http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Upper WoL path... en Sat, 04 Jul 2026 21:22:42 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-99828 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:14:13 +0000 fimm 99828@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been running up and down the WoL path a good deal in the past few weeks. The section between the Visitor Centre on Lanark Road and the Gorgie Road crossing has quite a nice surface - it is not really muddy but it isn't tarmac either. The really muddy bits seem to be at the end of the tarmac section when you've come over the canal, up near the tunnel, and I found a new really bad bit yesterday up beyond the bypass. I think all of these have this "whin dust" stuff that people keep taking about (whatever it is). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-97686 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:59:21 +0000 Dave 97686@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good to know.</p> <p>We've started viewing in Currie/Balerno now... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-97648 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:28:50 +0000 SRD 97648@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>from the WoL trust:</p> <p>MUD MUD GLORIOUS MUD<br /> Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:02 AM PST<br /> We have had lots of tweets and emails recently about the muddy state of the Water of Leith Walkway. The path is mostly owned by City of Edinburgh Council, managed by the Natural Heritage Service. They are planning to invest a fair bit in path improvements in the coming months. Areas around Redbraes, Kate Mill and Currie will be given attention. We have also been out with volunteers trying to sort out some of the drainage ditch issues and path scrapeing jobs needed to alleviate the worst of the muddy surfaces.</p> <p>Please bear in mind that we have had an exceptionally wet summer at the path has never really had change to dry out before the autumn leaf fall, and small mudslides have also added to the problems. However we would like your feedback on the worst affected areas, so we can help target action. email <a href="mailto:admin@waterofleith.org.uk">admin@waterofleith.org.uk</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-97067 Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:45:50 +0000 AKen 97067@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As the ground was likely to be frozen hard this morning, I decided to take the WOL path for a change. It <em>was</em> frozen but the surface is now appalling bad for long stretches between Currie and Slateford. It was badly rutted when frozen today but once it thaws it'll be a series of really unpleasant mud slides. Despite the path being up to 3m wide in places, the actual usable section has in many places shrunk to a 50cm wide strip at the side that will only cause conflict with other path users.</p> <p>It's clearly unsuitable for commuting (although the number of types tracks in the snowy stretches shows that some people are using it) and unpleasant for leisure cycling. I've taken the kids along here numerous times in the past but certainly wouldn't do so now. The only people who might enjoy it are the non-mud-averse mountain bikers. So as an NCN route, what is it for? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96339 Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:45:27 +0000 AKen 96339@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This seems to be happening. One of the bad sections us below the tunnel at Colinton and I noticed recently that some drainage channels at the side of the path had been dug out - I wasn't even aware they were there so it had the feel of archaeology rather than maintenance. There were also some sections of timber deposited at points next to the path that looked like they might be used to stabilise the drainage. Not sure either of these will solve the problem of a gloopy, sticky surface covering though. The whindust seems to be slimy whenever it's damp and it seems to stay damp for a very long time. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96314 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:59:34 +0000 Charterhall 96314@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't often ride the WoL path downstream of Colinton, my recollection is that it's only very poor in a few discrete patches. So rather than tarmacing the whole path I wonder if the council could be persuaded to just address these particular sections, either by improving their drainage or replacing the surface with something less gloopy. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96305 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:10:06 +0000 gembo 96305@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ahbyes, I see it now in two other posts</p> <p>I once met a hundred year old person walking a dog on Donkey Lane.</p> <p>Sounds like AKen also advising the jink through westburn village to use the canal rather than wester hailes proper. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96292 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:59:09 +0000 Dave 96292@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That was last night: <a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9236" rel="nofollow">http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9236</a> :)</p> <p>The Marathon Winters have impressed me this week, OK they might have failed on occasion on the WoL, but they did eat up the donkey path and the tracks on the right bank of the WoL to Colinton. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96289 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:43:25 +0000 gembo 96289@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@ Dave</p> <p>Ah well if considering Currie then you might find Donkey Lane which starts at Muirwood Road and skirts Baberton Golf Course. It used to be a path but it is now a combination of a river and a path. Takes you out at kennels above Heriot Watt, you turn right and you have a lovely traffic free road down to Wester hailes at the Westburn Village end from whence it is a short jink to the canal through westburn village </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96271 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:08:47 +0000 SRD 96271@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>that's a bit harsh fimm! just shows the perils of multiple mode user spaces, i'd say. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96270 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:01:43 +0000 fimm 96270@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I am stupid, I'd forgotten the bike route goes down there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96192 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:57:39 +0000 Dave 96192@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interestingly I rode right past a place that's on the market in Currie without even realising.</p> <p>I haven't really paid much attention to ESPC before deciding whether we even want to live there - that's the mistake we made when we found our dream house in Penicuik, then realised how terrible the links to Edinburgh are.</p> <p>Houses are expensive! :o</p> <p>Again I wonder at the wisdom of being somewhere that's stupendously expensive to live but doesn't pay correspondingly. (I stopped looking at London jobs' pay years ago!) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96191 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:44:00 +0000 Smudge 96191@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>OT I just had a very brief test on the renewed audax bike, def not WOL suitable, and def not 2" tyres, but feels faaaaaast B-) Initial impressions of the dynamo front light are good too :-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96187 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:19:25 +0000 Dave 96187@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've just spent half an hour looking for fast* bikes that would take a 2" tyre. We'll need that garage!</p> <p>* for a certain value of fast... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96182 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:56:49 +0000 Dave 96182@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>How often do travelling uses and leisure uses really conflict?</p> <p>The canal is busy around office closing times, the NEPN is mostly empty "off peak". Would it really be to the detriment of people going for a quiet walk to benefit the people who currently feel they need to use Lanark Road, especially going up? </em></p> <p>I suppose the problem isn't with the (very) limited number of current cyclists willing to be buzzed by hundreds of impatient motorists on the A70. If the WoL was made suitable for cycling it might encourage large numbers of people who don't currently cycle to use it. </p> <p>With their awareness raised, they might then "recreate" on the path on foot too, especially if that didn't mean ruining clothes and footwear with crazy mud. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=3#post-96167 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:50:41 +0000 Smudge 96167@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"I used to go this way in 1991 when I commuted by bike from Morningside to Balerno. All on roads: I had no idea the WOL path existed, and I'm guessing it was pretty much impassable on a bike in those days anyhow."</em><br /> iirc for about the last twenty plus years it's been much as it is less the tarmac and lighting in the tunnel and the ***** awful whindust treacle. I certainly used to use it to cycle to and from town/Balerno before I had a driving licence (which I must confess is a little while ago :-o ) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96160 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:03:58 +0000 steveo 96160@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>NEPN and the Innocent were upgraded into travelling routes from not much more beforehand; the WoL path became a leisure option</em></p> <p>Another thought occurred to me on the way home. Since the 60's Leith Walk (Drive) has been a high throughput car centric road, surely it would be to the detriment of car travelling if its focus were to change so many years on? ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96158 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:27:36 +0000 crowriver 96158@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was in Balerno at lunchtime today, on the homeward leg of a DIY audax. I've ridden the WOL path with my son, but didn't even consider it today as we've had a lot of rain lately. I just went Lanark Road, turned right to Colinton, across the flyover (WOL path visible below), kept going then down Colinton Road and on via Polwarth. Traffic was pretty light so it was no problem, wouldn't fancy it at peak drivetime. There's an alternative quiter route via the suburban streets which cuts out a deal of Colinton Road, I have used this with the tandem taking son to Bonaly.</p> <p><em>To avoid Colinton Road into town you could make use of the Oxgangs to Greenhill Village route (which is generally how I get back to Morningside from Colinton)</em></p> <p>I used to go this way in 1991 when I commuted by bike from Morningside to Balerno. All on roads: I had no idea the WOL path existed, and I'm guessing it was pretty much impassable on a bike in those days anyhow. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96157 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:25:39 +0000 steveo 96157@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Another extension - surely you can't complain about plans to upgrade the Holyrood Park road to dual carriageway if you want to tarmac all of the WoL route to turn it into a cycle superhighway... ;) </em></p> <p>Ah but, there are safe alternatives for drivers to take apart from the park. For cyclists the alternative is a route with &gt;30mph speed differential where drivers are proven to act like idiots plus its up a steep hill which would put me off were I just getting back on the bike. :D </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96156 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:25:15 +0000 lionfish 96156@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm not sure how far out people are thinking, but isn't quite a lot of it very wide - so wide in fact that half could be left untarmacked thus suiting almost everyone!</p> <p>Also I've been thinking about the not-concreting-over-the-countryside argument, but I think if we can get a load more people onto bikes, there'll be less demand to dual 100s of miles of road - which is a much greater level of concrete etc... so I'm now swaying towards voting to tarmac the path. At least sections closer to town - especially the muddy bit near the bridge etc. Or gravel? Does that work??