CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
‘zipline in ambitious plans to turn Hillend into leading attraction’
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Posted 5 years ago #
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Odd that they don't mention building a hotel in the Green Belt, which is also a special landscape area, and a regionally important nature conservation site, in a country park, next to a scheduled monument in an elevated area visible from a huge swathe of Edinburgh.
Still - zipline...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Still no mountain bike trails. How much success does there need to be with MTBing in the Tweed Valley for the penny to drop at Hillend...?!
Posted 5 years ago # -
I recall a proposal for such trails at the redundant golf course off Braid Hills Road but the nimbys were stirred in to action.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Morningsider
Zipline is one of those iconic words that deflects all attention. I was on a great zipline with Master Gembo in Brighton. All the way along the beach. Cost a fortune. Was fun.
Another one of these iconic words can be found in the brilliant cycling movie Breaking Away
The main actor causes his father to have some sort of stroke. The Dad sells second hand cars. THe son says, Gee dad why don't you give them a Refund?
The dad has stroke, is taken away in ambulance shouting REFUND, REFUND, REFUND
I commend this film to the House
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Harts plenty of mountainbiking in the Pentlands?
Posted 5 years ago # -
@fimm
Aye, but there's mountain biking and mountain biking. Think Innerleithen or even uplifted Fort Bill downhill yahoo stuff.
Not everyone's happy to grind along with the walkers and dogs? Lots of money to be made from downhill MTB as skiing on wheels.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Still - zipline...
Monorail?
Posted 5 years ago # -
They need a cable car at Hillend and then the MTB frat can speed down without having to pedal up. Like the companies in the alps that drive you to the top of the ski slopes in summer. Pick up what's left of you at the bottom then drive you to the top again.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Whistler is amazing in summer. Chairlifts packed with bikes. There is much cash to be had from rad biking.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Chairlift is already in place at Hillend of course so all they need is either some hooks on the side of chairs or if space doesn't allow that replace sufficient chairs with bike carriers to accommodate demand.
Posted 5 years ago # -
When was it put in?
https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200281/snowsports_centre/181/about_the_snowsports_centre/3
Posted 5 years ago # -
Or put another way -
When will it need upgrading/replacing?
Posted 5 years ago # -
@chdot that chairlift was on the go when I was about 15, so it's been there a wee while.
My super-fit cousin enjoys a sort of anti-heliski approach - climbs mountains carrying her skis & ski boots then slides back down. Seems like a lot of hard work...
Posted 5 years ago # -
climbs mountains carrying her skis & ski boots then slides back down
This is how Alpine skiing originated. Previously done with a single long pole between your legs broomstick-style and, remarkably, the eyes tightly closed.
Posted 5 years ago # -
When was it put in?
The very first skiable run was only a 50m long test slope, and was laid in 1964. It was actually installed on the eastern slope of Buiselaw, to the north of Hillend Hill and near the road to Swanston. It was only open for training, mainly for school children.
They moved it to Hillend Park six months later and lengthened it to 200m. The ski slope opened to the public in December 1965, but at that time you had to walk up the hill. In 1966 Doppelmayr built the prototype chairlift (full length), even though the ski slope was still only 300m long (to the middle station). In 1967 the full slope was laid, and the gas lighting (!) was upgraded to electric.
This was 1977:
I think the chairlift has been mended rather more than it's been upgraded, to be honest.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"Leisure chiefs at Midlothian Council are currently seeking feedback on proposals that also include an alpine rollercoaster ride, shops, hotel, food hall and glamping facilities."
All seems very excessive, frankly.
“We think enhancing the current facilities with the highest zipwire in the UK, the longest Alpine coaster and the indoor climbing and soft play will attract families from all over the country and beyond,” said Cllr Milligan.
And how will they all get there? Let me guess, not on the No.15 or No.4 buses. Presume "enhanced" parking also on the cards?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Political parties could have their group photos taken with the zipline in the background, if it is impressively large enough.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Back in the day I used to cycle to work with a ski boot in each pannier, then to Hillend for a session, then home. Good fun. Not sure the knees would agree these days.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I remember we used to go there during "double games" on a Wednesday afternoon. Wooden skis and leather boots with instruction from Hans, the original (Austrian I think) instructor.
Skis etc were in the hut down near the bus stop as I recall and had to be carried on foot to the slope, but a motorcycle solved that problem, this being before schoolkids had cars.
Posted 5 years ago # -
The zip line will run from Allermuir to the castle, right?
Posted 5 years ago # -
That would save that leg busting decent down caerketton after a long day in the hills and put you in range of a selection of decent pubs and buses.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@blueth, yes, Hans Kuwall was one of the founders of the ski centre. He was my first instructor.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@steveo
CCE Pentlands jog some time? I quite like the drop to the T-wood, always seems gentler than the other descents.
Posted 5 years ago # -
If the 'alpine rollercoaster' is the same as the 'summer toboggan' I ride in Slovenia every summer like the big kid I am, then roll on its opening!
Those things are seriously good fun (until you catch up on the terrified rider who set off a minute before you, who's creeping down at a snail's pace with the brake almost full-on, and your white-knuckle "I'm not braking the whole way down" run is ruined...)
Posted 5 years ago # -
@IWRATS sounds like a plan, I can demo just how slow I am :D
Once did a skills course up there and the instructor took us down a scree field, was going great guns till I hit the bottom carrying too much speed and after three strides ended up barrel rolling through the heather.
@TFL a toboggan run would be fantastic, we did one in Austria years ago. Second run was behind the terrified rider, third run was going well till I hit a corner too fast and lost the cart, as well as burning my arm and ruining my trainers!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hillend thumb is the term used by nurses in Edinburgh for the injury caused by putting a hand down and catching your thumb in one of the square holes.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@threefromleith @steveo I have only been on the relatively tame Bobsleigh at Oakwood in Wales (Avalanche in Blackpool doesn't count), but a 'proper' alpine coaster sounds like a lot of fun. I can't help but think that it would scar the landscape given the lack of tree cover, although the ski-slope is already doing that quite effectively. On the subject of roller coasters, I still believe that a traditional wooden roller coaster could be an excellent addition to Princes Street Gardens.
Posted 5 years ago # -
This development should only go ahead if the unused ground is reforested. The soil's pretty thin on the summit, but the rest of it would be fine.
Fence the sheep out, handful of lupins, handful of pine, birch, oak and alder seeds off we go.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Perhaps a Luge?
Was in NZ recently, didnt do the one on Queenstown, but we did the one on Rotorua Luge Lnky
Its great fun, uber popular and (since my last visit 15 years ago) they have added a lot of catering / viewpoint stuff.
As well as the obligatory zipline and hundreds of car parking spaces.
We did MTB near Rotorua one day, not booking ahead meant they only had full suss, press button seatpost jobbie which cost me $180 to hire for my son and I for 4 hours !!
I would be a bit sad if they messed with the pentlands in the way suggested. It is, and should remain, fairly untouched.
p.s. New Zealand is an unbelievably car centric society - its like a mini USA.
Posted 5 years ago #
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