Located just a few kilometres south of the border with Scotland, Carlisle Castle witnessed a significant moment in history when Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there in 1568. During her captivity, the Scottish queen embroidered words onto her dress that would go down in history: “In my end is my beginning.” For the Tour de France peloton, the opening stage’s finish in Carlisle represents both an end in itself (the coronation of the rider who’ll be the first to wear the Yellow Jersey) and a beginning: the race will be under way and the first king of the 2027 Tour will soon face challenges from ambitious rivals.
- First-time stage town
- Town in the county of Cumbria (England)
- Population: 78,000
- carlisle.gov.uk
