Tour de France 2027 - Grand Départ - Stage 1: Edinburgh to Carlisle

The Grand Départ of the 2027 men’s Tour de France, the world’s largest annual sporting event, takes riders form Edinburgh through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway to Carlisle.

The 2027 Tour de France kicks off with a historic 184km stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle, marking the first time the race has visited Scotland. Leaving the capital, the peloton travels south past the industrial heritage sites of Midlothian and into the Scottish Borders. The route passes through the Tweed Valley, already famous for its cycling and mountain biking routes, and the textile towns of Galashiels, Selkirk, and Hawick.

The terrain is predominantly undulating, featuring long "false flats" where the peloton reach an altitude of 400 metres. The competitive highlight of the day is the Côte de Melrose below the Eildon Hills . As the only categorised climb on the route, this short, punchy ascent will suit the breakaway specialists and determine who seizes the first King of the Mountains classification and the iconic Polka Dot Jersey.

After crossing through Dumfries and Galloway via the village of Canonbie, the race enters England for a fast finish. The final section is flat and favours the powerhouse lead-out trains. The stage concludes in Carlisle with a short finishing straight outside the city’s medieval castle, where the world’s top sprinters will compete for the stage win and the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour.