I'm now commuting a coulpe of times a week from Penicuik to Corstorphine and am looking for a couple of new routes.
Firstly and easy one: poet's glen. When you get to the wall half way down is there a route on the inside (right) of the wall?
Second: is there a secret trail from grid ref 192652 (junction at north side of Maidens) to 199642 (between black and bells hills)??
ta
Chris
Poets Glen - I presume you mean after you've crossed the burn? Any track here would have to re-cross the burn and pop out into the grounds of what used to be the Glenburn Hotel. I've never seen anything there, and I can't imagine it would have any benefit over the usual, stony descent by the wall.
"Secret Trail"? Well, the old 1.5" Bartholomews map shows a path/track leading to Craigentarrie (the abandoned buildings) and then heading SE through Dens Cleugh. This would have joined the current Dens Cleugh track just below the watershed (i.e. where it crosses the burn). However, that whole area was basically out-of-bounds for several years due to a very unaccommodating land manager (there was a lot of barbed wire involved) and so the paths have largely disappeared. You might still be able to pick them up - especially if starting from the Dens Cleugh end.
Note - both the OS and Harveys are very selective about path marking through Dens Cleugh. I believe there [i]may[/i] have been some pressure from the PHRP not to show these - but that's only speculation on my part.
The old Bartholomews map is a real treasure btw as it shows other long-disused tracks, including one from the Thieves Road to Listonshiels.
cheers druidh,
I came back on the standard path from Threipmuir through Dens clough tonight and I couldn't see any sign of a useable path heading that way.
There is one that goes from the watershead up towards the top of Maidens but this disappears after a while. It took longer to go that way than over Maidens as it's quite cut up and still wet through Dens clough so I won't be using it as a regular route.
If you use Google Earth at all, I could share with you a wee map I made of tracks up there. I think there are a few I've yet to add - but in return, you need to tell me any you find 😀
whats the chance of casting my eye on said map druidh? iam needing to explore further from my usual pentland spin.
cheers
Derm