A cold cycle back from Edinburgh

I've been away the last couple of weekends visiting family so haven't had anything to post. But on Saturday I had to go to Edinburgh to collect my first pair of reading glasses, age is catching up with me! So I took the chance to make an outing of the appointment by taking the Long Haul Trucker on the train and cycling back.

 

I was waiting on an empty platform at 09:50, although by the time the train arrived there were loads of folk heading to the city for Christmas shopping.

Twenty minutes of standing on the train and I was in the centre of Edinburgh where the build up to seasonal excess is in full swing.

The merry-go-round was suitably festive but the 'Star Flyer' looked frankly terrifying to me. I was also freezing so I didn't hang around too long and was soon cycling over to St Leonards.

At the back of the police station I took the little cycle path that snakes through a housing development, past some lock-ups and then disappears below ground through the innocent railway tunnel.

This is a well surfaced track and I quickly made my way out of the city, relaxing as the sun shone through the bare trees and birds flitted across the path.

This little dog also jumped out in front of me and tested the trucker's brakes. He looks suitably guilty.

 

From the peace of the old railway line I crossed through the edge of Magdalene Glen and up to Asda to collect my glasses from Specsavers.

  

The bicycle parking at the front of the store is pathetic with small row of old fashioned 'wheel benders'. I had to move abandoned shopping trolleys to create a space for the trucker.

With my glasses collected I quickly picked up the trail again and headed along muddy lanes and cycle paths to the shore at Fisherrow.

 

The wind was biting at the coast and I didn't spend long looking around. It was a quick pedal along to the river Esk where I decided to cut back inland and and start the climb up to Tranent.

The view back to the coast with Fife in the distance. The demolition of Cockenzie Power station continues and it was only when I had climbed up to this point that I relised that I should have stuck to the coast and taken the chance to have a look at the chimneys as apparently, now that the metal work has been removed, you can see inside them.

At Haddington I found a suitably sheltered bench and stopped for coffee and a roll. It didn't take long before I started to feel cold and although it was the middle of the day, the sun was low in the sky and not providing much warmth.

 

A quick climb up over Pencraig and the the last six miles to home where El was excitedly waiting to make fun of me wearing my specs. 

 

Edinburgh to Dunbar Cycle

I've been on my summer holidays for the last two weeks, so apologies for the lack of posts, but it's maybe not a bad thing to leave the blog alone for a short while. I've still been out and about and there are plenty of stories to tell. 

I'll start with a simple old fashioned cycle from Tuesday the 15th July. The weather was looking good, so I booked a train ticket for me and the LHT to Edinburgh and set out for an easy tourist trail of 35 miles or so home.

The Edinburgh Festival doesn't start until around the second week of August but the city was still too busy for me. It was full of energy and faces and voices from all over the world and much as I love this sense of worldliness, and indeed take pride in a city I know so well being appreciated by others, I find myself overwhelmed and eventually sense prevailed and I pushed the bike up from the station rather than cycle out onto the chaos of Princes Street and it's unfathomable new tram network. I'm sure that bus and taxi drivers know whats going on. However, I am willing to accept that times have changed, and I'm now a country bumpkin. 

Edinburgh being the city it is, it was only minutes before I was back on the trucker and pedalling up to Calton Hill. The city nearly has as many hills as Rome, and at times has made it's claim to be the "Athens of the North", yes I know there is a ancient Greek/Rome issue here, but its a fine situation for the Scots when your capital city has acres of parkland.

The ancient Greek theme continues on Calton Hill where the National Monument of Scotland stands like a half built copy of the Parthenon in Athens. Unfortunately that's exactly what it is as it was started in the 1820s as a monument for the soldiers and sailors who gave their lives in the Napoleonic wars. Like most Scottish ideas, the inspiration was strong but the financial practicalities weren't so easy and it was never completed. I guess we'll be considering this question again in September.....

Politics aside, it was a beautiful morning and I was the lone cyclist who had peched up the hill amongst the tourist coaches to take in the views.

