Sportive

Six of the best UK roads

Bealach na Ba, Applecross, Scotland

The sweeping hairpins of Bealach na Ba form the UK's toughest climb (Pic: Stefan Krause, via Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Ireland's rugged coastline makes for some great riding (pic: Richard Watson, via Fusion Media)
The Tour of Britain peloton took on Marine Drive earlier this year (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
The Hardknott Pass is the toughest climb in the Lake District (pic: Shirokazan, via Creative Commons)
Horseshoe Pass is set against a stunning backdrop in north Wales (pic: Simon Pix, via Flickr Creative Commons)
Haytor has become a regular feature of the Tour of Britain (pic: Paul Hayes-Watkins)

Bealach na Ba, Applecross, Scotland

Billed as the UK’s toughest climb, the Bealach na Ba is as easy on the eye as it is punishing on the legs.

Located in the Scottish Highlands, the long, twisting road winds through the mountains of the peninsula and is as close to an Alpine pass as you you’ll find in Britain.

Tight hairpin bends, coiled on top of each other, kick up sharply with some sections rising up the mountainside with gradients close to 20 per cent.

In all, the road is the greatest ascent of any in the UK as it rises from sea level to 2,054ft (making it the third highest road in Scotland) in just five miles, at an average gradient of 6.8 per cent.