</p> <p>Vaguely related: A while ago I heard word of someone trying to get some gravel + path across this bit of field boundary <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/VNmCq" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/maps/VNmCq</a> not sure how far its got - but I think they were going for a guerilla-style flash-mob-infrastructure plan... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96154 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:23:02 +0000 steveo 96154@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>How often do travelling uses and leisure uses really conflict? </p> <p>The canal is busy around office closing times, the NEPN is mostly empty "off peak". Would it really be to the detriment of people going for a quiet walk to benefit the people who currently feel they need to use Lanark Road, especially going up? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96153 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:21:24 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 96153@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Another extension - surely you can't complain about plans to upgrade the Holyrood Park road to dual carriageway if you want to tarmac all of the WoL route to turn it into a cycle superhighway... ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96152 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:18:43 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 96152@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>But if the WOL were "upgraded" would it not then be used to "get places" like Balerno to town?</em>"</p> <p>Perhaps more than now, which would be to the detriment of it being used as a leisure venue as it is now, hence the need to treat them differently...</p> <p>NEPN and the Innocent were upgraded into travelling routes from not much more beforehand; the WoL path became a leisure option, so would be changing from that and making it a less attractive option. Yes, we can go back to the historical use and say "well it was a transport route then, so it should be now" but how far back do you go? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96149 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:14:15 +0000 steveo 96149@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>But if the WOL were "upgraded" would it not then be used to "get places" like Balerno to town? They're only different because they're considered different they're all old railway lines used to get people/stuff places, its not like the WOL line only took you to a theme park. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96147 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:10:31 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 96147@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>As all three are of the same type (former railways) presumably the Innocent or NEPN would be really quite similar to WoL in terms of users, uses, layout and so on if treated in the same way.</em>"</p> <p>Well that's the thing, I'd say they're not the same at all and would remain used in different ways. From my experience the WoL path when you get out to the muddiness is much more a leisure destination in its own right with little criss-crossing paths and so on; NEPN and the Innocent are more ways to get to places.</p> <p>Not sure why it's a 'circular' argument to say that places that are very different are treated differently? I might be missing something there?</p> <p>If we were to take the roads as an example, should the road round the back of Arthur's Seat to Duddingston village be a wide, fast route like the Western Approach? They both carry commuters after all, the cars are the same, the layout with not much residential stuff around is the same... But they're very different 'kinds' of routes.</p> <p>But as I say, seems fundamentally you think the WoL route is the same in most aspects as the NEPN and Innocent, and I don't. So we'll just have to agree to disagree. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96140 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:00:16 +0000 Dave 96140@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@anth - surely that's a bit circular? </p> <p>As all three are of the same type (former railways) presumably the Innocent or NEPN would be really quite similar to WoL in terms of users, uses, layout and so on if treated in the same way.</p> <p>Because they are not treated the same way, obviously the users and so on are now different. I would never suggest taking my neices out on the WoL path, unlike the Innocent or NEPN. </p> <p>I daresay "muddyizing" the Innocent would rapidly cause to become like the WoL is now. Perhaps not so many horses... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96137 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:47:27 +0000 SRD 96137@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>one problem with the current muddyness is that there is often only one negotiable bit of the track, so cyclists (and walkers) can't easily pass each other, without one lot stopping, or one going into the very squelchy bits (with risks of falling off for bikes). an improved surface would widen the ridable surface and presumable cause less conflict? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96136 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:46:34 +0000 steveo 96136@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Just in case anyone thinks I said or implied this as my name appears quoted earlier in the reply, I didn't.</em></p> <p>Sorry didn't mean to implicate. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96135 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:46:01 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 96135@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>we can't really harass the council to clear the surfaces of the tarmacced paths and simultaneously tell them it would be unsafe to tarmac others</em>"</p> <p>Really? If they're completely different types of paths in different locations with different users and different layouts? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9229&page=2#post-96133 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:44:02 +0000 Dave 96133@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Or horses' eggs! I have to admit, I can see why dog walkers on the WoL might not be that conscientious when there are huge piles of much bigger dung lying everywhere :o </p>