Top 10 Cycling Routes in Dundee for Scenic Rides

Coming up in this guide: hills, forests, rivers, shoreside rides, zooming around on two wheels, munching on ice cream and seafood, lots of mid-ride coffees, bike trails, and the top 10 cycling routes in Dundee.

You’re in Dundee.

(or you will be).

You want to do some cycling.

Well… as you’ve probably worked out from the name of this guide, that’s exactly what we’re helping you to do.

We’ve brought you: long rides, short rides, tough stuff, family-friendly fun, and some tips and resources for how you can build your own rides around Dundee.

Slip into your saddle and come join the fun—today, Travelness is taking you to the best cycling routes in Dundee!

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1. Dundee to Perth

For this ride, you head to Dundee’s waterfront, you find the National Cycle Network route 77, and you follow it west.

Although there’s only 23 miles (37 km) between the two cities of Dundee and Perth, it’s a surprisingly rural route, and you hit lots of quiet spots.

They include:

• Kingoodie: a small seaside town with beaches, bays, ponds, and nearby quarries (and a place we’ll be hitting again later)
• Errol: a pretty if unspectacular little village. Stop at The Lass O’Gowrie Cafe for cake and coffee
• Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park: sitting just on the outskirts of Perth, this place features 5 small hills, pretty views, walking trails, and a scenic 19th-century tower

To get home, you can put your bike on the direct train from Perth to Dundee, or you can cycle back the way you came. Or… if you want to transform the route into a loop, here’s how—this route brings you back to Dundee along the southern side of the River Tay.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: 23 miles (37 km)
• Time: 3-4 hours
• Highlights: Coastal views, stopping in Errol for food, the approach into Perth, and exploring Perth itself

2. Dundee to Edinburgh (via the coast)

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This isn’t the fastest way to reach Edinburgh…

… but it’s definitely the prettiest way to reach Edinburgh.

And if you like coastal routes, you’ll love it.

Best broken down into two days (but absolutely possible in one) hug the shore as tightly as you can for the entire ride.

Along the way, you’ll hit a ridiculous number of highlights. They include:

• Two river crossings (you’ll head over both the pretty Tay and the scenic Firth of Forth)
• Seaside towns (including the iconic St Andrews)
• Loads of beaches (both quiet and busy)

… and lots of lovely shoreside villages (which, I reckon, is the best thing about the entire route).

Note: Don’t simply follow the National Cycle Network route 1 for this ride. That’ll take you inland for most of the route, and you’ll miss loads of the highlights. That said, the inland NCN1 option is still pretty… and it makes the route less long and less windy.

To get back to Dundee, you can just hop on the direct train from Edinburgh (with your bike).

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Distance: Around 80 miles (130 km)
• Time: 1-2 days
• Highlights: Tayport, St Andrews, the pretty harbor settlements of Crail and Anstruther, Silver Sands Beach, lots of small cliffs, and a detour to Inchcolm Abbey (which sits on a small island)

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3. Dundee to Aberdeen

For this ride, you DO follow the National Cycle Network route 1.

… but instead of heading south; this time you’re heading north.

A similar length to the Dundee to Edinburgh ride, this is another coastal funfest, and it hugs the shoreline for the vast majority of the route.

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Personally, I think this is a prettier route than the Edinburgh one (though both are lovely). The towns are more interesting, the views are better, the scenery is a bit more dramatic, the roads are a little quieter, and you hit some lesser-known parts of Scotland.

… and if I was going to tackle one trip on our list, it would be this one.

Again, it’s possible as a long one-day trip… but it’s better as a two-day one.

Around 50% of this route is off-road. And lots of the road sections are quiet:

… so it’s a good choice for a long-distance family-friendly trip (if your kids are energetic and sensible). When you get to Aberdeen, you’ll find excellent food—for some traditional fish and chips, head to the informal but flavor-packed Fit Fine Fish and Chip Tram.

You can bring your bike back to where you started by taking the direct train from Aberdeen to Dundee.

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Distance: Around 80 miles (130 km)
• Time: 1-2 days
• Highlights: The town of Stonehaven, all the cliffy sections, and experiencing one of the prettiest accessible shoreside rides in Scotland. And because you’re following the NCN1 the entire way, you need very little planning or navigating

4. Dundee to Montrose

Let’s say you like the idea of the Dundee to Aberdeen route… but you can’t be bothered to ride the entire thing.

If that’s the case, this is the trip for you: Montrose lies right on the Dundee to Aberdeen route, but just under halfway along it.