The tower in the above picture is the Nelson monument to commemorate the battle of Trafalgar. It did have, and may still have, a ball that was raised on the flag staff and the dropped at 1pm every day as a signal for shipping at Leith to set their chronometers. The one o'clock gun fired at the castle as an audible signal too. I know the ball was damaged in a storm a few years ago but I don't know if it was ever repaired. As obsolete as it is, I hope it is back in operation.

And if I'm talking about shipping, the furthest white towers gleaming in the sun are at the port at Leith.
" While the Chief, puts sunshine on Leith
I'll thank Him for His work
And your birth and my birth."
The Proclaimers 1988 ( dodgy Hibees, but never mind, its still a great song)

Below Calton Hill is St Andrews House, this is where the real centre of Scottish Governing happens. The building wouldn't look out of place in 1940s Berlin.

Back to the cycling and I was soon out of the city and along the coast to Fisherrow with forlorn looking yachts waited for the tide, and then down to Longniddry Bents for a break and plenty of fluid in the heat despite the gathering cloud.

After putting my feet up on that very comfortable bench I eventually got back on the trucker and headed inland. I crossed the railway line that I had travelled along a couple of hours previously.

I also marvelled at how wrong Scotrail can get their signs, unless someone can correct me? Bruce do you know about the sign at Longniddry station?

Then on through the still air and humidity of the old railway line towards Haddington. The day was getting really warm and even the birds were quiet, just the buzz of insects and the distant sound of farm machinery.

This is the closest I get to gravel grinding. The occasional "tink" of gravel on the bottom bracket and lovely smooth, car free cycling.

The last 6 miles and I stopped at the top of Pencraig hill where the crops are days away from harvest.

Down hill and then the flat road home. A really enjoyable day out, just over three hours of cycling but five hours in total. It is a mystery to me how long I can spend looking at things and talking to people I meet on the way. I'm not complaining.

Along the coast from Edinburgh on the Long Haul Trucker

I finally managed to get some time for myself today. So off to Edinburgh for a nose around and a leisurely cycle home along the coast.

The weather was fantastic for February. The day started with a sharp frost but this soon cleared and the sun shone in crisp clear skies.

The memorial is to Sir Walter Scott. I can remember most of the sandstone in Edinburgh being dark and stained before there was a big effort to blast it all clean. I think this started in the late 1980s. I don't know why the Scott Monument was left, although the dark towering spires are quite iconic and would look odd now if it was back to clean stone.

Aye, tram tracks, but no trams, although I read in the paper a couple of days ago that Edinburgh Council are looking for guinea pig passengers to finally try out the new trams. We'll see.

From Princes Street I flew through the traffic and headed down Leith walk, then off into the docks. The Port of Leith pub was still closed as I passed, probably just as well.

These cranes are silent now. It's all container transport and cruise ships.

Portobello beach was a typical seaside in winter. Just dog walkers and a few hardy pensioners sitting with their wee tartan rugs, staring out to sea.

I stopped too, had a coffee, and stared out to sea as well. I don't know what we were all expecting, maybe something will sail over the horizon one day and the perishing pensioners will rejoice.

The pillars were rescued from the nearby Argyle house and now stand in the community garden. Really intricate stone carving, and the restoration team have done a great job restoring them.

Through Fisherrow and I spotted this black headed gull in it's summer breeding plumage. It's companions were all in winter guise, he must feel a little overdressed, the wee poseur.

By chance, I met coastkid and we bleathered for a while. Then I headed inland a bit at Aberlady and had to take a photo of the wall of potato boxes at Lufness.

I began to regret not eating enough, but with no shops around, I just carried on enjoying the winter sun and empty roads.

Fenton Tower standing proud on the hill. If you click the link you can read about it's history. It was only restored recently, and if you really want, you can get married there.

On and on, feeling a bit tired but  still comfy on the trucker. I stopped at Whitekirk for a couple of photos and the last of the coffee from my flask.

  Some more stone carving in the vestibule ceiling.

Home in sight and the sound of the wading birds ringing across the bay.

I somehow managed to be out on the bike for six hours, a great day and good to have some time off just to spend pedaling along in the sunshine.