Details of the Scottish stages of the Tour of Britain cycling race due to finish in Aberdeen have been revealed.
The final two dates of the race will be held in Scotland on September 11 and 12.
The final leg of the event will start in Stonehaven, presenting a chance for the north-east public to watch some of the sport’s biggest names compete.
Organisers agreed to a Granite City finish after the cities success at hosting smaller Tour Series events back in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
A number of other locations for each leg of the race have also been announced by organisers Sweetspot and British Cycling.
The penultimate stage will begin in Hawick and finish in Edinburgh.
The race was cancelled last year because of the Covid pandemic.
The Aberdeen finish will mark the first time the race has concluded in Scotland since 2007.
Unsung heroes
It has also been announced that unsung heroes of the pandemic will be celebrated daily as part of the race’s Ride for Heroes initiative.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s director of events, said: “The Tour of Britain has been a key part of our portfolio of sporting events for a number of years and we are delighted to have it returning to Scotland this year for two stages and visiting the new locations of Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Hawick.
“Events play an important part in our communities by sustaining livelihoods and binging social and economic change.
“As we start our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, The Tour of Britain will be a chance to showcase these wonderful regions of Scotland, which including some of the more than 2,000 miles of National Cycle Network visitors can come and enjoy when the time is right, as well as helping us build towards our hosting of the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.”
Craig Burn, chief executive of Scottish Cycling added: “At Scottish Cycling we are thrilled to be welcoming the Tour of Britain to Edinburgh and Hawick.
“Major events are a brilliant way of inspiring more people to ride bikes in Scotland, therefore securing and staging elite racing is fundamental to achieving our ambition of developing a nation of cyclists.
“They are also a great way of inspiring the next generation of young riders, bringing together cycling clubs, schools and communities together to watch the best cyclists in the world race on Scottish roads.”