Penicuik Estate, an Autumn Amble

Whatever happened to October? Its almost gone! Halloween will soon arrive, and evil faced pumpkin lanterns are on the window ledge. We are deep into Autumn now, a gorgeous time of year to be out on the trails through the trees. My trail shoes have not been on my feet even once this month, and my little camera has not seen the light of day. Sunday morning and its time to fix that, with an autumn amble around Penicuik Estate and beside the River North Esk.

I'm parked up on the road from Carlops to Penicuk in wind and rain. The autumn colours in the trees lift my spirits. I have a couple of hundred metres alongside a paved road before I leave to the left through trees and a small climb, avoiding crushing the toadstools, brings me to the Knight's Law Tower, apparently it was built as a dovecot.

Wind, rain, and autumn colours

ah ... loving the autumn colours in the trees here.

Small climb through the trees, skipping over the roots, ...

... and the toadstools ...

... to visit Knight's Law Tower

Delightful yellows, oranges and browns of autumn are all around me as I rejoin the roadside and run along the leaf carpeted verges toward the ruins of Penicuik House. This fine estate house was gutted by fire in 1899. The family converted the stables to a home and the old house was left to decay for long decades. These days restoration efforts are in progress. Behind the house the path leads underneath the Chinese Bridge down toward Low Pond, the solitary tree in the field by the pond catches my eye.

Rejoining the roadside more gorgeous autumn colours ...

... a bright little sapling on the verge ...

... and a delightful carpet to run over toward ...

... the ruins of Pencuik House gutted by fire in 1899 ...

... the stables were converted in to the family home.

The footpath leads underneath the Chinese Bridge behind the old house ...

... and down to Low Pond ....

... this solitary tree in the Low Pond Field catches my eye today.

I have a rough route plan this morning and the map is stowed in my backpack but there are so many footpaths I am mostly just following my nose. Sometimes I am on tarmac, sometimes gravel, sometimes earth, but mostly I am running on leaves, and admiring the colours. The footpaths wind up through the trees and soon I reach a ridge. The Pentland Hills form the skyline to my left. The rain stopped a while ago and I no longer need the waterproof jacket, so a brief wardrobe stop required and a quick check of the map. Looks like the next section takes me through an area which has been felled in recent times, the path starts well but soon the mud is deep and there are bits and pieces of trees across the path. These muddy twiggy paths bring me to the ruins of Ravensneuk Castle and across the fields the Ramsay Monument. Had a bit of "fun" crossing a double layered barbed wire fence here :)

The terrain so far has mostly been leaves ...

... and the attractions have mostly been trees.

The footpaths wind up through the trees ...

... to a ridge where the Pentland Hills form the skyline to my left.

The path ahead takes me through an area where there has been felling ...

... it soon becomes muddy and littered with tree parts.

The remains of Ravensneuk Castle .beside the path ..

... and the Ramsay Monument across the fields.

The paths descend through evergreens here without much relief from the muddy twiggy conditions underfoot. Soon I reach the edge of an area of unstable ground, there was a large landslide (warning, pdf) here in January 2007. Then some more descent through deciduous woodlands, with more glorious autumn colours and better ground under my feet, until I reach Penicuik South Kirk and a very short section of roadwork as I cross the bridge and turn to make tracks back along the north bank.

Descending through the evergreens ...

... with little respite from muddiness and twigginess ...

... to the edge of unstable ground around the landslide

Better ground and colours on continuing descent ...

... to Penicuik South Kirk ...

... and then to return along the north bank.

I can hear the water charging over a weir, part of the milling history of the area, and loving the views down river. Then there was more mud, but I am past caring much about mud at this time, my shoes are as wet inside as outside, there is mud in my shoes, there is already mud in my socks. The mud soon leads to well made paths alongside the river, passing an old stone bridge in disrepair. Here a turn to the right has me climbing above the river back toward Penicuik House, passing an old stone well on my right, and one final picture of the autumn colours to my left.

Water rushing over the weir ...

... loving the views down river.

More mud splish splash splosh!

Then better paths beside the river ...

... passing an old stone bridge in disrepair.

Then ascending back toward the estate house ...

... passing an old stone well on my right ...

... and one last picture of autumn to my left.

