| Stage | 1 |
|---|---|
| Type | Road Stage |
| Date | Friday, 2 July 2027 |
| Route | Edinburgh → Carlisle |
| Distance | 185 km |
| Elevation | 2,000 m |
This is where the Tour begins. Not just the race itself, but the ambitions, pressure and dreams that have been building for months.
Every rider arrives believing their Tour is still possible. Every team still has a plan. Every contender still has hope. That makes opening stages uniquely unpredictable.
The Scottish Borders provide the perfect setting for a Grand Départ. The roads flow through historic towns, rolling countryside and passionate cycling communities that understand the significance of the moment.
Leaving Edinburgh, the opening stage travels through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, taking in the day’s only classified climb, the Côte de Melrose, set among the Eildon Hills. The route follows the border between Scotland and England through Liddesdale, briefly passes into Dumfries & Galloway, then enters Cumberland. The first stage concludes in Carlisle, with the finish located beside the city’s historic medieval castle.
Stage 1 of the 2027 Tour de France covers 185 kilometres from Edinburgh to Carlisle and marks the official opening of Britain’s Grand Départ.
After leaving the Scottish capital, the race heads through Midlothian and the Borders before tackling the Côte de Melrose, the stage’s only categorised climb. While unlikely to decide the stage, it offers the first King of the Mountains points of the race and an early opportunity for aggressive riders to announce themselves.
The route remains constantly undulating as the peloton crosses into England and heads towards Carlisle. Long false flats and exposed roads make positioning critical throughout the afternoon.
“One for the sprinters. Merlier, Philipsen or Madsen?”
The opening stage will be one for the sprinters. Merlier, Philipsen or Madsen? But the British roads and potentially changeable weather will demand full concentration from the entire peloton.
Stuey's 2027 route review, October 2026
Stuart O'Grady OAM OLY
4 x Tour de France Stage Winner
There are few moments in cycling quite like a Grand Départ. The atmosphere in Edinburgh begins days before the race itself, with team presentations, media activity and fan events transforming the city into a celebration of the sport.
Further south, the Scottish Borders provide exceptional viewing opportunities. The roads are accessible, the scenery is spectacular and the crowds create a uniquely British atmosphere that feels very different to the mountain stages later in the Tour.
Our tip: position yourself near Melrose or Hawick, where the combination of terrain and crowd energy creates one of the most memorable viewing experiences of the entire Grand Départ.
Edinburgh → Innerleithen → Galashiels → Côte de Melrose → Hawick → Newcastleton → Longtown → Brampton → Carlisle
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