BORDERING ON THE RIDICULOUS
BEST FOR Conifers and castles AREA Northumberland and the Borders
LENGTH 160 miles, B6359, B6400, B6399, B6357, B6320, B6341, B1340, B1342, B6349, B6351, B6352, B6401 SCENERY CHALLENGE
The first few miles out of Melrose are a leafy stroll through open fields and wooded glades between drystone walls. Pick up the B6400 briefly into more hilly terrain, then an unclassified road linking to the B6359 and more farmland and into Hawick on the A7. Take the B6399 south, a hilly helter-skelter of a road between grassy mounds. This is tricky riding, with tight bends flowing alongside a river one moment, firing high onto semi-moorland the next on classically challenging B-roads.
After 18 miles of fun and drama, the B6399 blends into the B6357 — take a left turn and head north, then at Saughtree turn right for Kielder on an unclassified road. At first it’s a farm road, then the landscape opens out first to hilly moorland, then to conifer plantations as the road crosses the Scottish border into Northumberland and enters Kielder Forest Park. By the time the road winds around Kielder Water, it’s more like a wide, sweeping A-road but still unclassified.
By Bellingham things are back to B-road normal; stop at Rocky Road café for lunch. Then off again on the B6320 crossing the A68 and A696 at Otterburn, and climbing north up over the bleak Northumberland moors and rolling countryside beyond to Alnwick. The castles start here as you approach the coast and Holy Island’s not far, if you fancy a race against the tide.
Otherwise head back towards Wooller on the B6348, then finish the ride with a stint on the B6351 and B6352 back into Scotland and the end of the ride at Bonjedward. It’s one of the best six hours riding on B-roads you’ll find.