Nice little Sunday morning outing exploring somewhere new to me. Great to get my feet going on the earth again although perhaps a bit muddy and twiggy in places. Just under an hour and a half, just over 10km, and a little over 200m total ascent/descent.

Enjoy!

Memory Lane

I enjoyed a good long run last weekend which took in the western end of the Union Canal near Falkirk. This put an idea in my little old head, a jog down memory lane to the very beginning of running for me, at the eastern end of the canal in Edinburgh. This was my "school run". Junior and I would take the bus from home to his old school in Tollcross, and after the school bell had rung, I would try to run back.

So this is where it all started for me, in March 2011, right here at the Lochrin Basin, the eastern end of the canal, with pretty canal boats and colourful bunting today. There are several bridges over the next mile or so of the canal, I used to attempt to run from bridge to bridge. The towpath to the right is cobbled, I never much liked these first metres over the uneven hard stones. The first bridge ahead of me is the Leamington Lift Bridge which goes up to let the canal boats through entering and leaving the basin. I would stop here for a brief stretch and some breath training. The second bridge, a stone arch over the water, is only about 200 metres away, but when I started I always had to pause here for a breather and then walk a little. I guess I made the common beginner mistake of trying to go too fast, at a pace which I was not yet able to sustain. I did not know about C25K back then. It took me a little while to figure out for myself that what I had to do was run even slower.

The beginning, at the Lochrin Basin

The first bridge where I would pause to stretch and breath

The old stretching place

The third bridge, bright blue and red painted, is visible about another 400 metres ahead. I would run what I could and walk what I must in this section. The water here is peaceful and popular with swans and ducks.

The colourful third bridge ahead of me here ...

... the peaceful waters popular with swans ...

... and ducks.

The fourth bridge is about 700 metres away and out of sight as the contour canal bends to the left and then the right. This fourth section was always difficult for me in the early days and weeks and it was a relief when the parish church came into sight around the bend as I knew it would soon be done. In time I learned to step off the hard towpath here onto the softer ground along the edge of playing fields. The fourth bridge, another bright painted affair coming into sight through the trees as I left the playing fields to rejoin the canal, relief this section done and I would often walk the next 50 metres before I turned to leave the canal behind.

Fourth bridge out of sight as the canal bends to the left ...

... the parish church always a welcome sight in those days

Brief respite from the hard towpath ...

... and the fourth bridge is in sight, at last the fourth section is almost done.

I almost always enjoyed the next couple of hundred metres for two reasons. First, this part is a little down hill so easier going and welcome relief after the fourth section. Second, I am running on the grass through the trees in Harrison Park. This morning the carpet of autumn leaves is delighting me. Alas so soon I am done with canals and parks and the remainder of the run is a little boring along the roads. Crossing the railway bridge on Slateford Road I can make out a few of the Pentland Hills in the distance ... how little I knew about the fabulous adventure ahead of me in those beginning days and weeks.

Always lovely running down through the park on the grass ...

... with gorgeous autumn carpet today.

The remainder of the route is a little boring along the roads ...

... crossing the railway I can make out Pentland Hills in the distance.

I can no longer remember the date when I first tried this short three kilometre run. I can remember how surprised I was that it was so difficult, impossible for me. I can no longer remember the date when I first completed the run without stops or walks. I can remember how happy I was that this was now possible for me. It had taken me several weeks to get to this point. I can remember that over the next few weeks there were days when I could not complete this as a continuous run, but very slowly I grew stronger, I could do this run a little bit faster, I could run a little bit further. So I kept adding on a little more distance, exploring, enjoying. Since those early days I've done a lot of runs which have been very hard, for me anyway, but honestly I think the beginning was the hardest part.

Enjoy!

Three legs and one wheel

Three legs and one wheel ... if you're looking for a Triskelion on a Unicycle, that would definitely be a specialist subject, and you've landed in the wrong place, sorry. This blog is supposed to be about trail running, I mean running off-road, on-earth as much as possible. I think, today, I must confess to deviation. For sure, almost all of my run today was off-road, as in not along the roads, but almost all of my run today was on the canal side, which is not really on-earth, really not really. Anyway, enough of a preamble witter, let's start eh?

