So it appears Mrs MB and I have sold our place unexpectedly quickly, hence we've no firm plans on where we'll fetch up next. A cursory search reveals some possible places in the Lasswade/Eskbank vicinity - what's the commute to the city centre like? I have to say I despise cycling the A7 even at less busy times, and am not much keener on Lasswade Rd - are there other less busy options to inside the bypass that I'm missing?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Commuting from Eskbank/Lasswade
(27 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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"are there other less busy options to inside the bypass that I'm missing?"
Probably not!
There's the path from Loanhead that goes under the bypass, but probably not much use to you unless you move to Loanhead or Roslin.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Yes, I know that path well, but a bit of a detour & not sure I fancy onward travel on the non-streetlit bits of Polton Bank or Wadingburn Rd on a dark wet winter's night.
Looks like there might be through routes in Kings Acre Golf Course, but one would probably be chased by greenkeepers with specially sharpened rakes if used too often...
Posted 7 years ago # -
You could ride through Dalkeith Country Park to join the Salters Road at Smeaton and take a left on the approach to Whitecraig to reach the North Esk Path. Then it's NCN1 all the way into Edinburgh.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I commute from Eskbank to KB. The short route I use is via Gilmerton Road. The pavement can be used from by Dobbies to just outside Gilmerton, though I don't usually use it due higher chance of punctures and difficulties crossing back by Gimerton (a factor rarely considered by planners).
However during reasonable weather I tend to take a longer way in and vary the route. Examples include via Musselburgh (road, NCN, or Dalkeith country park) and via Roslin and the Loanhead path.
Incidentally my general preference between Eskbank and Dobbies is along the A7 "bypass" between Lasswade Rd and Dobbies since it provides a flatter, smoother route than the fun dip to Elginhaugh.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks Cyclingmollie, but that's a big detour - 15 miles instead of 8.
Just GSV'd Polton Bank, and it looks like it has street lights all the way, so that's better than I thought. Still a winding wee road though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
PS the benefits of taking a longer route via the outskirts of Musselburgh is that it's a lot flatter (hence the route of the railway) as well as being quieter even on the road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Polton Bank is pretty steep and narrow. Fun when it's quiet and not slippery but ...
Posted 7 years ago # -
I accidentally visited Polton Bank a couple of years ago and was floored
https://www.strava.com/segments/1330930
Avg grade 7%, basically equal to the steep bit of the climb on Arthur's Seat but with the added fun of two way traffic: https://www.strava.com/segments/5460084
Posted 7 years ago # -
"possible places in the Lasswade/Eskbank vicinity"
Other towns/villages/neighbourhoods are available.
Not helpful of course!
Moving house to a new area is always a challenge/balance - 'nice area', 'houses prices', 'commuting costs', 'amenities' (inc schools if children exist/planned).
Various Edinburgh v outside threads on here in the past.
I get the impression that more CCEers live in Fife than Midlothian, which seems odd.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks amir. That's very useful.
I guess part of it's also leisure/family cycling. We're used to being able to set off with our bike seat-aged child to visit or meet friends via the NEPN, but I just can't see that being possible without either navigating Dalkeith to get to NCN1 or the issues already touched on about getting to the Loanhead path.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The B6932 from Eskbank into Gilmerton is all right in my experience, although I've never done it at particularly busy times. It has a (rather narrow) cycle lane the whole way, and the pavement is shared use from the turnoff to Melville Castle.
My experience is that drivers are less friendly on Old Dalkeith Road, although the pavement there is shared use all the way from Dalkeith to the bypass. Sheriffhall roundabout isn't exactly fun though.
From Lasswade, I think I'd go via Loanhead, then get onto the old railway path to Gilmerton. There's a shared use pavement between Gilmerton Station Road and Lang Loan (not marked on Google Maps yet). From there the road is fine.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Commuting from Lasswade / Bonnyrigg to the Gyle"
Posted 7 years ago # -
In many ways navigating from Gilmerton to the town centre is more nerve-racking than from Dalkeith to Gilmerton if you use the paths alongside the roads rather than cycle on the road. However fundamentally it is quite a long way to the NEPN! If the places you want to get are north of the city centre, Musselburgh could be a better bet.
