The Route

Written By Samuel Hollis

Overview

Bikepacking.com has a really good overview of The Great North Trail route. The headline figures are distance 738 miles (1,188 km), total elevation gain 56,430 feet (17,200 m) and a suggested duration of 18 days.

I’ve been getting into the detail, mapping the route and waypoints on Komoot, trying to find the right stopover points to bring the trip down to 14 days.

Below is the overview of the entire route mapped out with some variation to the figures quoted by Bikepacking.com. Link to the full route collection is here.

Route Breakdown

  • Day 1 - Wirksworth to Greenfield, distance 55.3 mi (89.0 km), elevation 4,875 ft (1,490 m), destination Well-i-Hole Farm Campsite

  • Day 2 - Greenfield to Laneshaw Bridge, distance 47.6 mi (76.6 km), elevation 6,700 ft (2,040 m), destination Shay Gate Farm Campsite

  • Day 3 - Laneshaw Bridge to Southerscales Nature Reserve, distance 49.9 mi (80.3 km), elevation 5,000 ft (1,520 m), destination Philpin Farm

  • Day 4 - Southerscales Nature Reserve to Brampton, distance 47.3 mi (76.1 km), elevation 3,500 ft (990 m), destination Alanholme Campsite

  • Day 5 - Brampton to Kielder, distance 72.2 mi (116 km), elevation 5,325 ft (1,620 m), destination Kielder Campsite

  • Day 6 - Kielder to Selkirk, distance 47.9 mi (77.0 km), elevation 3,800 ft (1,160m), destination Selkirk Victoria Campsite

  • Day 7 - Selkirk to Bush, distance 48.3 mi (77.7 km), elevation 5,800 ft (1,770 m), destination Pentland Hills Regional Park

  • Day 8 - Bush to Scroggy Hill, distance 67.1 mi (108 km), elevation 2,375 ft (720 m), destination Craigallion Loch

  • Day 9 - Scroggy Hill to Kenknock, distance 61.8 mi (99.5 km), elevation 3,850 ft (1,170 m), destination Kenknock

  • Day 10 - Kenknock to Sron nan Nead, distance 51.1 mi (82.3 km), elevation 4,350 ft (1,320 m), destination North of Loch Ossian

  • Day 11 - Sron nan Nead to Glen Moriston, distance 47.9 mi (77.1 km), elevation 4,525 ft (1,380 m), destination South of Glen Moriston

  • Day 12 - Glen Moriston to Black Water, distance 54.3 mi (87.4 km), elevation 1,310 m, destination North of Black Water Falls

  • Day 13 - Black Water to Duchally Headpond, distance 56.3 mi (90.6 km), elevation 2,975ft (910 m), destination along Loch Shin Power St. Climb

  • Day 14 - Duchally Headpond to Cape Wrath, distance 61.8 mi (99.5 km), elevation 4,425 ft (1,350 km), destination Cape Wrath Lighthouse

Samuel Hollis
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Putting the wheels in motion