I did a moderate hill run last weekend, it was good, but the ascents were more of a challenge for me than usual, and I know my body is still not 100% at the moment. I've been wondering what to do this weekend, thinking maybe something a bit less steep, maybe something a bit more long. Driving back from work along the M9 on Thursday, noticing as always the works at the end an idea came into my little old mind ... I'll do a load of canal side running, including an aggregate mile underground in the tunnels, with a wee bit of a wander along the Antonine Wall for variation. Oh, yes, forgot to mention, also we'll see two magnificent kelpie!

I've left the car at the car park for the Falkirk Wheel (aka, Millenium Wheel) on a misty mid-morning. The route plan for today runs in three legs, and I'm starting the first leg. This will take me about four miles along the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Carron sea loch, where the canal discharges into the tidal estuary of the River Carron.

Misty morning start

Loving the mist laden spider webs, and swan on the water

The canal boats, cheerful colours

Loch 15, the Canal Inn is the white building on the left

Intriguing two-dimensional sculptures, I guess they were intended to be photographed

There are a lot of locks on this section of the canal as it descends toward the sea, with two main flights. The bottom of the second flight is Lock 5 where swans are preening. Soon the kelpies at the sea loch come into sight in the distance. These sculptures are massive, and will be magnificent, when they are finished. You can see the workers in the cranes building up these superb structures. The Carron sea lock here is the eastern end of this canal where, it discharges into the muddy Carron estuary, near the M9 motorway.

Swans preening above Lock 5

The kelpies in the distance ...

... they are massive and magnificent

The Carron sea lock where the canal discharges ...

... into the muddy tidal estuary of the River Carron

The kelpies again, sorry, but I adore the kelpies!

So the first leg is an out-and-back job, now I turn around and back-track. I usually do not much like to back-track, but this morning I'm enjoying seeing the locks from below, always more scenic. There are some gorgeous autumn colours in the young rowan trees, and although I'm often running through an uninteresting urban/industrial landscape the reflections in the still waters of the canal are really worth the effort for me today.

Nice running up the canal locks now

Some gorgeous autumn colours ....

... and reflections in the still waters ...

... and I'm still loving running up the locks.

I'm up to Lock 16, the top of the last flight on return, and a historic place. Long ago the Union Canal descended a steep flight of locks to join the Forth and Clyde Canal here, so this was an important place, at the junction of transport routes between Edinburgh, with the Port of Leith, on the east coast, and Glasgow, on the River Clyde, the major port on the west coast. Ah, well, same old story, the railways came, the canals fell into disuse and decline, sections were filled in and built over, and the great canals no longer meet here. Still, the pub is called the "Union Inn", there's something reassuring about that, for me anyway. I'm surprised, and very pleasantly so I must say, how soon I am approaching the end of this first leg.

Historic Loch 16

Near the end of the first leg, time for lunch

I'm hungry, it's been a few hours since breakfast, and I'm looking forward to a spot of lunch at the visitor centre, where I opt for a cheese filled baked potato and side salad, with a pot of tea, and it's delicious, devoured. You might have noticed the mist has cleared, and it's a lot warmer now, so I've decided to remove the 3/4 tights and leave them in the car. I need to head to the car anyway to pick up a head torch in preparation for the third leg, I'll be underground for about a mile, also time to top up the water bottle.

I start the second leg. Here the plan is to run along the canal west to Bonnybridge, then a drudge section of roadwork, and then relief along the earth on the Antonine Wall and some exploration of Rough Castle. This should deposit me nicely on the Union Canal above the wheel in preparation for the third leg of the journey.

Starting second leg, east along the canal, popular with cyclists here

I see a solitary white swan feeding ...

... and delightful reflections in the still waters

The Antonine Wall ...

.... and Rough Castle

Giant footprints? No ... post holes on the northern defences of the ancient roman fort

I have some red gravel trails leading me up and down through bushes and trees then above Rough Castle tunnel on the Union Canal, above the wheel below. Here ends the second leg of my journey and begins the third leg. Down and through the small tunnel which is is just 180m and well lit. I'm heading east for the long tunnel near Hallglen, the locals call it the "Dark Tunnel". There are two locks of modern concrete construction here, like the tunnel these created when the new link between the canals was built around the millenium. I'm on my canal, the Union  Canal, where my running life began back in March 2011 at the Lochrin Basin in Edinburgh, but I'm at the opposite end here near Falkirk. (Note to self, maybe do a "memory lane" job from Lochrin Basin to home sometime.)