On the plus side though there is a good railway service now.
We moved out to Eskbank because of the house prices, but also easier access to wonderful countryside, near to a small town (Dalkeith), good walks etc. But we don't have kids and I do work south of the city centre. It is due to the move out of town that I became a more avid cyclist not the other way round..
Posted 7 years ago # -
I cycle from Bonnyrigg into town and going the Lasswade road is so easy, I'm not a roadie and generally dont like cycling on the road (give me mountains any day). You have the cycle path from the bypass all the way up the hill to the Murrays.
After Kirk Brae I use causeway side all the way to the meadows and down Lothian road.
In the morning its quite busy but that makes it easier for cycling as the traffic is moving so slowly and you can skoot down the outside no problem
Way home can be interesting cycling back up Kirk brae and up to the Murrays
Posted 7 years ago # -
The road through Lasswade is more "interesting" than Kirk Brae, isn't it?
Posted 7 years ago # -
I just checked out the Community Links Fund details from yesterday to see if any improvements might help but neither of the schemes in Midlothian seem to help here much.
Curiously though, the cost information seems to have been removed from the website, while the wrong location of the Stirling scheme (put near Moffat) and the dot for the Hawick scheme hiding under the place name at some scales have not been fixed.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I cycle into Newington from beyond Gorebridge (it's a state of mind) and usually just grit my teeth and go along the A7. Amir is right about the going over the hill at Gilmerton on the shared path although making the road crossings at rush hour is tricky.
Traffic on A7 is actually fairly slow at peak times but there are a few horrible spots. Sheriffhall is not as bad as it looks, honest!
Posted 7 years ago # -
So what are realistic improvements which could be made here?
Cycle lanes/shared use pavement on Lasswade Road all the way to Lasswade?
Wider cycle lane on the B6392?
Cycle lane on Sheriffhall roundabout?
Shared use pavement between Loanhead and Lasswade?Posted 7 years ago # -
There was once supposed to be a pedestrian/cycle bridge built over Sheriffhall r'bout, but the money that was allocated got squirreled away by some corrupt officials...
See: http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3277
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm with holisticglint on Sheriffhall - never had any problems commuting over it regularly a lot of years back, and more recently went over a couple of times and 'generally' lane discipline isn't too bad, which makes it easier, as long as you take that lane.
I certainly always found it easier to just ride the roundabout than a couple of times I tried to go round the outside using the path and crossings. Far too much fast moving traffic heading perpendicularly towards you.
That said, the bridge would've been great (it was marked on the very first Spokes map I bought when I moved down in 2000 as something that was scheduled to happen).
Posted 7 years ago # -
"What happened to the Sheriffhall bridge?"
Posted 7 years ago # -
From that thread:
"There is still no decent cycle route between Edinburgh and Midlothian.
At one time there was to be by one by the side of the Borders line. Don't know if that us still in the plan."
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Don't know if that us still in the plan."
Well we do know now!
They didn't even bother to put decent cycle infrastructure on the realigned Millerhill Road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"The road through Lasswade is more 'interesting' than Kirk Brae, isn't it?"
Oh ye, that's a right leg buster that one, especially since its the last mile of my commute!
Posted 7 years ago # -
I was visiting Eskbank today. Inspired partly by this thread and partly by Strava routes, I took a completely new route - RIE (lovely off road section into the grounds), Gilmerton Road, under the bypass (another lovely off road section) and up Polton Bank.
Very enjoyable, thanks all for sharing!
Posted 7 years ago # -
holisticglint: usually just grit my teeth
That. I cycled into Leith and Edinburgh from Musselburgh for over ten years. I eventually switched from an on-road to an off-road route. Personal preference of course but I got to the point where I couldn't stand cycling in busy traffic any more. Too many idiots in cars.
Posted 7 years ago #
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