Cycling south from Dunbar - any advice on good routes?

[[email protected]]

I'll be heading south from Dunbar on my shiny new road bike on the
27th, looking to cover the 90 or so miles to my parents house near
Whitley Bay. I've not visited Dunbar before, but looking at Sustrans it
looks like my only route out of there is the A1 - can anyone comment on
the kind of traffic I can expect on the road immediately south of
Dunbar?!

http://sustrans.org/default.asp?sRegion=Scotland&map.x=-2.35377750997203&map.y=55.8797005008567&nZoom=7&bLarge=true

Best regards,
Roberto

[Brian G]

wrote:
> I'll be heading south from Dunbar on my shiny new road bike on the
> 27th, looking to cover the 90 or so miles to my parents house near
> Whitley Bay. I've not visited Dunbar before, but looking at Sustrans it
> looks like my only route out of there is the A1 - can anyone comment on
> the kind of traffic I can expect on the road immediately south of
> Dunbar?!
>
> http://sustrans.org/default.asp?sRegion=Scotland&map.x=-2.35377750997203&map.y=55.8797005008567&nZoom=7&bLarge=true
>
> Best regards,
> Roberto
>

I don't have a map in front of me, but from memory you should be able to
head more or less south west out of Dunbar on pleasant minor roads
heading for Duns and Coldstream and thence on to the (I think) A697.

The A1 south of Dunbar is a mixture of single and dual carriageway and
frequently carries heavy traffic - rideable but not recommended.

--
Brian G

[[email protected]]

Thanks Brian - that looks good on the map, tho' I'm a bit worried it
could get impressively hilly - we'll see!

Roberto


Brian G wrote:
> I don't have a map in front of me, but from memory you should be able to
> head more or less south west out of Dunbar on pleasant minor roads
> heading for Duns and Coldstream and thence on to the (I think) A697.
>
> The A1 south of Dunbar is a mixture of single and dual carriageway and
> frequently carries heavy traffic - rideable but not recommended.

[David Martin]

wrote:
> Thanks Brian - that looks good on the map, tho' I'm a bit worried it
> could get impressively hilly - we'll see!

It isn't too bad, though there are some long drags between Wooler and
Morpeth. You may find it more pleasant heading East a bit towards
Alnwick after Wooler (worth popping into the town if you need a break.)

...d

>
> Roberto
>
>
> Brian G wrote:
> > I don't have a map in front of me, but from memory you should be able to
> > head more or less south west out of Dunbar on pleasant minor roads
> > heading for Duns and Coldstream and thence on to the (I think) A697.
> >
> > The A1 south of Dunbar is a mixture of single and dual carriageway and
> > frequently carries heavy traffic - rideable but not recommended.

[Stevie D]

wrote:

> I'll be heading south from Dunbar on my shiny new road bike on the
> 27th, looking to cover the 90 or so miles to my parents house near
> Whitley Bay. I've not visited Dunbar before, but looking at Sustrans it
> looks like my only route out of there is the A1 - can anyone comment on
> the kind of traffic I can expect on the road immediately south of
> Dunbar?!
>
> http://sustrans.org/default.asp?sRegion=Scotland&map.x=-2.35377750997203&map.y=55.8797005008567&nZoom=7&bLarge=true

Fast, and lots of lorries. But it's a wide road - I've cycled along
bits of it a few times and never had a problem.

There are other ways round.

Leave Dunbar on the A1087. Before you cross the railway, there is a
very minor road off to the left - this takes you round to East Barns
and then back onto the A1 at Skateraw, but missing the first 3 miles
or so.

Bear left at the Cove roundabout, through Cove on a minor road. This
does take you up a 1:6 hill (ascent 50m) so be warned! Then join the
A1107 through Coldingham and Eyemouth. After the roundabout beyond
Eyemouth, turn left on a minor road before rejoining the A1 at
Burnmouth. This misses about 13 miles of the A1.

From Berwick, you can pick up N1, but it really does go all over the
place, at least doubling the distance of the A1, and far longer than
any sensible cycle route needs to be. Some of it is off-road and may
not be suitable for all bikes - so sometimes there are two N1s with
one of them on a road and the other not!

--
Stevie D
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