Gravel trails after rough castle ...

... lead me above the tunnel above wheel ... 

... and down through the Roughcastle tunnel ...

... then up alongside a couple of modern concrete locks ...

... and I'm on the Union Canal for leg three today.

I've been finding it hard going for a while now. I'm still far less than 100% and breath control has been a challenge. The left heel is very sore and my body is adjusting movement to minimize discomfort there, which is causing discomfort everywhere else. I am wondering how far I must continue for the long tunnel ... a couple of cyclists approach, and they tell me its 2-3 miles. I feel disheartened, I have thoughts of giving up, but a little voice in the back of my head is saying "no, this cannot be right, you recently passed a sign giving distance to Polmont, must have been a mile back, and for sure its at least a couple of miles distance from there to the tunnel, it must be less than two miles from here". Little voice, thank you, I love you today, I continue. I lose track of time, right now I sink into the music in my ears and lose track of myself, then all of a surprise the long tunnel is before me. I've read that although there are some lights in the tunnel, they are not good, a torch is advised, so I pause a moment to don my headtorch. The tunnel is 620m long, you can see the other end, but it is a dark damp rough and slippery place. It reminds me a bit of my caving years as a late teenager, which was a lot of fun, but these days I am a little afflicted with claustrophobia.

The long tunnel is before me ...

... despite feeble lighting it is dark ...

... straw stalactites hang from the roof ...

... the walls remind me of caving expeditions.

Thankfully soon I reach the end of the dark place and the sunlight is welcome. I have not far to go to a bridge over the canal which is my turning point for this third leg. There are some notable face carvings here, a brief stop for an energy snack and water, a little toilet ... thankfully there was nobody else here at the time. Now turn around and face the long dark place once more.

Escape from the dark damp place ...

... and soon to the bridge where I will rest and turn.

Angry face to the west

Happy face to the east

I turn and one more face the long dark place

This time through the Hallglen tunnel I am noticing the reflections of the lit rocks in the water, for me thay are all grotesque threatening faces, but my camera fails to capture these emotions for me. There are several water leaks through the roof above, this one runs into the water of the canal, others have given me mixed-feelings cold showers. The wee cobbled path here is slippery and uneven, I am pleased I brought the headtorch today. The end comes once more and the sight of three swans in the water warms me.

Reflections were ghostly, alas my little camera ..

... but the end is in sight, and its leaking bad here!

The end, and a welcome party of swans.

Well folks, I just have to continue to backtrack now along the same side of the canal to the wheel, maybe two or three miles. I had been struggling but somehow I'm starting to find a third wind, I'm able to go a little faster (its still dead slow of course). I pass a milestone which tells me I am 31.5 miles from the Lochrin Basin in Edinburgh, like I've said before, that's a special place for the old plodder, that's where my running began ... I've decided now, I will definitely do a memory lane photo job there soon, its in me now, and it needs to get out. Anyway, I digress, there are a few boats coming toward me along the canal, I love the sight, and folk are almost always friendly. I am surprisingly soon back at the wheel, and its moving so my timing was a bit of luck. Standing on the canal bank where I started the first leg this morning, I am done with the third and final leg, and a great view of the wheel. Hard to believe, but this morning it was lost in the mist.

Milestone, distance from Lochrin Basn in Edinburgh

Here comes a canal boat

Here comes a canal boat

I'm back at the wheel ...

... its tunring at the moment .. 

... almost done now.

Now done, viewed from the beginning and the ending of my run today.

I will summarise at first with three words: long, hard, and good. The word hard has two meanings, the terrain underfoot most of the time, and how is was for the old plodder. I've run (ahem) about 31km with a total ascent of about 390m, and I've been on the go for about four hours, not including the lunch stop at the visitor centre, but I have spent a lot of minutes filddling about with the camera today. Now about the under ground, stuff, I went through Roughcastle tunnel and Hallglen tunnel twice, so that is 2 x (180m + 620m) = 1600m = one mile. I'm thinking to plan on softer terrain the next time, my legs are hurting a bit now, thump, thump, thump, thump ... hey you legs you better be saying hello to mister rumble roller in the morning methinks.

Enjoy!