Travelnews
Travel writer Simon Parker cycled 3,427 miles through 55 counties around “Pandemic Britain” for his book, Riding Out. Now that the country is returning to normal Parker recommends his top five cycle routes.
Shetland
Difficulty: Intermediate, 200 miles. Lots of rolling hills.
June and July are the best times to see migratory birds like puffins, golden plovers and Eider ducks, and killer whales can be spotted between April and September.
North Coast 500
Difficulty: Serious cyclist, 516 miles. Best to go slow and take 10-14 days.
Arguably, Britain’s greatest bike ride, the route starts and ends in Inverness. Expect lots of climbing – 32,000 feet in total (higher than Everest) – but what goes up must come down. You’ll whizz around alpine switchbacks and into epic glens filled with mirror-calm lochs.
Keep a lookout for golden eagles, red deer and pine martens.
East of England
Difficulty: Intermediate, 250 miles. You could do this in a long weekend.
Lincolnshire’s Wolds resemble tidal waves of lush green, punctuated with splodges of fluffy livestock. North of Hull, deserted pebble beaches ramble in to swirling white sand dunes that rustle and hiss in the breeze.
The best bit has to be the Northumberland coast, with dozens of medieval castles.
The Scillies
Difficulty: Easy. 50 miles Take your time.
England’s westernmost isles are almost pancake-flat. There are craggy coves and white sand beaches, and when the Atlantic stirs up a hooley, take cover in a pub or cafe.
Brighton to London
Difficulty: Intermediate, 200 miles, but the Kent coast is relatively flat.
At Hastings you’ll pass the battlefield of 1066 fame, before continuing on towards Dover Castle and Saint Margaret’s Bay, where you’ll find the South Foreland Lighthouses; a pair of Victorian beacons that warned passing ships of the treacherous Goodwin Sands.
Riding Out by Simon Parker is published by Summersdale Thursday. For more, visit simonwparker.co.uk