There is this great descent on Arthurs seat.. breach of the peace, feeling naughty!

You can link up a lot of trails. No one area but link Corstorphine, Craiglockhart, Braids, Hermitage, Craigmillar, Arthur's Seat. It's not top class MTBing, probably best on a CX bike if you have the luxury.

Lots. Non of it high quality mtbing bar a bit on corstorphine hill but there is a huge amount of offroad riding and a suprising amount of urban singletrack. I am based in Leith and ride from home mainly. Corstorphne hill- just go up and wander around on your bike taking likely looking paths. River almond south from crammond brig has a nice bit of single track. Quite a few good descents on and around arthers seat - someone sometime needs to get arrested to test if its legal or not. I believe it to be so. Best for night rides ( as is corstorphine hill) Nice little circuit at the east end of silveknowes prom. Also Skelf bike park near holyrood.

Please please please tho ride courteously and give way to pedestrians on the urban stuff.

I also have several 30 - 40 mile circuits from leith using old railways and the like.

BTW - pentlands are only 40 - 50 mins riding from leith

If you want me to mark you up a map I can do but exploring with map in hand over 25 years is how I have found what I have done. I could also show you around corstorphine hill one day if you like

thanks all for the suggestions, I'm thinking either early am or late pm to avoid the maddening crowds so sounds like there is a lot of options out there to explore.

sounds like the best plan is just to get out an explore!

many thanks for the offer to show me around corstorphine hill tjagain; what's the best way to get hold of you?

I'll pm you my email - there is now a pm function on here in your profiles

Some good stuff along the shoreline between Granton and South Queensferry, including a wee pump track at Gypsie's Brae (Cyclone Park) and some nice (if flat) muddy/rootsy singletrack heading west in the trees.

Once you've crossed Cramond Brig and descended on the NCN route to the shore of the Forth, there's some great singletrack (again, quite flat) that leads most of the way to Queensferry.

I use a lot of this as a CX training loop to/from work, gives you an idea of what to expect.

Once at Queensferry you could head uphill to Craigie's Deli for cakes and trails in the forest there.

I'd suggest most of the above as a 'scenic diversion' rather than a solid MTB epic, but should keep you amused if you're not too scared of pedalling 8)

Edit: attempt at mapping some of the above on google maps. Obviously doesn't show all trails, between Gypsie's Brae and Cramond the good stuff is up in the trees.

https://goo.gl/maps/TQvhEL9wGVU2

Could show you around some evening after work, often take this route home anyway.

i use to hack around colinton dell although ive not done it in a while

I never got a PM - still interested in being shown around costorphone hill etc

Hey 13thfloormonk, many thanks for the map and the offer, and sorry for not replying sooner; don't check the forum too often!! Appreciate the offer and will PM you!

Thanks again for the responses, off for an explore of Costorphine Hill tomorrow with tjagain!