Breezing through Midlothian

Our second Extra ride of the year saw fourteen of us head through the lovely Midlothian countryside to Vogrie Country Park. We've only been there once before, a couple of years ago. For many on today's ride, it was their first visit. We don't venture into the depths of Midlothian as often as we might, but today clearly showed us what we are missing - delightful country roads devoid of traffic, beautiful views and a lovely lunch stop. There was a noticeable breeze that stayed with us all day, but it was warm and we had no rain. It fluctuated between being overcast and sunny - ideal conditions for a route that had quite a bit of climbing. Glenn was today's leader, and made it clear that there would be quite a few climbs to contend with; but he told everyone to take them at a pace they were comfortable with and we'd regroup and get our breath back at the top.

We left Fisherrow Harbour and followed the road beside the river, ducked under the main road bridge through Musselburgh and headed on to Campie School, before making our way through the houses to the station. From there we made our way down to join the Grove and onwards to Cowpits. At Whitecraig Primary School, we had to make a detour onto the grass as the path was blocked by people attending the Whitecraig Gala Day. Taking the path towards Dalkeith, we turned off and headed to Smeaton Shaw and climbed up to join the B6314 for a short distance, before turning left for more climbing on a minor road towards Cousland. Turning right onto the A6124 saw more climbing towards the A68 junction. After pausing to rest and regroup, we turned right and crossed the bridge over the A68. Following a tricky little left-right turn, we found ourselves on a delightfully quiet country road which gave us a panoramic view over the beautiful Midlothian countryside. After a little over a mile, we arrived at a T-junction with a busier road near Whitehill. Everyone was glad of the leader's advance warning, as we had turned left to be confronted with a steep little climb. Having been pre-warned made the difference between getting up the hill rather than grinding to a halt as there was nothing to suggest what lay around the blind corner on approach. The road soon flattened before climbing steadily to Edgehill to be followed by a glorious descent through the village. We regrouped before turning right on the B6372 which led us to the entrance to Vogrie Country Park via Dewartown. A short way after passing through the gates, one rider had the misfortune to fall which resulted in bruising and a grazed elbow. Having given them time to recover, we continued down to the café and picnic area where we enjoyed lunch sitting outside.

With everyone fed and watered and the injured rider patched up, we headed back out of the park and retraced our outward route towards Edgehead. At the staggered junction, instead of turning left towards Edgehead, we turned right towards Ford. Following a lovely fast descent through the village, we began our toughest climb of the day. This took us to Pathhead where we had to cross the busy A68 trunk road. It took a few minutes to get everyone safely across, after which we regrouped, and took a chance for everyone to get their breath back. It was good to be back on another lovely quiet country road which we had to ourselves. The B6367 that followed was not much busier and took us back to the busier A6093. A very short stretch on that road found us on yet another deserted country road. A couple more climbs and we were in the village of Cousland. From there it was an easy run back to Crossgatehall, along the shared-use path beside the road, and we were soon speeding down the road to Smeaton Shaw we had ridden up in the morning. We turned off and took the path back to Whitecraig, this time staying on the path and avoiding the field where the gala day was being held. The path exits onto the busy main road through the village at a pelican crossing. Unfortunately, whilst the crossing was installed several years ago, it has never been switched on - so we had to cross carefully. Once everyone was safely across, we made our way to Cowpits where we joined the Grove and retraced our outward route to arrive at Musselburgh station, where the leader declared the ride officially over.

Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the ride. The weather had been kind to us - perhaps it could have been a little less breezy, but that is probably nit-picking. Most of those present had been somewhere totally new which is always a bonus. The lovely views and deserted country roads were most welcome. We really must get out into the wilds of Midlothian more often as it has so much to offer. Thanks to Alan for back marking.

Leader: Glenn

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

Second of this year's Extra rides on Saturday

We've got the second of our 2026 Extra rides coming up on Saturday (27th).

This promises to be a particularly pleasant run. Glenn will be leading us on a nice route through the Midlothian countryside, mainly following quiet rural roads, some with extensive views. The route will be one that we have only done once before, back in 2024, and is certainly worth repeating.

Please keep in mind that our Extra rides are longer than our usual 20-mile runs, with a somewhat faster pace and fewer stops. You won't need to be super fit to join these rides, but if you haven't cycled for a while, or if you feel that you are below your normal fitness level, you may prefer to stick with our usual "second Saturday" outings for now.

Saturday's ride will be about 30 miles. There will be quite a few hills during the course of the day, but at least we will be on firm surfaces and away from heavy traffic for most of the time.

Lunch stop

Our lunch stop will be in Vogrie Country Park. There is a friendly cafe there that serves a good selection of sandwiches, toasties, baked potatoes and an all-day breakfast. There are also plenty of picnic tables for those of us who prefer to bring a packed lunch.

Time and place

The ride will start at Fisherrow Harbour in Musselburgh. See here if you need directions. Please aim to get there in time for a punctual 10:30 departure. Note that Fisherrow is about seven miles from central Edinburgh, so depending on where you set out from, your total mileage could be nearer 40 than 30.

The ride will end back at Fisherrow mid- to late-afternoon.

What if the weather's bad?

The ride will go ahead whatever the weather. We won't let drizzly rain or a stiff breeze put us off. But if conditions are particularly bad, we reserve the right to alter the route and destination accordingly. But the meeting time and place will still be as stated above.

Finally, please remember to bring a spare inner tube plus whatever tools might be needed (if any) to remove your wheel in the event of a puncture.

I hope to see you on Saturday, or, failing that, on a future ride. Our next "second Saturday" run will be on 11 July. And we'll have another Extra later in July, details of which will be posted here in due course.

A familiar location, a few novel variations and a new leader

Today saw us head to a familiar location - South Queensferry. This was Saqib's inaugural ride as leader, and he added in a few novel variations to our usual route options. In addition to the new leader, it was good to see some new faces amongst the 19 riders that gathered at the start. The forecast for showers in the afternoon hadn't put people off, which was fortunate as they failed to materialise. It was mainly overcast with a few sunny intervals making it feel reasonably warm when they appeared. But there was a cool wind that kept the temperature down for most of the ride. As that stalwart of the 20 Milers, the late Logan Strang used to say, "it's chilly for June".

With the briefing over, Saqib led us away from The Meadows to the Telfer Subway via Bruntsfield Links, Leamington Bridge and Fountain Park. Across the Western Approach Road, along the new cycle path to Russell Road, and through Roseburn as if we were heading for Murrayfield. This is where we had our first deviation from the norm as we went up Roseburn Place, across Roseburn Terrace and took the cycle path towards the city centre. We weren't on the path long before heading left up Coates Terrace to join the Roseburn Path. At Craigleith Retail Park we joined the Blackhall Path and continued via Davidson's Mains and Barnton to Old Cramond Brig, where we had an obligatory pause. The NCN1 path beside the A90 took us to the Chapel Gate entrance to the Dalmeny Estate, where we regrouped. All together again, we took the road up to Dalmeny village. In another change to the norm, we turned right in the village and headed down past the road to Dalmeny station, then left on the B924 and down the hill into South Queensferry. We headed under the magnificent Forth Rail Bridge and through the town to our lunch stop at the steps with panoramic views of the three bridges. It was disappointing to see that the cycle racks have been removed with a big useless space there instead. Let's hope they put them back.

With lunch over we headed back out of town, this time taking the track into the Dalmeny Estate beneath the rail bridge. The route through the estate was as lovely as ever with delightful gravel tracks and a couple of stiff little climbs to see us emerge back at Cramond Brig. Down the hill, a brief pause on Old Cramond Brig and we retraced our outward route from the morning. But this time, we remained on the Roseburn Path to the zig-zags at Russell Road. From there, we headed to Leamington Bridge where the leader declared the ride officially over.

Thanks to Saqib for leading us on a familiar route with a couple of interesting variations to keep us on our toes, which was well received. Thanks to Alan for back marking.

Leader: Saqib

Report: Glenn

Photos: Glenn

June ride this coming Saturday

We've got our June ride coming up on Saturday (13th). For this ride, Saqib will be making his debut as leader. He has opted for a familiar destination - South Queensferry - albeit with a few novel variations to add to the interest.

The total distance will be just about 20 miles. We will be on well-surfaced paths and quiet roads for most of the time, although there will also be a some short stretches that might be a little rough. The route won't in any way be flat, but at least the hills will all be reasonably gentle.

Lunch

South Queensferry offers a couple of options for those who like a cafe or pub lunch, notably the Little Bakery and the Ferry Tap. Both serve light meals, but they tend to be busy at lunch time and therefore the service is often slow. For that reason, many of us prefer to bring a packed lunch. There is a nice picnic spot where we can eat it, overlooking the Forth (with toilets just across the street). Another option would be to pick up a sandwich at the co-op, which is fairly close to our stopping point. There is also a shop nearby that does take-away tea and coffee.

Logistics

As always, we'll gather at the top of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. We'll aim to get back to the Meadows around the middle of the afternoon.

And, as always, the ride is free and open to all, with no advance booking.

Looking ahead

Our second Extra of the season is scheduled for 27 June. I'll post full details of that run in good time.