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Explore your Boundaries

Explore Your Boundaries was inspired by the desire to create adventures close to home, a way of seeing the familiar in unfamiliar ways. Mark Beaumont, Guinness World Record holder for the fastest circumnavigation by bike, and Markus Stitz, singlespeed round the world cyclist and filmmaker, mapped 24 Scottish council boundary routes to encourage people to stay active, whether cycling or walking, and to inspire adventures that started and finished at their front door. To create the routes, they uploaded the council boundaries GPX files onto the mapping platform Komoot and matched them with the closest existing pathways. Taking those borders as inspiration, we mapped 24 routes ranging from 30 miles to 315 miles, covering the majority of Scotland’s local authorities, which are all included in the collection below. Craig Thompson helped us mapping a route around Aberdeen.

Explore Your Boundaries – Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Glasgow

2022 – Explore Your Boundaries Argyll

In 2022 you can join round the world cyclists Mark Beaumont, Jenny Graham and Markus Stitz on their 560-mile (900km) journey on their gravel bikes as well as ferries, boats, kayaks and packrafts to travel along the boundary of Argyll and explore its rugged coasts and beautiful scenery in May, June and July. It is a key feature of Wild About Argyll’s Pedaddling campaign, with funding from VisitScotland and sponsorship from Schwalbe Tyres UK, which is showcasing the wealth of people-powered adventures available to the novice and the enthusiast across the breadth of Argyll and the Isles, easily accessible by public transport.

Find out more about Wild About Argyll’s Pedaddling activities here

Explore Your Boundaries Argyll in the Media (Selection)

17 Feb 2023Inverness CourierMark Beaumont pushes the limits as he heads to the Highlands to talk North Coast 500, gravel riding and more

10 Feb 2023Press & JournalRecord-breaking cyclist Mark Beaumont heads to Inverness’s Eden Court later this month

23 Jan 2023Press & JournalHome is Where the Trails Are: New film showcases 165-mile bike journey through the Cairngorms

14 Oct 2022BikerumorVideo: Explore Your Boundaries – Argyll and The Isles explores Scotland’s Adventure Coast

2 Sep 2022Much Better AdventuresThe new 500-mile Cycling Route Around Argyll and the Isles

29 Aug 2022International Mountain Bike MagazineGravel Short Documentary: Explore Your Boundaries – Argyll Scotland

25 Aug 2022Gravel-CoillectiveArgyll und die Inseln – Schottlands wilde Küste per Gravelbike entdecken

25 Aug 2022GravelcyclistRound the World Cyclists explore Scotland’s Adventure Coast in a New Film

22 Aug 2022VelojournalWetter, Wasser, Wunderland

14 Aug 2022Press & JournalWhy are these round the world cyclists exploring boundaries in Argyll?

13 Aug 2022Oban TimesRound the world cyclists explore Scotland’s Adventure Coast in a new film

10 Aug 2022BaseBIKEPACKING SCOTLAND’S ADVENTURE COAST

9 Aug 2022Bikepacking.comEXPLORE YOUR BOUNDARIES – ARGYLL & THE ISLES (VIDEO)

8 Aug 2022 – Gravelunion – #midweek movies – Explore your boundaries – Argyll & The Isles

13 May 2022Visit ScotlandRound the world cyclists explore Scotland’s Adventure Coast

08 May 2022Spokesman PodcastExplore Your Boundaries

08 May 2022off.road.ccJenny Graham joins Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz for an Argyll adventure

A note of caution. Different to other Bikepacking Scotland routes we could only test ride the Edinburgh, Midlothian, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk and Glasgow routes so far. For all other routes we have used Komoot and Open Cycle Map to map and review them on a computer, and also used our knowledge from other rides or projects like mapping the Perthshire Gravel Trails, John Muir Way or routes in the Cateran Ecomuseum.

Those routes are suggestions to inspire your own routes. Please act responsibly as set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Some councils are still missing from the collection, so if you want to map and share a route, use the feedback from below to get in touch.

Below you’ll find images and videos from our joint rides.

Explore Your Boundaries – Edinburgh (Jan 2021)

Explore your Boundaries – a film inspired by riding the city boundary of Edinburgh.

