As part of this summer’s riding festivities, a friend mentioned that cycling from Edinburgh to Alnmouth seemed like a good idea. A plan was hatched and the Youth Hostel in Berwick Upon Tweed was booked. The thinking being that we would ride from Edinburgh to Berwick – stay overnight – then ride to Alnmouth the following day.

And that’s exactly what we did.

A few years back, I cycled my bike to from Edinburgh to Newcastle. You can read about that here. During the years in between that ride and now, three things have happened:

  1. I’ve ridden my bike a lot
  2. I’m fitter than I was
  3. I’ve learned to carry less stuff

Perhaps the three things are related? I’m not sure. What do you think?

We left Edinburgh full of high spirits, wild abandon and appetite for the road, lanes and paths that lay ahead in front of us. Having cycled a great deal of this route before, I was trying to piece together in my mind memories of places, names, cafes and so on. I’m pretty sure I could now do this route without the need for a navigational aid, like GPS. Maybe that’s what I should try next time? Our route never really took us far from the East Coast main line – so if you fancy doing the ride, rest assured that you’re never that far from a train station escape point.

Leaving Edinburgh, via Haddington, then Dunbar. Soon, Torness power station loomed in to view with it’s gorgeously brutal modular shape. The last time we did this ride, this was the far point of our range. It represented the boundary of how far we’d ride in a day.

Things have changed.

Unbelievably, we were soon in Cockburnspath. I found this unbelievable, because this was the end of Day 1 of our previous effort. And now, a few years later, many more tens of thousands of kilometres in our legs, here we were breezing through it, and pushing on. No where near our limit.

Not long now, I thought to myself. Not long now until the climb out of Pease Bay will start… And start it did. The first section is hard, straight up, with a steep gradient but then as with all things, it levels out a bit until the switchback and the climb starts again.

Last time I did this climb it was blazing heat – the height of summer and I was on a very heaving fully laden bike. This time it will be different I thought. And it was.

The heaviest rain I have ever encountered started not long after the switchback. I didn’t even have time to get my jacket out. Soaked all the way through, we all stopped, hopped into a field, put on waterproofs and hid behind a hedge which provided scant protection from the torrent. This was rain on a new scale. The cycling gods reminding me that at their whim, my riding can change from “I’ve got this” to “We need to leave immediately and find somewhere warm” in a heartbeat. A lesson in humility and respect for the weather.

I was cold. And getting colder. Fingernails turning blue. Shivering starting.

We headed for Eyemouth and the bakery on the main street. Food. Hot drinks. More clothing. I started to feel better.

Back on to the route and one (or two?) more climbs later, Berwick Upon Tweed came into view. After more food, our beds for the night in the YHA beckoned.

Morning arrived and with it sunshine. As often is the case in the UK, a cyclist must be prepared for all possible weathers in one day. So after cycling in full waterproofs the previous day, I now found myself applying suncream to my face, neck and exposed limbs.

Today’s route would take us 85km from Berwick to Alnmouth – along the stunning coastline of the North East of England. That sounds cliche, but there’s no other way of describing it. Around each turn awaits fantastic views, rugged coast, dramatic castles and opportunities for ice cream, cake and coffee.

Beal, Belford, then Bamburgh. Onwards. I couldn’t believe that this ride was passing through these places so quickly – or rather that it had taken us so long last time.

Inland now, via Embleton, Dunstanburgh, Craster, then into Longhoughton, Bulmer and finally Alnmouth.

All told 185km via a mix of terrain, road, path, grass and mud. And, a mix of conditions from blistering sun and heat, to torrential never-ssen-the-likes-of-it rain.

Our train from Alnmouth back to Edinburgh made shorter work of the trip, taking just over an hour. Luckily, with a bit of persuasion, we were able to fit two bikes into the woefully small bike lockers.