Cycle Route 1: St Andrews to Aberdeen

Route 1 of the National Cycle Network works its way up the East coast of Britain. I have only done the section from St Andrews to Aberdeen so far but hope to complete more in future years. The route is a really lovely one with fantastic views out to sea, long stretches of traffic-free paths and minimal busy sections. It also follows the railway line which makes it very accessible - you can start wherever you like and it's always possible to cut the ride short and jump on a train if you need to.

From St Andrews to Arbroath is just about entirely off-road and this is probably both the nicest and the easiest section as there are really no hills to speak of. Heading North from St Andrews, Route 1 takes you on a cycle path through Leuchars towards Tentsmuir. Cycling through Tentsmuir forest you follow a grit track which gets quite busy with walkers and cyclists at the weekends. This is quite a long route round as it takes you right along the coastline but it’s a lovely stretch. Tentsmuir also has a really nice beach and it’s a good place to stop for a picnic. The path carries you along the coast to Newport.

The worst part of this section is crossing the Tay Bridge to Dundee. The pedestrian lane goes up the middle so you have cars whizzing past on either side which is very noisy but it’s only a short distance. At the end of the bridge you can take your bike in the lift to get down to the walkway along the Tay below. Cycling along the walkway is nice but, as you head out of Dundee to Broughty Ferry, the route is mostly along the pavement next to quite a busy road which not the best.

Broughty Ferry to Arbroath is really pleasant, all on cycle paths next to the sea or alongside the railway line with great views and beaches. There are cafes and shops where you can stop for lunch if you wish.

As you leave Arbroath, the flat section of this ride ends and there are some hills - nothing too steep but you definitely have to work a bit harder. This is also the end of the off-road section. Though the majority of the rest of the journey is on roads, for the most part these are very small roads with only the occasional car or tractor. There are long stretches of peaceful countryside where you are surrounded by fields for miles. The route does take you inland a little so you are not always right by the sea but it’s never too far away.

As you come out of Montrose heading towards St Cyrus there is the option to either take the main road (a more direct route) or to go down the hill towards the sea and continue along a minor road past the St Cyrus Nature Reserve. I would highly recommend taking this second option. Though it adds a few minutes to your journey and you do have to come up the hill again on the other side, it is a much more pleasant road. The main road is quite busy and cars go along it fairly fast. It is also a long gentle upward incline all the way so you end up spending quite a while on this road. The lower route is a very small quiet road which has a downhill section then goes flat. Yes, the final hill is steep, but it’s not that long and personally I felt it was well worth it. By doing this you only have a very short section on the main road.

When you reach Johnshaven, there is once again the option to head down to the coast or to continue along the main road. This time the coastal route is off-road so I would only recommend doing it if you have a bike that can cope with rougher ground. A benefit of the off-road route is that it takes you right down into Johnshaven which is a very pretty fishing village. It is also home to the Hidden Treasures Tearoom which makes some of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted. The first little stretch along the coastal path is quite hard going as it is along a very bumpy grass footpath. As I cycled along this section I was wishing I’d gone by the on-road route instead but thankfully it didn’t last and the path got significantly less bumpy after that. The final stretch of this off-road part of the route is one of the best paths of the whole journey, a smooth, tarmacked cycle path which brings you all the way into Inverbervie. Overall I did prefer this route in the end to the on-road option which, whilst it starts off fine and you feel like your sailing along, does slope upwards after a while and there’s lots of traffic and even a section of dual carriageway which wasn’t nice to cycle along at all.

From Inverbervie there’s a stretch of main road but this soon breaks off onto very small, quiet roads surrounded by fields as before. It is a bit up and down through this section and it can be a bit of a battle if the wind’s against you but otherwise a really pleasant cycle route. As you near Stonehaven you cycle in via Dunnottar Castle which is worth stopping to take a look at if you’ve not seen it before. It’s a medieval castle situated dramatically on the cliff edge in a really interesting setting. The views looking down on Stonehaven are also very picturesque. In Stonehaven you can easily stop to enjoy the beach or their award-winning fish & chips or ice-cream.

The final section from Stonehaven to Aberdeen is probably the hilliest section but if you’re not too exhausted by this point it has some of the best coastal views, especially as you near Aberdeen. Majority is on small roads which go inland at first before returning to the sea at around Portlethen. I particularly enjoyed the outlook from Findon. Unfortunately some of the coastal path on the outskirts of Aberdeen is not accessible at this time and you are on the main roads as you get into the city. However, there are usually bike lanes and traffic is slow so it’s not too bad.

Overall a really great cycle route, perfect done in small sections as day trips or as part of a multi-day ride. Personally I would ideally take 2 days for this ride and it's definitely best with a southerly wind.