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A pleasant undulating 21.5 mile route from Lanark to Thankerton, passing under the shoulder of Tinto hill, Lanarkshire's highest hill.
Known as the Hill of Fire , the cairn at the top is visible from many parts of this route.
Start at Lanark Station. Turn left on the B7017 briefly, and at the roundabout take the second exit onto the A73 Hyndford road (though an immediate left turn after the station into Whitelees road, and then right into Home street, avoids the busier traffic for a short section - it re-emerges onto the cycle lane on the A73). Follow the A73 past Lanark Loch (Via point 1 - 1 mile) and the disused racecourse and market, straight on (still on the A73) through the Cameronians roundabout, and descend to the centuries old Hyndford bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right and immediate left on to the roadside cycle path. (Via point 2). Climb steadily to a junction with a signpost indicating the Cycle Route to Biggar and turn left here on the quiet Devonside road, heading west.
Drop down into Carmichael village, and come to a crossroads. Ignoring the sign for Kirkfieldbank, go straight on here through Carmichael, turning right just before the daunting hill in front of you. Bear left at the fork with the sign for the fishery (6.3 miles).
Follow this delightful quiet road, directly under the shoulder of Tinto hill, and glide down into Fallburn - take care with the cattle grid at the car park! The famed rustic Tinto tearoom is on your right at the crossroads. If it's open Myra may welcome you and give you the local gossip. Don't believe the tales of the Lanarkshire Water Board men who come here for lunch. They are all kid-on merchants.
Cross the A73 with care here, straight ahead into Thankerton village - ignoring the sharp left turn onto Perryflats road. Swing right through Thankerton and up, turning sharp left over the railway bridge ("Boat road" - Via point 5). Ignore the right turn over the Clyde but just keep straight on here and go through the tiny hamlet of Covington. Look out for the thatched cottages on your right - and also the quaint tin-roofed cottages. (12 miles).
Follow this road (noting the ruins of the intriguingly named Fatlips castle on the left near Via point 6). Keep straight on, bearing left to cross the railway bridge then immediate right (signed for Pettinain). Follow this road to a T-junction with Grange road and turn right, (14 miles). Turn left at the end beside the farm onto "Tie Road 2" (it is bollarded off so there is no through traffic except bikes). Drop down then a short low gear climb up (convenient roadside bench here if you need a breather). Cross the Clyde and keep straight on into Carstairs Junction, turning left at the junction with the delightfully-named Strawfrank Road - which becomes Station road). (Via point 7).
Passing the station, bear right over the railway again and swing back left to follow Carstairs road to Carstairs village. Pass the pleasant village green with shops and a pub (Via point 8) and come to the junction with the A743, and turn left on it. Follow the A743 back into Lanark. If you prefer to avoid the traffic on the relatively busy A743 you can turn right (signed for Cleghorn, through Cleghorn village to Cleghorn bridge and go left at the traffic lights here). Then an immediate left onto Stanmore road for a climb taking you back to the A743 at the edge of Lanark.
On the A743 drop down into Lanark and turn sharp left at the lights at the top of the High street to return to the station. (21.5 miles - allow 2 hours 20 - 2 hours 30 minutes, but without any stops it should take around 2 hours plus).
From Locharbriggs head north on Local NCR 10, climbing steadily through Ae village up to the summit (277 metres) at the T-junction with the unclassified road to Auldgirth (just beside the small loch Ettrick). The aptly named Windyhill burn is parallel to the road shortly after Ae, Scotland's newest village.
Turn left at this junction and descend southwestwards through Croalchapel, Kirkpatrick and then turn left on a short 1-mile section of the A76 to Auldgirth. There is a section of pavement that is possible to use, and after Auldgirth there is a strip marked on the road (although it's not wide enough to be a cycle lane).
Leaving Auldgirth turn left onto the quiet road leading through Dalswinton and passing Duncow, returning to the A701. Turn right briefly southwards on the A701, then sharp left back to access the cyclepath to return to Locharbriggs.
The outward section from Locharbriggs to Sowen's Knowe is a steady climb. The return from that point is mainly descent, apart from a short moderate climb up and over Whitepots hill (just before reaching the A76), and another short climb just after leaving the A76 on the road to Dalswinton.
6 short hills plus one steep hill but otherwise flattish route. From Edenside cricket ground (on-street parking looks possible there) follow NCR 72 across the bridge and left heading past Rickerby and Linstock onto the roadside (paved) cycle path on the A689. Turn right to follow the NCR through Low Crosby with a possible pub stop. Keep on the NCR till Little Corby, then fork right (ie SO) for Warwick bridge, cross the bridge on the A69 just before Warwick on Eden and turn left on the B6263 for Wetheral. Go through Cumwhinton. Stay on the B6263 and turn right then immediate left on the to Cumwhinton Road (Lowther arms pub just outside Cumwhinton).
Cross the M6 and follow Cumwhinton road to Harraby, then TR on the A6 briefly and immediate left on to Petteril Bank road, cross the railway and TR onto Upperby road. Take the 6th left (Ridley Road) and follow this SO at the crossroads as it becomes Jubilee road.
Turn right into Lund crescent and cross the railway footbridge, and follow this path to where it joins NC7 (NC10) just after the river Caldew footbridge. Follow the cycle route signs back to Bridge Street (A595) and turn right, going eastwards along past the castle to the roundabout, where TL on the cycle path beside the A7, and cross the Eden bridge; turning left into Cavendish terrace.
An easy virtually flat 20-mile route along the coast from Lytham into St Anne's. From Wrea Green pick up the NCR62 southwards at Bryning lane, and descend through Kellamergh turning right here at Carr lane, to Lytham (around 6 miles). Follow the traffic-free outer promenade at east beach past the windmill and keep following the signs for the NCR62, becoming initially the Inner promenade just before Fairhaven lake, then South promenade, then North promenade to St Anne's - around 10 miles - at the old pier (the Tourist office is in the street opposite, St Anne's road west; B5233). The statue of Les Dawson is on the prom here. Either turn right here for a shorter variant and pick up the NC62 at the junction with Shepherd road N), or continue along North promenade to Sandgate and turn right here, following this road straight on (it becomes St Leonard's road East and this is the NCR62.) Follow the signs (turning right at Crosland road N) and bearing right into Ramsgate road, then left at Shepherd's road N.
Follow the NCR62. It turns right at Lima road then left at Beauclerk road) past the golf course and across the Blackpool road into Forest drive, continuing till the junction of South Park with Ballam road, and turning left onto Ballam road. to Saltcotes road, turning left here onto the B5259 to return to Wrea Green. Alternatively, continue straight on Saltcotes road (still the NCR62) to retrace the route the way you came.
Pubs available in Lytham (the Railway Hotel is a JDW) or St. Anne's (the Trawl Boat Inn in Wood street is also JDW). The Grapes hotel in Wrea Green.
A 15.5 mile loop to near Haverthwaite (similar to the Collin's Cycling in Cumbria Route 13). At Cartmel leave the square at the stone arch. This road climbs steadily up the NCR700 from Cartmel up Beck side, ascending a total of 95 metres but pretty well graded, to just before High Brow edge. There is then a steep 160 metre drop down to Low Wood, picking up either the very pleasant NCR700/70 westwards (or the cycle path starting at Playdale) to Greenodd (adding around 2.5 flat miles along the river Leven each way). The route returns via the flattish B5278 to Flookburgh, with a slight easy up-and-over at Holker.
Pubs available in Cartmel (The Royal Oak) or the Ship Inn at Greenodd. Crakeside chip shop also in Greenodd.
On return there is the Rose and Crown, or the Engine Inn, in Cark
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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