CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
"
PLANS to double the size of the Pentland Hills regional park have taken a step forward after Midlothian South SNP MSP Christine Grahame won cross-party backing for her proposal.
She will now hold more detailed talks as she prepares a Member’s Bill to put before the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Grahame said she wanted to broaden access for people from less-privileged backgrounds to enjoy the hills, where thousands already go cycling, walking and fishing.
"
"Ms Grahame said she wanted to broaden access for people from less-privileged backgrounds"
Bicycle is the best way for them to get around. We'll be seeing proper cycle paths into the hills will we?
Don't think I've ever met anyone who wasn't either middle class or a squaddie in all the time I've spent up there.
There was a proposal around the south west of the range at Carnwath and dunsyre last year. This more about shifting the pressure in the access points that are most popular - flotterstone and Harlaw. Access further south and west requires bicycle or other private vehicle.
I will read Ms Grahame's proposal she once chaired a committee at Holyrood I was invited to attend and allowed me to make many points. (I had been well briefed).
Sounds good not sure what the practicalities of a national park in scotland in terms of access as already have access to the countryside unlike the less civilised south of the border where national park status makes such difference.
Means a few more jobs for a ranger service that maybe west Lothain, borders and South lanarkshire would be asked to help fund.
Some paths will be more maintained.
Some farmers might get financial support to facilitate access?
There is no bus service on the west Lothain side beyond the existing 44 terminus. The Dumfries bus does stop at flotterstone, nine mile burn and Carlops.
Many years ago the west Lothain trundler which was an old fashioned single decker ran along the rigg road at thriepmuir then back down into the A70. This was a short lived service but could be reintroduced.
There are no East West paths once you get out of the park area. I did some exploring last year, on foot, after a day of off piste walking I got a lift home from West Linton tired and hours behind schedule having been dropped a few miles out side Carnwath.
From West Linton there is only the pavement beside the main road till a path heads North towards the kips. It would be nice to have more options joining West Linton to the main routes would add some potential.
Steveo, you mean no pavement beside the busy main road beyond Carhops, heading to england shire? The paths are all North South for sure. Bu you can walk on quiet road from Carlops to ninemileburn then cross Pentlands to BAlerno, taking in the font stone spotting weasels easily.
You can get to west Linton from the Lang Whang using the Thieves Road but would need picked up at other end, actually you could get a bus back from west Linton, if timed correctly. But would need dropped off at the car park on the Lang Whang.
So there could be a bus that went around the circumference but IMO it would not make money.
The Thieves Road (Cauldstane Slap) path is half in the park and half out.
Further south, in theory there is the Covenanter's Grave path, but I see the OS have stopped mapping it which is fair enough as there is nothing on the ground (although I think there are posts?). My memory Map 1:50000 mapping on my phone which is about 10 years old still has it mapped.
Further south still, the Boston Cottage (A70) to Little Sparta path is fairly followable, not that I have walked all of it, just crossed it at various points.
New forestry popping up around South Tarbrax in the last few years so it's all changing.
Bu you can walk on quiet road from Carlops to ninemileburn then cross Pentlands to BAlerno
That was basically the route I had in mind, expect up the Kips to the main ridge and along to Hillend for the 4 home. But its not the same as really being in the hills, there is plenty space there its not got a proper path.
Further south, in theory there is the Covenanter's Grave path
I approached it from the west, heading east, but there was a fairly decent path certainly compared to the sheep tracks I'd been on for the last couple of hours. Though I don't know how it looks closer to the road, it might be the farmer "maintains" it for access.
There's an off-road route from Carlops to West Linton - if you head up the track to the Icelandic horses farm, then that leads to a footpath that goes round the back of a hillock and into West Linton from the west.
The West Linton website has a good list of walks around about the town:
Linky
@cb I have cycled the little Sparta to Boston cottage path. Although no Boston cottage.left? It was a road for a tractor at one point but about halfway up, half the road has crumbled leaving a cliff. Later I fell into a puddle so had a very peat stained sleeve on way back to BAlerno.
From the 44 bus terminus you can walk to the start of the route to Carlops via Listonshiels farm and the Borestane pass.
Steveo only about a mile from Carlops to ninemileburn on road with no traffic then off up to the kips.
"
The closing date for the survey is Wednesday 31st December 2014.
"
Warning quite tedious survey (not about expanding the park but about events in the park)
Surprising factoid that only 1per cent of event organisers in the pentlands contribute cash for upkeep of paths etc. That is possibly 1 event ever?
Didn't think it was that tedious.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts