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My newphew and his GF are coming in June. They want to see Colinton Tunnel, Roslyn Chapel, and coos.
I feel like I can send them off the WoL path somehow, if they rent ebikes.
Am I going to ruin their trip? Is there a better route for people who don't do much urban cycling? I won't be able to go with them.
Bonus points if you can find Swift Tickets going spare... hahaahaha.
The canal to Colinton tunnel very straightforward. There aren't really cows up here though.
There’s often coos above/west of Hillend. Loanhead path goes straight to Roslin. Well done if you can find a good route to it from Colinton.
The aqueduct contains some peril
Dismounting and pushing reduces that risk
They could smash on to the Leyden Road and stay at the Hilly Coo Wigwams. ( do you think they mean Highland Cows though? I mean a belted Galloway is a lovely beast but most tourists are after the shortbread tin coos)
Swifts should be arriving any time now. (Taylor is different).
It feels like different trips to me. There are highland cows on the front of the hills aren't there, somewhere, but I'm not sure there's a good way to get there from Roslyn without tackling nasty roads.
“It feels like different trips to me.”
Depends (though probably a good idea.)
“
Prestonfield’s grounds, now home to highland cows and peacocks, were once known as the “Priestfield Estate”. In medieval times it was the setting for a wealthy Cistercian monastery, founded in 1150 by Henry, Earl of Huntingdon
“
https://www.prestonfield.com/things-to-do/
(By The Innocent.)
QuietRoute 61 – Roslin to Portobello
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cycling-walking/places-can-go/7
Includes
https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/B/Bilston_Glen_Viaduct/
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4743249#map=18/55.87127/-3.15102
Colinton tunnel perhaps best done as a day exploring some or all of WoL.
It’s possible to get from Colinton to railway path to Roslin avoiding worst traffic, but not obvious/signed/simple.
Depends what kind of e-bikes and terrain and luggage and everything. They could go over the Pentlands from Bavelaw via Green Cleuch to Glencorse, Bush and Roslin. It's not awful, and is doable on 35mm tyres. Getting back again is best done via Quiet Route 61 from Roslin to Gilmerton or meandering through Danderhall to Little France Park, Craigmillar and pick up the Innocent at Duddingston.
I'm not sure there's a good way to get there from Roslyn without tackling nasty roads.
The bypass crossing for A702/Lothianburn is not that bad, and is less awful than using Burdiehouse Road, although the latter has some shared footways with Toucans for two of the three crossings. Once past the bypass it's a small trip through Loanhead to the railway path to Roslin.
In the wrong direction but I saw some coos a few months ago out at Craigie's Farm, if you can brave the last bit of main road from Burnshot.
more answers than expected!!
He does a lot of mountain biking, bouncing off trees and such. She's more of a car person, which is why I'm thinking e-bikes will be a better intro for her. I'm looking at a day trip--they are staying with me in North E'burg for a few days.
The only place I've seen (personally in person) a Highland Coo locally is at a garden centre just inside the bypass, but I can never remember where it is.
They just really want to see a Highland Coo, and as I'm not sure where else in Scotland they plan to go, I thought I'd try to fit one in on this day outing.
Roslin to Portobello could be doable--that's a fairly flat and off-road 30 minutes from me.
Thank you all so much, I'll have a look through these suggestions, and then distill into a mini-guide for them.
but I can never remember where it is.
That'll be Mortonhall.
I'd forgotten the Mortonhall ones. They usually reside in one or other of the fields just beyond the garden centre as you head down the drive towards the campsite and stable block. Likely a rather better location to see coos than trying to track them down on the open hillsides above Swanston. (Also potentially safer, so long as you stay on your side of the fence.)
I'd suggest that a better approach by bike to Mortonhall than Frogston Road West and the rather unfriendly 40mph limit Frogston Brae would be along the track above the big house. You could follow its full length from where it starts on Braid Road, next to the Mortonhall golf club clubhouse, though that can be quite muddy in places (and is likely to be more so at the moment given the amount of rain these past few months). Come to think, starting from Colinton it should be possible to find a route on quiet-ish roads and footpaths through Colinton Mains/Oxgangs to the Caiystane/Camus bit of Fairmilehead, and then nip across Comiston Road near the Charwood restaurant to access Buckstone Park through the Waterfield development. If you follow the path round the edge of the Waterboard Field to Buckstone Howe, you come out on Buckstone Circle about 50m from the path through the trees that takes you to the Mortonhall track.
I saw a map of drove roads from Highlands and Islands down to Falkirk where it seems all drove roads met. The cattle then headed for the Cauldstaneslap between east and west cairn in the Pentlands and down towards Peebles.
Ultimately they were meat for England.
Does anyone know if the coos were hairy like the tourists like?
Should have asked Kaputnik in his lair on Twitter/X. Which is where the unnameable placed said droves road map.
@gembo, maybe this rather magnificent map:
https://www.ambaile.org.uk/asset/316/1/
(via https://twitter.com/DavidsonMagnus/status/1761324047801975232)
Mile-munching bikepacker extraordinaire Markus Stitz posted about his copy of" The Drove Roads of Scotland", £10.99 from all good bookshops.
all good stuff!
An ambition to ride this - with friends & other off-road nutters
The singing Satnav from Strathtay to Skye (AKA The far Cullins are callin tae me &c) Especially keen to have some live on site work camps outside midge season to repair damaged to section between Kinlochhourn and Arnisdale where Hydro Board ran tracked machines up to install pole lines. Options to swim (like the cattle did) or use ferry Glenelg-Kylerhea
Could be done using Citylink 915 Glasgow-Uig & get off at Spean Bridge & back on at Broadford/Ratagan Junction with bikes
Gaick Pass also rather impressive Kingussie-Calvine, but do be prepared for events - rode it fixed wheel on 37-633, but lack of bridges at watershed meant wading rivers
@arellcat yes that is the map
All coos through the cauldstane slapmthen a split maybe Moffat;Peebles ,Abe at the big golf course now at west linton
Lot of flat land.
Flattish
Over the border starts getting a bit like the invading Nazis on the Dads Army map
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