"through to Old Craighall. It was on the Spokes map (at least a few versions ago"
I expect you mean the one ruined/lost due to the Dalkeith Bypass - built through the Country Park with cycle provision.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
"Dalkeith Country Park to gets £3.5m revamp"
(66 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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It's further east than the Dalkeith bypass. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.9170941,-3.0506935,749m/data=!3m1!1e3
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks for the suggestions, need to get out for an evening recce.
I should have mentioned that the kids are six y/o so lots of pavement cycling still required - Joppa to Musselburgh, through Whitecraigs and into Dalkeith. However, we decided that, even on the pavement, the road at Whitecraigs was too risky as the pavement is narrow and the traffic very fast.
Posted 7 years ago # -
This gate is now open -
In only, though don't think anyone would try to stop bikes going back out (to avoid the down and up returning from the Dalkeith exit).
No money collection here.
Pay £1 to visit - refundable at cafes or playpark.
Think Smeaton entrance closed unless you have a pass.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Smeaton is usually open. I've been going through that way many times on my commute
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Smeaton is usually open"
Haven't tried for a while, looked like there was an extra (locked) gate inside the park.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Didn't go to look but £3 for 3-5 yos seems reasonable.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Bizarrely this story also has a typo in the headline!
Posted 6 years ago # -
There's a similar thing albeit smaller being built behind the stables block at Newhailes House.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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Not sure if the bold is a recent change back?
"We don’t charge for car parking and have stopped charging an entrance fee for Dalkeith Country Park at the gate so everyone can enjoy the 1,000 acres with its waymarked walks and cycling routes free of charge."
Posted 6 years ago # -
Not being local enough to make regular use of Dalkeith Country Park, the entrance fee had always put me off making a special trip there. However, I was persuaded to do so on the 31st on account of the missus wanting to take advantage of the sunshine to go for a walk somewhere we hadn't been before*. Checking the web site I found this:
How do I pay for access to the Park?
A small percentage of the value of your purchase from the Park, Fort Douglas or Restoration Yard will count as payment for access to Dalkeith Country Park and will help to meet the cost of maintaining the Park.
What this basically means is that if you don't spend any money there, access to the park is actually free between the hours of 7am and 7pm. Which is nice enough, but does seem to be a fairly significant change from their previous stance.
Presumably Buccleuch Estates Ltd will already have had the new arrangement scrutinised and given the thumbs-up from their legal eagles. I can't help wondering what motivated the change, though. Was it related to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 - the timing seems a bit off for that - or something else?
* Pleasant though the park undoubtedly is, I found the presence of so much fencing - often including a single top strand of barbed wire - between the paths and the rivers somewhat off-putting. I got the distinct feeling that, even in the woodland and riverside areas, they didn't really want me to have much freedom to roam.
Posted 4 years ago # -
“
A fee used to be charged for entry to the whole park but visitors can now visit for free.
Prices for Fort Douglas play area start from £5 for an adult and child.
“
Posted 4 years ago # -
I sometimes wonder why we are so obsessed with Richard Scott? Is it just his vast wealth and extreme greed?
Posted 4 years ago # -
@chdot: A fee used to be charged for entry to the whole park but visitors can now visit for free.
I know. But that's not quite what it says on the Country Park's own web site. And I'm wondering why the change, given that previously (per Morningsider's post on page 1 of this thread*) they charged a fee for access in order to bypass the access rights granted under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. I'm wondering whether the 2016 act changed or clarified the charging criteria in some way so that they could do away with charging at point of entry for 12 hours each day. But the web site still refers to the 2003 act, so probably not.
I find the question of interest because, despite the "free" access 7am-7pm, there still seemed to be parts of the property (as noted in my previous post) that they seem to want to keep people away from for no obviously justifiable reason. So it would appear that they want to retain the right not only to close the gates at night, but to bar access to any part of the estate that they feel like, for whatever reason they like.
* Land reform access rights do not apply to land where a charge was levied for entry (for a period of at least 90 days per year) prior to 31 January 2001 and have continued to be levied for at least 90 days per year since that date.
See Section 6(1)(f) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
Posted 4 years ago # -
“I find the question of interest because, despite the "free" access 7am-7pm, there still seemed to be parts of the property (as noted in my previous post) that they seem to want to keep people away from for no obviously justifiable reason.”
Indeed.
They may or may not have ‘good reasons’, but I suspect they will be obeying the letter of one law or other.
It’s (perhaps) like people putting up “No Right of Way” signs - it’s to discourage people who in fact have a legal (Right to Roam) right.
I assume the 7-7 rule shows they have complete rights to restrict access(?)
Posted 4 years ago # -
Took me 2 seconds.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The Jarnac Court reference is nice
Posted 3 years ago # -
For those that cycle through the country park, the Smeaton Gate was closed today (the big wooden white one).
That meant quite a diversion of my commute as I only found out a few metres away on the inner side! I spoke to another commuter on my trudge back up the park road - he said this has been quite common of late, and is apparently due to vandalism. Perhaps it only happens during the night then as I imagine it is inconvenient for residents. The other guy said he would vault the gate - beyond me I think :), and I wanted the excuse for extra miles in the morning sun anyway.
Posted 7 months ago # -
That’s annoying, I was planning to start going that way again. Do you mean the one that looks like a palisade, or the one directly onto the A6094? If the former, the field may be an option to get past the gate but can’t remember if fence electrified.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Edit - just looked at your Strava, disregard
Posted 7 months ago # -
That gate is a constant issue.
https://twitter.com/urchaidh/status/1653823671889285121
https://twitter.com/urchaidh/status/1382397031780605953Got nothing to do with vandalism, vandals don't drive into the estate and even with this gate open there's a locked gate with a horse/pedestrian 100m further on. It's fairly easy to climb (sans bike) so any vandal without mobility issues would not find it an issue.
It's got everything to do with the local farm/stables owner not wanting people wandering around. Had an interesting chat with her once, her and the estate's views on access are pretty draconian.
Midlothian access officer doesn't seem to give a shit, have emailed several times, no repsonse. Dicky Scott wields too much influence I guess.
Posted 7 months ago # -
@amir How about cutting across the bridge over the Esk to the estate entrance/exit on Old Craighall road? Or is that option closed as well?
Posted 7 months ago # -
@ps apparently it is closed also. I had no great desire to test it given 25mm slicks
Posted 7 months ago # -
@urchaidh I agree in the main, but would say that there are reports of youths setting off fires
Posted 7 months ago # -
I wonder if the denizens of City Cycling Amsterdam spend their days discussing whether the easiest route to work involves jumping an electric fence.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Fair point on the vandalism, wasn't suggesting it was made up (I witnessed the aftermath of the silage bales being slashed a few years back) but not do I think it will be solved by, or warrants, these access restrictions.
The road over to Old Craighall is metalled, though there are some quite serious potholes and gravel on the road, especially after the bridge on the north side of the river.
The Monkton Gate, leading to Old Craighall Road has always been locked, but is a solid farm five-bar and easy to cross with a bike if you are able.
We used to know the gate code, which we got by offering to lock up after a car that had gone through and reading the code before spinning it, but it has changed now and we don't have the new one.
Posted 7 months ago #
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