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Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 20/07/2021
  • First overall finish of the Tour of Britain in Scotland since 2008
  • Scottish Borders to welcome Tour for the eighth time before 195km test finishing in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park
  • The Tour of Britain to finish on Aberdeen’s Esplanade after 173km final stage from Stonehaven via Cairn o’Mount

Further details of what promises to be a stunning edition of the Tour of Britain in September have today been revealed, including the details of the race’s two Scottish stages that will round out the weeklong Tour.

Rescheduled to 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 17th edition of the UK’s most prestigious stage race (Sunday 5-12 September) will cover more than 1,300km (807miles) in a route that once again includes a pair of stages in Scotland, and a first overall finish in Scotland since 2008.

The Tour of Britain is a key part of EventScotland’s annual portfolio of world-class events and we are delighted to be working in partnership with SweetSpot and local partners including Scottish Borders Council, Edinburgh City Council, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council, to bring the final two stages of the race to Scotland this year.

Events play a key role in our communities and our partnership with the Tour of Britain is the ideal platform to showcase the many wonderful regions of Scotland as well as the more than 2,000 miles of National Cycle Network covering the country that visitors can come and enjoy.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events

The race will go ahead subject to local conditions and in line with relevant national COVID guidelines and UCI protocols.  Organisers SweetSpot are working closely with EventScotland and all the local authorities along the route in Scotland to ensure that the event can take place safely.

For the first time in modern Tour history, the race ends with two stages in Scotland. The first, on Saturday 11 September, features a fourth visit to the Scottish Borders in six editions as Hawick plays host to the start for the first time. A mix of familiar towns - including Innerleithen and Duns – and new roads await as the race visits East Lothian and Midlothian before Edinburgh stages its first finish in the Tour of Britain. Another stunning finale is guaranteed, as the closing kilometres pass along Queen’s Drive, by the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace before finishing in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat.

An extremely exciting route has been developed once again and will showcase the outstanding cycling offer that we have here in the Scottish Borders.

Attracting events of this magnitude to the Scottish Borders brings very real benefits to the area, not only on the day itself but longer term and I am particularly pleased the Hawick community has embraced this opportunity and has developed a wide ranging programme of events around the Tour of Britain’s visit.

Councillor Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Economic Regeneration and Finance

We are delighted that we will see the return of the UK’s most prestigious cycling race to our city in September.

This year Edinburgh will host its first finish at Holyrood Park. The Capital’s winding and cobbled streets will offer a challenging, and of course, picturesque finale to this stage of the race. It will be an exciting return and a highlight of 2021 as keen enthusiasts, Olympians, world and Tour de France champions from all over the world come to our exceptional city.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Community Convener at City of Edinburgh Council

This year’s overall champion will be crowned in Aberdeen at the end of the most northerly stage ever to feature in the Tour of Britain. The picturesque harbour town of Stonehaven is the day’s starting point and, by popular demand from local cyclists, the route includes the ŠKODA King of the Mountains climb at Cairn o’Mount (3.35km, 9.5% average). The peloton will briefly head into the Cairngorms National Park, with Ballater marking the most westerly point of the stage, before the run in to the finish line on Aberdeen’s Esplanade begins.

The route announcement of the final stage of the Tour of Britain is something we have long waited for and feels incredibly significant for our region. Seeing the teams line up in Stonehaven and then taking on some of our spectacular climbs and sprint stretches will be exciting. The eyes of the world will be on us.

I am aware that the team are working hard behind the scenes to make sure that this event can go ahead as safely as possible, and I want to reassure our communities that everything is being done to ensure we are delivering this race in line with regulations and safety measures.

Aberdeenshire Council leader Cllr Andy Kille

We welcome today’s announcement, which many people have eagerly been waiting for. We look forward to hosting the Tour of Britain in Aberdeen in September and enjoying the many positive impacts at a regional level for tourism, health and wellbeing.

This will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the North-east, one that signals our ambition as a council to build momentum around our post-Covid economic recovery plans. Officers are continuing to work with race organisers, partners and stakeholders to ensure that we take this opportunity to celebrate all that our city region has to offer.

Aberdeen City Council Leader, Councillor Jenny Laing

This year’s Tour of Britain route is truly spectacular, covering a greater geographical area than we’ve ever done before while also ticking off several things we’ve wanted to do for a long time. Be it visiting Cornwall and Aberdeenshire, hosting stage finishes on the summit of Great Orme and in the shadow of the Angel of the North, reintroducing a team time trial and visiting noteworthy and historic host venues new and old, I have a feeling that this year’s race will be one for the ages. There are still fantastic opportunities for partners to get involved in the event, so why not join us and be a part of what will be an unforgettable week and a fantastic celebration of Britain and cycling!

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director

Six British teams have already been confirmed for the Tour of Britain, including the Great Britain national team, with the full roster of 18 teams to be confirmed later this month.

With cycling enjoying a boom in the UK, and hundreds of thousands of new and returning cyclists taking to two wheels, partnership opportunities for brands looking to be associated with Britain’s biggest professional cycling race are available. These unrivalled opportunities range from regional level support of individual stages to jersey and title sponsorships. Visit sweetspotgroup.co.uk/sponsorship-opportunities for more information.

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