Mull of Galloway to John o’Groats

QUIET LANES AND WIDE HORIZONS

We organise the 2.5 hour transfer to Stevenson Tower, the lighthouse at Scotland’s southernmost point on the Mull of Galloway. This is where your MoGJoG cycling adventure begins.

Pedalling north along coastal cliff edges on the Mull of Galloway peninsula, your first miles are remote and invigorating.

Beyond New Luce, your route threads through forested glens and peaceful villages before easing towards Ayrshire.

The final miles of the day skirt the coast through Alloway and along the esplanade towards Troon. Your day ends with fantastic views across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran as you spin your wheels to the hotel.

COASTAL PATHS, WOODLAND TRAILS AND ISLAND-DOTTED SEAS

Leaving Troon along the shoreline, your day begins gently on traffic-free coastal paths.

The route weaves inland through woodland and riverside paths around Irvine and Kilwinning before returning to the coast. The scenery shifts between tranquil leafy green corridors and open seaside stretches.

Beyond Largs, you climb to an invigorating exposed section before flowing down to Wemyss Bay and the ferry terminal.

After a short ferry crossing to Rothesay, you have the option to ride one of three clockwise circuits around the southern part of the Isle of Bute. But only after having ascended the fourteen hairpin bends on Serpentine Road which trails up Canada Hill!

Your hotel for the night is in Rothesay.

A LOTTA LOTTA LOCHS

Today you head up to north Bute for a very short ferry transfer across the Kyles of Bute to Colintraive on the mainland. Your day's cycling starts on quiet roads skirting sea lochs and freshwater lochs alike.

The National Cycle Route takes you through the UK's oldest forest park, Argyll Forest Park, past Loch Striven and Loch Tarsan before the landscape opens out along the shores of Holy Loch and Loch Eck.

Your final miles of the day trace the edge of Loch Fyne then Loch Long, where the scenery becomes more dramatic and unmistakably Highland. The last stretch is a long descent to the banks of Loch Lomond to the hotel in Tarbet.

TRAVERSING THE TROSSACHS, THE GATEWAY TO THE HIGHLANDS

The day starts with a short but spectacular waterbus journey across Loch Lomond to Inversnaid. The route then follows the Great Trossachs Path for 13 miles / 20.9 km of traffic-free, lochside roads past Loch Arklet, Loch Katrine, and Loch Achray. This is countryside cycling at its best, with wooded slopes, shimmering water, and breathtaking Trossachs views.

Beyond Callander, the landscape opens out as you head east towards Doune where you join the old railway line on a well-compacted gravel track that takes you into Dunblane.

Continuing through Perthshire you arrive in Crieff, a historic market town famous for being a major cattle droving hub in the 1700s, and later a Victorian health resort.

CLIMBING TOWARDS HISTORY IN THE HIGHLANDS

Today's journey begins gently, on peaceful back roads through rolling Perthshire countryside.

Beyond Aberfeldy, you join National Cycle Route 7 which leads you into increasingly open landscapes. After the River Tummel, you climb gradually through remote upland scenery as you approach the Cairngorms National Park and continue on General Wade’s historic Military Road.

From the highpoint, you descend comfortably through Dalwhinnie before riding past the Centre of Scotland stone and one of the most beautiful views in Scotland. (We encourage you to stop and savour it!)

You then roll north through dramatic Highland landscapes into Newtonmore and on to Kingussie.

A BRIDGE TO THE FAR NORTH

Your journey out of Kingussie on National Cycle Route 7 takes you along the fringes of the Cairngorms through spirit-lifting Caledonian pine forest and open farmland.

Beyond Boat of Garten and Carrbridge, the landscape becomes more exposed. The Old Military Road leads you steadily north across open moorland.

Approaching Inverness, you pass the Cumberland Stone and Culloden Battlefield, the site of one of the most harrowing battles in British history.

The Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth marks the transition into the far north. Look out for dolphins as you cross. The day finishes quietly at North Kessock, where your hotel overlooks the water and the city of Inverness.

FROM OIL RIGS TO ANGLING

Leaving North Kessock, your route threads through the Black Isle, a low-lying peninsula known for its fertile farmland and surprisingly mild microclimate. You roll gently along to the ferry terminal at Cromarty.

After a 10-minute ferry crossing to Nigg you turn inland to pedal through increasingly open landscapes with a steadily growing sense of remoteness.

Beyond the Kyle of Sutherland, the scenery becomes unmistakably northern. Your road follows long glens and wide waters and the countryside feels wild.

Today's ride ends at the Altnaharra Hotel which, fittingly, was once a lodge for 19th century sportsmen and women.

WILD STRATHS AND A CELEBRATED SIGNPOST

Your final day begins quietly, following the north shore of Loch Naver through one of the most remote-feeling parts of the MoGJoG journey. The landscape is wide and open, with long sightlines, moorland hills, and a real sense of space.

Beyond Kinbrace, the route threads through empty straths and along northern rivers. When there is a northerly wind, this reinforces the sense that you are riding right at the edge of the map.

Beyond Thurso, you follow the route east and up to Dunnet Head Lighthouse, the true northerly point of the British mainland. Retracing your tyre tracks for just a couple of miles, you then rejoin the eastbound road and roll gently along the final stretch to the iconic John o’Groats signpost.

It's a simple yet unmistakable end to a fantastic eight days of riding across Scotland from south to north.