More Pentlands wanderings.

This was all kicked off by a recent thread on the Cauldstane Slap and the Thieves Road. I'd been looking at the old Bartholomews map of the Pentlands and there was a track/path of some description shown connecting the Thieves Road to Listonshiels Farm on the Borestane track. So tonight, with a couple of hours to spare, I thought I'd take a look see…..

I went up the Beech Avenue and along the Yellow Brick Road. First time I've been along here for a while and I guess that it is starting to "fade in" a bit. Some of the steeper descents and climbs are a laugh on the rigid hardtail. Careful line choice needed on the way down, but great traction and balance on the loose, sandy surface on the way up. Got to Listonshiels without incident.

First of all, there are two gates. the first says "Please Shut Gate", the second says "No Public Access". Luckily, there's a bypass around the grounds of the houses to the South (that's left from this direction). Go round far enough, and you'll see the track coming out of the farm yard. Go left through a gate and head along a grassy track to the Larsen Trap. Head slightly right now and follow a long grassy track to another gate by a small patch of woodland. Through the gate and you're now into knee-deep heather – with some bare patches where it has been burnt.

This track stays fairly obvious, if somewhat overgrown and doesn't seem to go through any particularly wet patches. Down a small descent and I joined another track coming in from the right. Headed left, then right again and could see the woods at Thrashiedean. The path makes for the wall and then…..

No gate.

I was a bit stumped for a while and explored up and down the well made, but fairly old, wall. Eventually I spotted it – an old wooden stile built into the wall. The import of this is that this suggests there was never any sort of horse track going from the now ruined buildings at Thrashiedean towards Listonshiels.

It was getting late by now (21:15) and with no lights, I set the GPS to record and made my way back the way I'd come.

So, job half done I suppose. Next time, I need to try to find what remains of the track coming from the Baad Park Burn to Thrashiedean. But, if it's as good as the one I found tonight, there's a very good alternative to the Gala Ford / Little Vantage / A70 / Leithhead route.

Good show druidh! I've been meaning to explore that area for ages, but its a bit far out for a possible bog-fest…

I'm more interested in the track up the ridge on Mid Hill, if thats the quad track it looks like on google earth then it should make for a great descent, did you see anything worthwhile?

I don't realy know where that is 🙁

Nowt obvious, although it should be easy enough to find the start of it by carrying on through the field used to bypass the house. There's a faint grassy track following the wall up from Thrashiedean too. I suspect that will make for the bottom of the Butts shown on the map segment above.

In summary?

Lots of stuff out beyond your normal wandering grounds Al. You really should try the Thieves Road sometime, although cycling out from town to start and end would make for a fairly long day.

In fact, I have a little idea….

coogan – Member

In summary?

More paths

Fanks.

Fanks.

Is that for all the sheep?

"No Public Access"? I thought you scotch prided yourselves on almost anyplace access!

"No Public Access"? I thought you scotch prided yourselves on almost anyplace access!

We do……..by "public" it means you lot from south of Hadrian's Wall

(-:

Especially those that call us Scotch!!! You Engurlish!!!

Good explore druidh, I hate the slog from Harperrig to the A70 as it sort of spoils a good ride.

Keep us posted to your findings

fauxbyfour – we pride ourselves on our "responsible" access rules. In this case, there's no need to go through the farm yard
as there's a perfectly good alternative. If that alternative didn't exist, then the sign would carry no legal weight.

I guess that covers the use of the word "almost".

druidh I've ridden both the Cauldstane and Borestane in the past…from town..I just don't know the bit you are on about. Always fun to explore!

solo exploring, looking for trails is fun. Good job

More Pentlands wanderings – I was up walking Scald Law today with the wee man in the rucksack – lovely sunny day. Has anyone every ridden up the LRT to the top of Black hill? It seemed a v clear track from looking across at it. I'm not 100% on where you would pick it up as it doesn't seem to go down to the reservoir road. Looks like it might be a nice ride for views from the top of the hill, and you might be able to descend the other side.

That land is private and that track certainly used to be well defended IYKWIM, though I know folk who have done it…it's a 40mph blast.

I don't know about post LRA 2003 times though.

That Black Hill LRT is best accessed from the Glen Road, You go through a gate, up a field margin and through a wee gap in the trees. That avoids going through the farm buildings and driveway. (green line on this map)

It's a fairly steep and un-relenting ascent. I've not explored all the descent options, but you can certainly go due West to pick up the Black Hill traverse, North West down a very thin, poorly defined and bluddy steep path used when there's moor burn required, or North East towards the top of the grouse butts and then veering North to end up near Black Springs. This latter path is well defined, but goes through knee-deep heather and is strewn with large boulders, so be prepared to be knocked about a bit as you hit these unseen obstacles.

Thanks for the info Druidh – seems worth doing at least once.

I think it was about 20 years ago I last decended the track on Black Hill, wasn't really worth the effort and we got a bollocking from the farmer at the bottom.
I have ridden Borestane and Cauldstane slap many times and explored a lot of the Western Pentlands when I lived in West Linton.
Also rode a lot in the cloich forest area.
Have just bought a CX bike so looking forward to investigating some old spots.
There looks like a new trail up on the hills southeast of Gladhouse reservoir, I was up there about 2 years ago, and the landowner wasn't terribly pleased, has anyone ridden up there recently?

Doug

There is a path to the south west which I haven't done for a while and I can't remember how it starts. I think it starts near a gate where the LRT turns right just before the top. It is steep and not for the novice quite rutted near the top and fast and grassy near the bottom where it brings you out at the fishing hut at Loganlea(?) reservoir.

Sorry for digging up this old thread – did anyone manage to get from Listonshiels to Thieves Road / Cauldstane Slap along the route druidh was discussing?

this is all very well but it's not as good as the dayglo shorts on the mountain pics of yore 🙁

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

😳

I don't know what to be more embarrassed about – the fact that I haven't been to check out that route, or the dayglo shorts pics.

I'll remedy the former over the next 2/3 weeks. The photos? Well – you'll just have to use your imagination.