Stage 1: Edinburgh to Carlisle

Stage 1 of the 2027 Tour de France covers 184 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.

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