, there is an audio guide tour available in eight languages. The audio tour takes the visitor on a tour around the castle, explains its architecture, and tells its dramatic history.

MUST-SEE

The National Museum of Scotland is one of the UK’s top 10 visitor attractions for a reason. Well, lots of reasons. With breathtakingly diverse collections you can adventure through the history of Scotland, the wonders of nature, art and design, science and technology, and world cultures – all under one roof.

Fast Fact

11-time UCI World Champ, six-time Olympic Champion and Edinburgh’s favourite son, Sir Chris Hoy, was born in Murrayfield in 1976.

MUST-RIDE

Miles and miles of traffic-free bike routes make Edinburgh a great cycling city. Some essential cycling spots include the Royal Botanic Garden, the Union Canal and Arthur’s Seat, a favourite climb for locals. Getting out of the city is glorious too, with gorgeous scenery and spectacular shorelines to explore in every direction.