Sunlit Hills

A easy morning cycle today. Just like my Boxing Day ride, but this time in an anticlockwise direction. I cycle out through Bush to Penicuik, then up Pomathorn Rd, and bit of a grind, and along the Top Gear road to Gladhouse Reservoir.

From Gladhouse, I continue eastwards to join National Cycle Route 1 down through Carrington and Bonnyrigg to Eskbank. From Eskbank, I head back in to Edinburgh on Gilmerton Rd. There is a new access point here on to the Roslin - Shawfair path, so I use the path from here to Lasswade Rd. Then cycle along Lasswade Rd to Liberton, and I take the Braid Hills Rd to home.Just over 53.4km in total.

The whole route, and a couple of photos taken on the ride, can be seen at Relive here.

After lunch, my son, his fiancée and her father Janusz turned up. Janusz was impressed with my collection of old film cameras, including a Russian Comet.

We then went for a walk up the Braid Hills. It is very scenic, and there are plenty of photo opportunities, despite the wind. The clouds were just clearing, and I got a nice shot of the sun hitting some far hills near Stirling, blip, just before the clouds rolled back in.

I hear Janusz has not seen any Highland Cattle, so we walk from the Braids to Mortonhall, where I know there will be two fine specimens. It feels quite cool in the breeze. As luck have it, the cattle are at the opposite end of the field to us, so we have to circumnavigate he field to get to them. The sun is just setting, but Janusz manages to get a few shots.

We head to the garden centre for afternoon coffee and cookies, before heading back to my house on the bus (it is now dark). They depart, and its just my partner and I for a quiet evening in.