Berwick: Borderline brilliant

Posted on by Rob Ainsley

I’ve always had a soft spot for Berwick-upon-Tweed. Like saddle soreness, perhaps. But today I was happy again to visit the splendidly walled border town at the end of a fabulous sunny day ride visiting another excellent cycle-cafe.

Lanterne Rouge cafe, Gifford: Red lights in the window, like some places in Amsterdam. I never realised they were cycle cafes.

The place in question was Lanterne Rouge, a friendly and lively magnet for local riders that often deservedly tops lists of Scotland’s bike cafes. (Though it has to be said there are far fewer of them than in England: I couldn’t find any currently open in Edinburgh or Glasgow at all.)

Bass Rock: An uninhabited island, home to gannets whose poo makes it white. Nothing to do with pop music and electric guitars.

After my diligent researches into Lanterne Rouge’s cake and coffee, I had a quite superb ride from the cafe’s home in the village of Gifford across the Lammermuir Hills to Berwick: forty miles or so of fine moorland scenery and quiet back lanes.

The climb up to Redstone Rigg from Gifford: The 2021 Tour of Britain came here, but did not stop for a ham sandwich
Whiteadder Reservoir: A clue to the level of traffic I encountered today
Road sign outside Gifford: I think the distance to Duns might strictly have been 18 and three-sixteenth miles
Berwick: Painter LS Lowry used to visit here regularly. I wonder if he ever managed to get served at the Kings Arms. I didn’t.
Berwick’s city walls are among the most impressive in Europe, especially as you can cycle them
Berwick welcomes cyclists! Well, we welcome Berwick!
Berwick’s 17th-century bridge is one way south. Unless everybody was simply leaving.