The rugby season has curiously restarted (training anyway). One of the dad's in Fietsclub Balerno therefore had to be back for 11…30 to take son to training. This led to us starting at 7.30 and eschewing the red barn of elsrickle in what I am christening the Poets round the Pentlands Route.
Balerno to Farmilehead, obviously passes the Poet's Glen in Currie. Farmilehead to Penicuick ( against poetry some see yu next Tuesday shouting at us from back of car, still just one standard punishment pass). Beyond Penicuick we took the glorious West Linton moor road at the corner where the monument to the great Scottish pastoral poet Allan Ramsay, sits, some way back from the road.
West Lintondown to Blyth bridge, passed the poetically named Baisaikal sign. Not sure if the bicycle mechanic still there? Blyth Bridge up to Dolphinton and then round to Little Sparta at Dunsyre. This is where the Poetry Garden is. The big sign which said No Children, No Pets has blown over (we ignored that anyway). Little Sparta was the Home of Iain Hamilton Findlay (see the two battles of Little Sparta - IHF versus Strathclyde Regional Council to whom he owed rates but wished to be exempt as Little Sparta is a Temple. Well bits of it do look that way but one big bit is clearly a house. Should lead an expedition as the track above little Sparta is right of way and takes you back to A70 at Boston Cottage. Allows you to sneak in to Little Sparta avoiding the tenner cost.
Dunsyre, Newbiggng, Carnwath, alas little poetry but there was a pie eating competition there yesterday. I was first to Carnwath sign, three others in the sprint let me take the intermediate stage sprint and in return I showed them the back road in Carnwath parallel to main street but new Tarmac. Ends right at the apple pie bakery.
Carnwath to Balerno was poetry in motion given the tail wind. I was dropped by the peloton given my earlier effort on the intermediate sprint but did manage to reel in another member of the peloton who was also subsequently dropped and we both nearly caught the Pentland triathlete with the aero lid.
All in all a fab morning and back for 11.15
I think this will become our preferred round the pentlands route now as less hilly (and half price in Apple pie compare to red barn) However I can see a poetry garden loop where head along a70, take left before Hagrid's Hut and head south to kaimend, from there to newbigging. DUnsyre stop at poetry garden. Then head to dolphinton then east side of netherurd on what is a spectacular bit of Tarmac. Then head west along to the elsrickle turn, red barn pit stop, then back towards Carnwath, turning again up to kaimend and home along Whang. That would be half Pentland with poetry loop.
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