Remote trail on the Pentland Hills (Thieves Road)

Has anyone ever ridden an old drove road at the southwest end of the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh? It’s called the Thieves Road. It starts on a singletrack lane at West Linton (NT 147 518). Past Badinsgill Reservoir and Badinsgill Cottage (NT 125 555) and onto the remote hill along the Theives Road. The trail eventually runs close to the the east side of Harperrig Reservoir, and then on to the A70 at Little Vantage (NT 101 628). I was just wondering if it’s at all rideable and well -fun of course. I’m very familiar with the Pentlands and I think this must be one of few trails I have not ridded but pondered over on the OS map many times. Thanks.

Great trail. Easy stuff up from West Linton. Gets a wee bit rougher near the col (Cauldstane Slap), then a really nice and sometimes technical decent. It all falls apart a bit once the ground starts flattening out and you’ll have some carrying to do over the roughest terrain below Harperrig. Makes a nice loop with the Borestane route into Carlops and you can avoid some of the A70 (linking them) by cutting off into Leithhead, up some steps, past Buteland and along towards Listonshiels.

Ah -great, Just what I wanted to hear. Thanks. I see the route you described on the map -cheers.

druidh,

What’s the surface like? I’ve been meaning to ride over the Cauldstane Slap for ages but reckon it’d be pretty poor until the Pentlands dry out. Which will probably be about 2014.

al

Al – you’re not too wrong. The bit from W Linton will be fine – it’s a decent landie track most of the way. The bit at the col should be OK-ish as it’s high and the ground drains fairly well. It’ll all start to go to pot once you get lower down towards Harperrig though. A casual glance at the map will show you why. The bot from Leithhead to Listonshiels should be OK – it’s mainly very rutted grass until you get to the dirt road. Assuming you’re going back over to Carlops, Listonshiels up is “interesting” as much of it has been laid with wooden bars. A b&gg&r in the wet or ice. The drop down from the Borestane to Carlops is usually VERY wet at the top – there was a bit of a landslip a couple of years back too.

As an option, look at using the Yellow Brick Road (not shown on OS) towards Bavelaw, then cut up over Monks Rig and down The Swoop to Ninemileburn. This track tends to be in much better condition.

Oh – I have a GPS route of that if anyone wants it.

I can’t remember who it was that nicknamed the bit up past Lintonshiels ‘xylophone’ but I thought that was very apt. It’s great on the way down but I can imagine it being a bit soul destroying on the way up.

I did the Borestane loop last ‘summer’ and came back via the Yellow Brick Road. Quite depressing, it’s just wee descents and wee climbs on a fire road. In retrospect I should have stayed on the path and cut across at Lintonshiels along the path that leads to the Rigg Road.

The Listonshiels/Riggs Road path (Pipeline) gets VERY wet though. Best saved for some of that drier weather 😉

I dunno how they got away with the YBR. It rather makes a mockery of all those “cycling might damage the path” signs. I’d call it vandalism.

Can I get that GPS route please? gbroccato@hotmail.com Thanks very much 😀

mossmaned – Member

Can I get that GPS route please? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx Thanks very much

YGM

Where is this yellow brick road you speak of?

I did the theives road last winter starting from Little Vantage. The next few KMs were awful, could only ride a few metres at a time before having to carry the bike over heavily rutted groung. I’d wait for dryer times personally though it might be easier doing it from the other direction.

On Tuesday, went form Bravelaw to Nine mile burn via monks rig. Had about 3-4 inches of snow, icy patches and thick mud underneath. Then from Carlops over to lintonshiels and back to bravelaw. Great day out but hard goinr in those conditions!

Will be very muddy right now!

PG – the YBR runs from the Borestane track (around NT 140611) North East to Wester Bavelaw farm.

You were very brave/foolish trying the Thieves road from Little Vantage. 🙂

Definitely better the other way!

Foolish i belive would be the best description!

I’m just back from riding the Thieves’ Road. We started in Balerno and climbed past Threipmuir and onto the swoop trail, where the wind was so strong that you had to lean 45 degrees into it to stop you falling off. Absolutely hilarious, it was true granny ring descending.

Along the road to Carlops, then we cut off and headed up towards the reservoir on mostly doubletrack. After the reservoir it got to a really fun climb with loads of wee obstacles to break it up, it didn’t feel like much of a climb due to its length and because you’re continually having to work the bike over things.

Over the Slap, and the descent was pretty fast but boggy in places, then when it flattened out it turned into hike-a-bike for perhaps the last mile. Our resident XC whippet flew through it, but I found it a bit of a trudge in places with the water/bog pretty deep. Great fun though.

Back on the A70 at Little Vantage and rode along to Leithhead, then onto a minor road back into Balerno. There was the option of riding up the Rigg Road to take in the descent, but we went for the flatter option and I was surprised just how quickly we reached civilisation.

I reckon North to South would be quite amusing but the push up would be a bit of a pig of a climb.

Just bringing this one back to life.

Three questions

1) druidh please could you mail me the GPS log?

2) anyone tried cutting through the buildings and onto the track at Harperigg to join the A70 at 097623 instead of the path that goes to Little Vantage?

3) Anyone tried this recently – should be pretty dry…?

1) Stu – YGM

2) The path you point out would certainly be easier cycling, although one would have to consider the matter of personal privacy. As there is already a track bypassing the building, it could be argued that you have no legal right of access.

3) Should be great at the moment.

I should also point out that it should be possible to cut directly along to Listonshiels from the Thieves Road at GR NT109605 as the old Bartholomews map shows a track thereabouts. I walked it several years ago but it was before I thought to have a “biking” head on. If this track was ridden a few times, I’m sure the line would become clear and it would save the worst bit of the off-road route and the A70 section.

Cheers! Was up the Lang Whang on the road bike today and everything looked really dry so got me thinking about slapping the Cauldstane.

Cheers for info and .gpx file, druidh.

Nice day today so went for it – started from Livingston (didn’t really seem worth loading up the car to drive 5 miles to Little Vantage) then cut through Leithhead, got to bottom of Borestane and decided to go up that way to go Yellow Brick Road rather than round the road way to Red Mosss. Then at the turnoff we decided we were there to do the Slap rather than anything else, so just went over the Borestane instead and will do Monks Rigg another time.

Borestane was almost bone dry – a couple of soggy spots on the way down to North Esk Resr but nothing major. Quick pitstop at Allan Ramsay then headed for Cauldstane.

The climb was fine, steady away for all but a couple of short bits and the descent was great too, as far as the bit with the railway sleeper bridges where it levels out! Rode most of the sleepers, a bit on/off the bike to near the steading at Harperrigg. There’s a sign asking you not to use that path so we stuck to the black dashed line – almost all rideable but I guess it’s as dry as it is ever likely to get at the moment (I’m under no illusions as to normal state!).

Saw no sign of the track to Listonsheils druidh mentioned. Headed back down towards Kirknewton and home. About 30 miles and just under 4 hours round trip from home (excluding feed stop at Allan Ramsay) so a grand day out.

Came back and had a Solero from the corner shop so all was well with the world!