2 hour 42 minutes

Approximate Distance:

102 miles (164 km)

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Borders Loop

South East Scotland

[ PLANNING: For places to Stay | Eat | Shop | Visit | Refuel on and around this route view the South East Scotland Page on a new tab here – Link ]

Route at a Glance

The Borders Loop route takes you into the heart of the borders on mainly breathtaking ‘A’ roads. Ideal if you are on a cruiser but great for all bikes. It is leisurely and although primarily “A” roads it is still very quiet in terms of road traffic. Some of the roads are deceptively swift, and in view of the light traffic you may want to keep a beady eye on the speedometer. The roads are good, promoting a good number of twisties and dips, valleys and hills, just for our pleasure. This is one that you can sit back and enjoy.

The first stretch takes you down the B7076 which runs parallel to the motorway. This is the original artery into Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is two lanes and very quiet and swift. If you put your settings on your GPS to “avoid Motorways” this is the road you will traverse. This is a brilliant road to make progress with pleasure.

Langholm, Hawick (Pronounced Hoik) and Selkirk are your typical border towns. They ooze old world charm and history. The last stretch of the route between Selkirk and Moffat is iconic. So much has been written over the years about this road. It is known as the scenic route ( IE Selkirk via Moffat to Edinburgh). It is truly a pleasure to ride. As you progress down the road it does get tighter twisties and sharper rises. From St Mary’s loch the road becomes decidedly adrenaline inducing. With ups, downs, twisties and bends, Cambers from heaven and cambers from hell.

ProTip – Take this last stretch easily. 1) So you can enjoy the truly lovely scenery and 2) So your heart does not sit in your throat as things rush up on you – which they will.
ProTip – If you have got the time go back to St Marys. You will not only enjoy the trip in reverse (stunning) but you will be able to enjoy the ride all over again (but more so) coming back.

Route Notes & Highlights

(Icons on the map)

Moffat – The biking heart of the region. A quaint picturesque market village with a variety of choice in shops and eateries. The home of the renowned Moffat toffee shop. Also the burial place of Tar Macadam the creator of the tarmac as we know it.
B7076 – Be aware that this road, the B7076 runs parallel to the motorway the whole length of this section of the route. Your GPS device may wish to take you onto the motorway but trust me it’s worth staying on this road.
Hawick Museum – The Jimmie Guthrie and Steve Hislop exhibitions make this little museum a motorcyclists’ Mecca. Plenty more on show detailing the history of the town and it’s people.
Selkirk – Sits on the confluence of the pretty Ettrick and Tweed valleys
St Mary’s Loch – St Mary’s Loch is the largest natural loch in the Scottish Borders. Often mistaken, there are actually two Lochs here, St Mary’s being the northern and longest and Loch of the Lowes being it’s southern sister. It is actually the Loch of the Lowes that is more commonly visited due to the small café on it’s shores.
Glen Café – This little café is a perfect tea and coffee stop along the A708, the views are serene. It truly is a biker hotspot that can see 60/70 bikers on its doorstep at any given moment on a hot summers day.
A708 – Another motorcyclist dream and one of the ‘tick boxes’ of the region. Simply a beautiful road stretching from Moffat to Selkirk and was once voted by the AA as one of the most scenic routes in Britain.