Britannia - Five Nations

Britannia is a 28-day point-to-point journey from London to Edinburgh, linking England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland on quiet country lanes and coastal back roads. Riders start in Winchester, the Anglo-Saxon capital, then pass Stonehenge, Georgian Bath and the Cotswolds, with a rest day in Stratford-upon-Avon. Wales brings the remote Abergwesyn Pass, Caernarfon Castle and the Pen-y-Pass climb beneath Mount Snowdon, before a ferry crosses the Irish Sea.

Ireland opens with a rest day in Dublin, taking in Kilmainham Gaol and the Book of Kells, before the route follows Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way. Northern Ireland adds Derry's city walls, the Giant's Causeway and the Antrim Coast. A second ferry leads to Scotland, beginning on the Isle of Arran, with a guided visit to Kilmartin Glen, a Hebridean rest day on Mull with a boat trip to Staffa, and the glens of Glencoe. The finish passes Stirling, Bannockburn and the Kelpies before arriving in Edinburgh.

Led by Irish operations manager Henrick Murphy, the tour runs with one guide per six guests and one vehicle per 12 guests, for groups of up to 24. A masseuse joins the team once numbers reach 19. Accommodation ranges from historic coaching inns and country house hotels to castle stays, with regional food at every stop, from a Cotswolds ploughman's lunch to cullen skink on the Scottish coast. Graded 3 bananas, the tour averages about 73km and 763m of climbing per day, including five optional loop rides, and can be split at Dublin into two chapters.

Highlights

• Stonehenge, the Roman baths at Bath and the Cotswolds village of Castle Combe
• Wales: the Abergwesyn Pass, Caernarfon Castle and the Pen-y-Pass climb in Eryri (Snowdonia)
• A Dublin rest day (Kilmainham Gaol, Book of Kells) and Connemara's Killary Fjord
• Derry's city walls, the Giant's Causeway and the Antrim Coast
• The Scottish islands of Arran and Mull, a boat trip to Staffa and storytelling at the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe
• Stirling's Wallace Monument and the Kelpies on the finish into Edinburgh

Surface and terrain
99% paved roads, mostly quiet country lanes, coastal tracks and back roads. Terrain is hilly, averaging 763m of climbing a day, with standouts including the Abergwesyn Pass, Pen-y-Pass in Snowdonia and Scottish Highland glens, plus flatter coastal sections and some dedicated paths in Ireland.

Weather
Runs May to July, described as the British Isles' finest weather window, with long daylight hours, mild temperatures and the countryside at its greenest. Expect changeable conditions regardless, with showers likely and cooler temperatures in the mountains of Wales and the Scottish Highlands. Rain gear is essential.

Suitable for
Fit, confident riders comfortable with days of around 70km and regular climbing; graded 3 bananas by the operator. Suits history and culture lovers wanting a long, fully supported point-to-point journey. Optional loop rides add extra distance, e-bikes are available and the Dublin changeover allows a shorter trip.