Explore Your Boundaries – Midlothian (Mar 2021)

Explore Your Boundaries – Clackmannanshire (June 2021)

Explore your Boundaries – A short film about our adventure in Clackmannanshire.

Explore Your Boundaries – East Lothian (July 2021)

Explore Your Boundaries – Falkirk (Sep 2021)

Explore your Boundaries – A short film about our adventure in Falkirk.

Explore Your Boundaries – Glasgow (Nov 2021)

Explore your Boundaries in the media:

12 Apr 2022East Lothian CourierCyclists’ documentary is showcase for East Lothian scenery

05 Apr 2022Much Better AdventuresMark Beaumont on finding adventure close to home

27 Mar 2022The ScotsmanNew film shows round-world cyclist Mark Beaumont tackling ‘hard’ council boundaries ride challenge

10 Mar 2022CyclingtipsAdventure at home: A Scottish Journey to the Boundaries

8 Mar 2022Wild ScotlandExplore Your Boundaries – Cycling the Boundaries of Scottish Councils

26 Feb 2022Gravel CollectiveEntdecke deine Grenzen

24 Feb 2022Yellow JerseySeeing the familiar in an unfamiliar way

24 Feb 2022offroad.ccWatch now: Explore Your Boundaries

23 Feb 2022Base MagExplore Your Boundaries

23 Feb 2022Bikepacking.comExplore Your Boundaries

23 Feb 2022UK Gravelbike ClubExplore Your Boundaries – A New Documentary by Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz

22 Feb 2022Adventure UncoveredExplore Your Boundaries – New documentary by Mark Beaumont & Markus Stitz explores gravel routes along four Scottish council boundaries

22 Feb 2022Alloa and Hillfoots AdvertiserCycling documentary explores the boundaries of Clackmannanshire

22 Feb 2022Gravel CyclistExplore Your Boundaries: Documentary – Gravel Routes following the council boundaries of Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk & Glasgow

12 Nov 2021The ScotsmanCOP26: Round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont ‘blown away’ by beauty of Glasgow council boundary ride

27 Sep 2021The ScotsmanScottish cyclist Mark Beaumont’s bike challenge allows Scots to see home ‘in a new way’

16 May 2021BiketourglobalRadblog Rundfahrt im Frühling

14 May 2021Cycling UKExplore Your Boundaries by bike

7 May 2021CyclistCyclist Doorstep Rides, No5: komoot ambassador Mark Beaumont’s epic gravel adventure around Edinburgh

22 Apr 2021Shimano GravelHome is only a feeling you get in your mind

17 Apr 2021The CourierExplore your boundaries: New film charts lockdown adventures of cycling champions Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz

9 Apr 2021CyclingtipsThe austere beauty of winter cycling

3 Apr 2021Discover Scotland MagazineIce day for a bike ride

1 Apr 2021Gravel CyclistExplore your Boundaries: A Markus Stitz & Mark Beaumont short film – the joys of winter cycling around Scotland’s Capital

31 Mar 2021UKGravelbike.clubExplore your Boundaries – A Markus Stitz and Mark Beaumont short film highlighting the joys of winter cycling around Scotland’s Capital

28 Mar 2021In de Kopgroep (NL)Deze korte film laat zien waar fietsen echt om gaat

26 Mar 2021off-road.ccVideo: Explore your Boundaries – Join Markus Stitz and Mark Beaumont on their Scottish winter epic

25 Mar 2021– Yellow Jersey Blog – Mark Beaumont – from world circumnavigation to backyard exploration

24 Mar 2021Bike MagExplore your Boundaries 2021

24 Mar 2021Gear and Grit Explore Your Boundaries – Mark Beaumont & Markus Stitz

23 Mar 2021Schwalbe BlogExplore your Boundaries – A Markus Stitz and Mark Beaumont short film highlighting the joys of winter cycling around Scotland’s Capital

23 Mar 2021CyclingEurope.orgMark Beaumont / Markus Stitz: Explore Your Boundaries

23 Mar 2021 – bikepacking.com – Explore your Boundaries (Film)

23 Mar 2021– The Radavist – Explore Your Boundaries: Mark Beaumont & Markus Stitz

17 Feb 2021Highland DrifterStrictly Local (Aberdeen Route)

14 Jan 2021Yellow Jersey BlogExplore your boundaries

Explore Your Boundaries is supported by Schwalbe.