Great North Ride looks interesting, but they were trying to recreate an historic event so had to do some road.

Has anyone done offroad London to Edinburgh ?

Thanks

I only know the area around Edinburgh down to the borders – a route could be found but it would be rather indirect and you would have to do a few bits of road.

is there a canal route?
are towpaths classified as bridlepaths?

no canals cross the border. Few canals in scotland and none south of Edinburgh

Towpath probably essential out of London, but after that would prefer to keep off them – looking for a cross country epic, more hills the better.

Where would you want to cross the border?

Two books which you might like to consider when planning this:

Scottish Hill Tracks by Scotways ISBN 0-95466735-0-6
The Drove Roads of Scotland by A.R.B. Haldane ISBN 1-874744-76-9

These show the old drove road (used to move cattle) between the Falkirk tryst and the border. The most obvious route (from Edinburgh area) would be Balerno – Cauldstane Slap – West Linton – Romanno Bridge – Peebles – Gypsy Glen – St Marys Loch – Tushielaw – Craick – Teviothead or Peebles – Innerleithen – Yarrow (Minch Moor) – Ettrickbridge – Hawick.

90% of each of these options is still available off-road. As regards south of the border, I’ll defer to more knowledgeable folks.

Edit: Check out Fay Godwin too….http://www.faygodwin.com/books.html

I can get you through Suffolk if others pick up the other counties.

All bridleways stop at the border. In Scotia they dont have the same land access farce that exists in England…..

Don’t believe you could bridleway it, but definitely plenty of ‘cheeky’ trails – here’s one for starters:

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/pennineway/

🙂

And once over the border – old drove road to Jedburgh, then roman road to St Boswells, over the Eildens, SUW to Lauder etc

Lea river/canal all the way from the Thames to Hertford.
Bways to Stevenage and then there are loads that follow the A1 up towards Htchin/Letchworth. – that’s got to be 30/40 miles .

The only map you’ll need 🙂

That is a very very cool map.

I have just been reading Asterix in Britain (bought if for my nephew honest).

We should plot a ride along all those roads, picking up people as we go, and ride to London demanding, er, I don’t know, better use of indicators on roundabouts ?