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Hi, I hooked on my trailer and did a loop over the Lammermuir Hills on the Herring Road, Southern Upland Way and John Muir Way. Despite the howling SW gale, it was a great weekend.
Sat afternoon, headed SW (straight into the wind) over familiar ground on the Herring Road (old drove road - a track), by the enormous Crystal Rigg wind farm - nearly all the old routes have been dug up, but it makes for easy riding in those conditions. Then down to shelter from the wind and lunch at Whiteadder Reservoir, and on towards Lauder on the Herring Road. Stopped for the night at Watch Water, took a morning ride west on the Southern Upland Way up to Twin Cairns (without luggage) and battered down the trail to Watch Water again. Then East (roughly) on the SUW on to Longformacus and Duns. Up to Abbey St Bathans via Edin's Hall Broch (very, very old indeed!) and home.
I have to advise - don't bother with the SUW East of Abbey, it's really bad.
So, the best thing would be the lovely roads north from Abbey to Oldhamstocks, where I eventually ended up. Then down to the coast from Oldhamstocks with great North Sea views, and the John Muir Way along the coast to Sunny Dunbar.
Photos here: [url] http://www.flickr.com/photos/allankelly/sets/72157622343213717/show/ [/url]
Sample below.
Cheers, al.
[i]Top of Lothian Edge, looking East[/i]
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[i]Dunbar Common, looking East to the Bass Rock.[/i]
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[i]Windmill body[/i]
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[i]Ruins ancient and not so at Penshiel[/i]
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[i]Here we go! Down to Watch Water[/i]
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[i]Camping by Watch Water[/i]
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[i]Twin Cairns[/i]
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[i]Nearly home! White Sands, Dunbar[/i]
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Al, what trailer is that looks perfect for the dog.
Looks nice. Must explore up there.
That's Edinburgh Bicycle's trailer. Is's very like a BOB, except half the price. Certainly did the job this weekend over all sorts of ground. Only problem is very tight turns when pushing (round gates for example) - it overturns, you just have to unhitch it. No problems at all when riding though.
I paid £150.
[url] http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/srv.a4d?f_pg=site_sizing/revolution-cargo-trailer.htm [/url]
Cheers, al.
Is there much singletrack or is it mainly landrover tracks? Have the SROWS map of the Lammermuirs, looks tempting. Nice pics.
Tom
There's a mixture of tracks, mostly "double track" because it's sheep/grouse land so these are working tracks. When it's wet it's much less fun.
I did a (hand-drawn) map:
[url]www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=21537[/url]
Cheers, al.
i ride up there alot allen,i see the windfarm is on the other side of the road at moneynut now too,they ploughed through the track there over westerdod to middle moneynut farm,
did you go up onto the herring road by the halls?,steep climb!,the herd there is a bit of a grouch,it is wet up there in winter,ok on the pugsley,i like a loop from garvald to stoneypath then up over to johnscleugh and return down to deuchrie,thats a wicked descent!, grouse season this now so keep your head down up there!
Hi coastkid, yup that's all right enough. I'd rather do the climb off-road from Halls than on-road from Garvald or Gifford in these winds though.
I'll do the route again, but as I say I'll not go East of Abbey St Bathans on the SUW.
al.