The Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge 2023

Yes. There are registration fees for both of the following routes:

• Tour of the Lowther Hills (71 mile route). £35 per rider.
• Drumlanrig Historic Route (25 mile route). £30 per rider.

These registration costs will go towards covering the costs of the cycle.

For The Kirkpatrick Loop (10 miles), there is no registration fee. However, there will be the option of providing a donation towards the work of Tearfund on the day.

Yes. The Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge is a fundraising event and every year we aim to raise £10,000. This year we are asking every cyclist to consider either:

1. Donating a small amount on top of their entry fee or,
2. To commit to fundraise the suggested amount of £108 per person to really impact your giving and help change lives.

These two options will be optional during the registration stage. If you decide to fundraise £108 for Tearfund, a JustGiving page will be automatically created for you.

All money raised through these two options will help bring hope to people living in extreme poverty. The more people who can fundraise on top of the donation they have made, the greater the impact we can have on people living in poverty around the world.

If you would like more information on how to fundraise, please contact [email protected].

If you’re fundraising through JustGiving then you don’t have to do a thing – JustGiving will send Tearfund the money automatically.

In order to reduce the risk of Covid-19 we are currently not supporting paper sponsor forms. Please encourage supporters to donate to your JustGiving page by sending them the link in a text, social media message or email. If this is not possible then please advise supporters to send cheques to Tearfund, stating the event and whom they are supporting.

via bank transfer: please credit Tearfund, Account no 53803058, Sort Code 20-00-00. Once you’ve paid in your donation, please email [email protected] to let us know the amount you’ve paid in. Title your email ‘Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge 2023’ and include your Tearfund supporter number, if possible.

via cheque: please make cheques payable to Tearfund. If you’ve collected cash, please bank it and send us a cheque along with a note stating that you completed the Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge, addressed to: Tearfund, Suite 529-534 Baltic Chambers, 50 Wellington St, Glasgow G2 6HJ

Around the world, people who were already vulnerable are being pushed further into poverty through threats like the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and conflict. Every penny raised through the Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge will go towards bringing help and hope to people living in extreme poverty around the world.

Absolutely. Simply visit www.tearfund.org/fundraise and click on ‘Start Fundraising’ to join Team Tearfund. Then select ‘Cycling’. Drop us an email or reply to the welcome email you will receive to let us know what inspired you.

The event is based in the stunning grounds of Drumlanrig Castle, near Cargenbridge.  Drumlanrig is a large stately home and country park, and is well signposted from the M74 (J14 southbound) and A702 at Abington and Elvanfoot. The castle is situated just off the A76, north of Thornhill.

From the south: Head for Dumfries, travelling around the bypass to the A76. Drumlanrig is 17 miles north of Dumfries.

From the north: Leave the motorway at Elvanfoot and take the A702 Dalveen Pass road to the A76.

Postcode for sat navs is DG3 4AQ.

Yes. The cycle is available to 14–17 year olds who have parental consent and will be accompanied (on the same route) by the parent/guardian.

To register for this event, the parent/guardian must first register their own place and then, as part of their registration, add their child under “Add New Entry” on the SI Entries registration form.

Under 18s should bring ID to prove their age and be aware that a parent/guardian will have to complete consent paperwork during registration.

The Kirkpatrick Loop (10 miles), is available for younger children (recommended aged 10+) who have parental consent and will be accompanied (on the same route) by the parent/guardian.

Yes – the more the merrier! We’d love you to involve your friends and family. Each member of your team must sign up as an individual participant to the challenge.

Sign up by visiting this page and you can sign up as an individual or a team.

We recommend using a road bike, but the road quality is such that you should be easily able to complete the route on a hybrid bike. It is essential that you have the basic tools and inner tube replacements to do basic repairs on your own bike.

The use of triathlon handlebars is discouraged in such events. However, where riders do have them fitted they are not to be used when riding in a group.

Yes, there are plenty of car park spaces available for all day parking as required. When you arrive at the main entrance of Drumlanrig castle, the pay kiosk may be in operation. If so, let staff know that you are in the Drumlanrig Cycle Challenge and head down to the left of the main house. You’ll find dedicated car parks for the event. Please do not park in the public car parks.

Yes. Click here to view the routes for the Tour of the Lowther Hills (71 mile route) and the Drumlanrig Historic Route (25 mile route). These routes will be clearly marked and there will be limited paper copies of the route on the day. Marshals will be in attendance, where required.

Volunteers operate a manual timing system at the event. This is accurate and reliable provided you stop at the finish point and make sure the stewards have your number. Please be aware that if you ride by at speed or in a group you may not get a time. This challenge is not a race and there is no minimum speed for cyclists. Please be considerate and bear in mind that all levels of cyclists may be participating.

Our feed stations are a much-loved feature of the event and are positioned along the route to keep you going!

For this year, there will only be feed stations available on the Tour of the Lowther Hills (71 miles) route.

For those taking part on this route, we cannot guarantee supplies will be available at all times and therefore urge riders to carry enough food and drink with them. Please also be mindful of those following behind!

There will be no feed stations available on the Drumlanrig Historic Route (25 miles) and The Kirkpatrick Loop (10 miles). We urge all riders on these routes to carry enough food and drink with them.

A lot of the Drumlanrig route is on some very minor, very lightly used roads. This is part of the attraction, but it does mean that they are low maintenance priority and can be very rough. Please be aware and take care.

We are sorry, but the state does not allow camping on site, and that there is no official campsite for this event. However the Drumlanrig estate have indicated that the Mennock Valley down from Wanlockhead is used a lot by campers and campervans and another small registered location is here https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.230005,-3.8379188,18z just up the Scaur Valley.

Further information about other local campsites close to the estate can be found here.

If we haven’t managed to answer your question here, then feel free to contact us at [email protected] or by calling 0141 332 3621.