So you get lots of coastal fun, and lots of seaside views: but with an easy ride.

When you reach Montrose, head to the Montrose Basin Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve. Here, where the River South Esk forms a basin, you can spot loads of birds (and visit a cafe while you do it).

Oh, and for some tasty Montrose ice cream, get yourself to Scoops of Moo.

…. because Montrose has a train station, it’s easy to get back to Dundee when you’re done. AND because the whole route lies on the NCN1 (again), it’s easy to follow the trail. Recommended!

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: Around 32 miles (52 km)
• Time: 4-5 hours
• Highlights: Broughty Ferry Beach, Arbroath Cliffs, the unusual Signal Tower Museum, the always-quiet Lunan Bay Beach, and exploring pretty little Montrose when you’re done

5. The Green Circular

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The Green Circular is an official signposted loop around the outskirts of Dundee.

Measuring in at 26 miles (42km), you can tackle the full thing, or you can tackle shorter sections.

Perks of the ride include:

• It’s signposted!
• Lots of the route is on paths (not roads)…
• … and most of the road sections are pretty quiet
• It passes many sights, attractions, and things to do

Some of those sights and attractions include:

… and for some stretches of the ride, you’ll follow the pretty Dighty Burn (the little stream meandering around some of Dundee’s outskirts).

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Here’s a written PDF guide of the route’s highlights. And here’s a PDF map of the route (and some other routes).

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: 26 miles (42km)—or you can do smaller chunks of the route instead
• Time: Take the entire day, so you can make loads of en-route stops
• Highlights: Rural pockets of Dundee, following a waymarked trail, loads of kid-friendly stuff, seeing things even some lifelong locals never have, and a long(ish) ride without ever really leaving Dundee

6. Public Art Dundee Cycling Route

The premise of this one is: you’ll see over 50 pieces of art along the route. Unique!

Another circular route around busy and not-busy parts of Dundee, this ride is based on the Green Circular, so it follows a similar route…

… but it has many detours to reach extra pieces of public art. Expect paintings, monuments, sculptures, mosaics, animal-based artworks, and more.

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Here’s a map of the route, and a big list of all the artworks you’ll see (beware: it takes a while to load).

I haven’t actually done this ride… and the map doesn’t seem to indicate how long the ride is. But because the route is largely based on and around the Green Circular, you can expect a similar type of ride, and a similar distance and difficulty. Presumably.

• Difficulty: Presumably easy
• Distance: Presumably around 26 miles (42km)
• Time: Make a full day of the trip—there are many places to stop
• Highlights: A long ride without leaving Dundee, under-the-radar parts of the city and its outskirts, viewing the city a different way, and tucked-away pieces of public art

7. Tayport, and Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve

One of the best routes in Dundee for having an aimless ride (well, eventually).

For this route, cross the River Tay from Dundee, then head east to the lovely coastal town of Tayport. Visit the harbor, and go to the cute little Harbor Cafe for coffee and cake.

From there, head south to the massive Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. A maze-like network of small roads and mud tracks, you’ll see very few cars… and it’s a lovely place to get lost.

There are endless routes to ride on…

… but potential highlights include beaches, lakes, stables, streams, Earlshall Castle, wetlands, woodlands, otters, birds, and seals. This is a bit more rural than most other rides we’ve brought you… so you might want to bring a picnic.

I recommend riding aimlessly and seeing what you find. But if you want specific directions and a bit more guidance, this is for you.

• Difficulty: Easy to intermediate
• Distance: You’ll cycle for around 20-30 miles (32-48 km) depending on the route(s) you choose
• Time: 3-6 hours
• Highlights: Riding aimlessly around Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, lots of quiet nature, seeing some wildlife, and lovely lovable Tayport

8. Glamis Castle Loop

As you probably know, Glamis Castle is one of the biggest tourist attractions close to Dundee.

And this ride takes you to it…

… and to some other interesting en-route stops.

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Head out of Dundee on the A90 road (this section of the route is pretty busy, and pretty uninteresting). But when you hit the Scottish SPCA building, head northwest on the much quieter (and much prettier) A928.

Eventually, you’ll hit Glamis Castle. Time for lunch and sightseeing.

Make your way back to Dundee by closing your route out into a loop, passing the villages of Newtyle and Auchterhouse. If you want to get outside of Dundee without hitting the coast, this is one of the best cycle routes on our list.

Note: Most years, Glamis Castle is only open from mid-March until the end of October.

