I was taking the Lymphoy unmade up road yesterday between Currie and Balerno en route to the Penlands. Both Spokes map and OS show a way through. At Malleny House I took an instructed diversion which soon deteriorated into a very narrow forest path with lots of carry. I eventually got through using my handy machete, but does anyone know if there is a cyclable route that I clearly missed?
Edit: just in case, I don't really own a machete.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
Lymphoy back road between Currie and Balerno
(20 posts)- Started 7 years ago by ih
- Latest reply from ejstubbs
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Posted 7 years ago #
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The Lymphoy Road is certainly cyclable all the way from Currie to Balerno. I assume the diversion must be temporary. Was there any indication what it was for?
There are paths through the shelter belts - from your description I assume these must be where you were diverted to. They are very muddy at the moment due to all the rain but are usually better.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks @AKen. I got as far as Malleny House, but didn't turn into it (maybe that was my mistake). Straight ahead was a field gate and a sign saying that some footbridge was closed and it directed me between the field and the woods. The sign didn't look very new or temporary. The muddy up-and-down path eventually reached this footbridge which was permanently and robustly blocked. Is this area the 'shelter belts'? Should I have gone through Malleny House gardens?
Posted 7 years ago # -
If you turn downhill towards Malleny House, you'll come out near the entrance to Currie Rugby Club and can then turn back uphill towards the Pentlands. It's only a very short detour compared to going across the footbridge. You don't need to go through the grounds, the first surfaced road on the right you come to is best. The second one, which does lead to Malleny House, is only a very metres further on.
Instead of going right and downhill to Malleny, you can go left through Sawpit Wood on a path that comes out at Harlaw Gait. If you're heading for Harlaw, you can then continue up the hill. If you're heading towards Bavelaw, you can continue up the same way but take the wee cut through to Malleny Millgate after about 500m.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I think so you can find it on Google map by putting lymphoy stables in search.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Think I agree with @Frenchy - think that at the very least "Private" Road needs to be removed as a name from OSM.
Looking at the GPS tracks in OSM, it certainly looks like it has been fully navigatable at least at some point in the past.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@ih, I fear someone has monkeyed with the signage. The route you took to the closed footbridge is the closed route. The footbridge was in want of repair so instead it was condemned,
What is intended is at that point you turn left through saw pit woods. Where you can see the Trush. This is a tree with a bush.
At end of saw pit you come out end of cul de sac which you cycle west through and very soon you are at Harlaw Road.
The paths through the shelter belts south of Lymphoy are great for walking. Earlier in the year they were dry so we were out there a lot. Saw no one else ever.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks everyone.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Private Road" no longer recorded as the road name in OSM data (although the name may take a little while to disappear from any maps). Access currently recorded as 'permissive'. Does it need more specific access information?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Lymphoy is private road, everyone wh lives along it has to pay for the surface. The mansion lymphoy house is for sale.
Never been an access issue. They did put gates up at the Balerno end but you could one the gates. The gates are down now lying in the scrub beside the road
Posted 7 years ago # -
I note that the footbridge is still shown as being present on the OS maps, and on OSM. Which is unhelpful if, like me, you are not 100% familiar with Balerno* and park up in the Bavelaw Road car park planning to cross that bridge at the start of a stroll along the Lymphoy track and back along the WoL walkway. It's not much of a diversion to walk down the hill and come up past the rugby club, but some signage would be helpful (and perhaps allay the rather forbidding appearance of the welded mild steel sheet monstrosity blocking the bridge, which does smack of some of the less welcoming attitudes to people wishing to take their leisure in the countryside that are displayed in other parts of this land.) AIUI Malleny House and the gardens are owned by the NTS. Not sure whether that would include the footbridge: if it did then the NTS are usually pretty good about signage, so perhaps not.
* I've ridden the Lymphoy track westwards a number of times, but always followed the track up to and through Sawpit Wood to Harlaw Gait, since I go that way to access the reservoirs. On this occasion, however, the missus and I were going for a walk starting in Balerno and I was trying to access the track from an unfamiliar direction. I'll know better in future.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@ejstubbs, the bridge has been closed for maybe 5 years now. Condemned no less. Shame as was a handy cut through. When it was closed at first there was signage at both ends. As you say, nothing now to indicate the bridge is closed.
Lymphoy a little muddy. WoL path from currie to balerno not too bad but much muddier from currie to canal.
Did you spot the one hole golf corse has returned at Waulkmill? But tee and green are now astroturf. Fairway still grass.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@ejstubbs, @gembo one of the great things about OSM is that you can edit things like closed bridges. Or if you are not sure how to do this, it is easy to leave a note using the second bottom button on the right.
I would make the change, but not sure which bridge you are referring to
Posted 4 years ago # -
@drnoble it is a little footbridge over the bavelaw burn just south west of Malleny House.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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@drnoble that do be it yes
Posted 4 years ago # -
Great thanks gembo. I've changed this to a path and marked it as closed. It can always be updated if it ever gets opened again
Posted 4 years ago # -
Nice work drnoble, it is never going to be opened again alas
Posted 4 years ago # -
@gembo: Yes, we did see the one hole golf course, and wonder what was going on there. Looks like it's part of someone's garden but I can't help thinking it wold be a bit repetitive for practise.
Posted 4 years ago #
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