Note #2: For more big buildings, here are the 18 best castles in Scotland.

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Distance: Around 32 miles (52 km)
• Time: 4-6 hours
• Highlights: Lots of farms and fields, views of Kinpurney Tower, the cute and cozy Glamis Corner Shop (which doubles up as a super-homely cafe), and visiting Glamis Castle

9. Auchterhouse Hill & the Sidlaw Hills

One of the top cycle routes in Dundee for heading along quieter roads.

Sitting northwest of Dundee, the Sidlaw Hills are some low-level peaks close to little lochs. They’re heathery, quiet and barren, and even most lifelong locals haven’t explored them. East of the Sidlaw Hills is Auchterhouse Hill… which is pretty similar, but a bit bigger, a bit more famous.

Anyway, this ride gives you views of both areas (although, to be clear: you don’t hit either peak, and you stay pretty far from the Sidlaws).

You also get: lots of cows, an old hillfort, views of Kinpurney Tower, some other little hills close to Glamis (you can add a quick detour to the castle as part of the ride), and roads with few cars.

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Though none of this ride is too steep, it’s a little hillier than most other routes we’ve covered.

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Distance: 34 miles (55 km)
• Time: 4-6 hours
• Highlights: Quiet roads, rural escapes, lots of hilly views, stopping at Glamis for a coffee, and riding a circle around iconic Auchterhouse Hill

10. Kingoodie, and Camperdown Wildlife Center

One of the top cycle routes in Dundee for families!

On this ride, you get easy cycling, loads of kid-friendly highlights in a short distance, and some quiet roads.

To get from Dundee to the tiny shoreside town of Kingoodie, hug the banks of the Tay River (for some of the best riverside views you can get around Dundee).

When you get to Kingoodie, crack out your picnic (you won’t find a cafe here).

… then follow the Green Circular north to take you to Camperdown Wildlife Center (home to birds, horses, brown bears, otters, hands-on animal experiences, play areas, and plenty more fun).

To make a massive day of kid-friendly fun from this ride, you can also stop at both TeamSport Go Karting Dundee (where you can rev around in some speedy go karts) and Camperdown Park (home to ponds, walking trails, flowers, play areas, and ducks). Both are super close to Camperdown Wildlife Center.

… and to add EVEN MORE family adventures, head back to central Dundee from Camperdown Wildlife Center by riding past Mills Observatory and Lochee Park.

In short, great for families with kids. But even if you don’t stop at all the en-route places we’ve mentioned, it’s still a pretty ride.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: Around 15 miles (24 km)—though you can easily adapt the route
• Time: 2-10 hours (depending on where and when you stop)
• Highlights: Lots of near-city wildlife and animals, having fun with your kids, and the riverside section from Dundee to Kingoodie

Pro Tips, Rules and Best Practices for Cycling in Dundee

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• For finding cycle routes in Scotland (including in Dundee, but also beyond), the National Cycle Network map is your best resource. A massive network of waymarked cycling trails across the UK, it’s a good place to start planning routes, and features over 12,739 miles (20,501 km) of rides. Here’s way more information, along with links to the map, recommended rides, and more.
• In Scotland, people drive on the left side. Important to remember if you’re not from the place. Cos, you know, you don’t want to be run over.
• As we mentioned many times, it’s possible to take your bikes on trains in Scotland (so you can easily tackle a one-way trip without having to cycle all the way back from where you came). But there are (sometimes) rules on how and where you can take your bike on a train. So here’s everything you need to know.
• If you don’t have your own bike, the best place to hire one is from Dundee’s Cycle Hub. The bikes are affordable and well-maintained, the staff are friendly and passionate (they’ll make sure your bike is working, and can give you advice on routes). And because the venue sits right on the Tay riverfront, it’s in a perfect location for tackling most of the routes we’ve mentioned (you’re a 2-second ride from where the National Cycle Network route 1 meets the National Cycle Network route 77).
• You probably won’t want to hit these routes in winter: during Scotland’s winter, the temperatures are low, the skies are gray, the days are short, and you get lots of rain. And many sights are closed in colder months.

Before You Go

Okay, that’s us done—and they’re the best cycling routes in Dundee!

To sum up, the Green Circular is great for exploring the sights of Dundee (and it’s an ideal way to plan family rides).

… but if you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous (and if you want lots of seaside sights), I recommend the coastal rides to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

For more Scottish bike rides, cycle on over to our guides on: