Roslin Romp

Returning from Wether Law yesterday I noticed road signs for Roslin Glen Country Park. I've been aware of Roslin since I cant remember when due to the famous Rosslyn Chapel but I was not aware of a country park here. I'm late getting out today so I decide to explore and seek out some nice paths along the River Esk.

There's a good sized car park and picnic area and glorious wildflowers catch my eye immediately. The footpath leads me through lovely green trees to the river and its a little charmer. There's a wooden footbridge over here and lots of up and lots of steps to the remains of Roslin Castle. Just a slight ascent and a turn to the right brings me toward Rosslyn Chapel.

Wildflowers at the car park and picnic area

The footpath leads through the trees to ...

... a small wooden footbridge over the river.

This river is a little charmer

Up we go on steps through the trees ...

... to the remains of Roslin Castle, and ...

... nearby Rosslyn Chapel

I can see narrow paths through the plants here which seem to lead back down to the river. These are the paths less trod ... you have to love the nettles. In a moment I have delightful small dirt tracks through the trees beside the river, ah, this is the life. I notice some giant weeds to my right. The footpath ascends and the river is far below me to my right, then a steep and rapid descent on a zig-zag brings me back to the river bank. Looks like a cave on the other side of the river, marked on the map as "Wallace's Cave". I've no idea what the story is there.

Down through the meadow toward the river ...

... and loving the nettles.

Soon a delightful little dirt track through the trees beside the river ...

... with some giant weeds,

The path rises high above the river ...

... and descends again opposite a cave.

There are lots of fallen trees across the footpath so I'm having a bit of an obstacle course jumping and ducking. Some red sandstone cliffs to my left are wonderfully weathered. The footpath continues to undulate rising high above the river and dropping back down again. Through the trees I see a free standing pillar of rock on the cliffs opposite, and sure enough there's something marked "Hanging Rock" on the map. I'm really enjoying the wildflowers, foxglove, dog rose, yellow furze.

Fallen trees create an obstacle course

Wonderfully weathered sandstone

Hanging Rock

Foxglove

Dog Rose

Yellow Furze

The river bends away to the right and my path leads up again, more steps through Hewan Wood to a path along the edge of Bilston Wood. There's a wooden bridge over the road here, its a cycle path, I leave the road here but the cycle path is hard under my feet. The cycle path takes me through farm land, lots of cows. The Battle of Roslin was fought here in February 1303.

The river bends away to the right ...

... oh what a sight.

I turn left and up though the tress on more steps ...

... and then alongside Bilston wood, farm fields to the left.

The wooden bridge carries a cycle path ...

... through green farm fields and lots of cows ..

... and past the Mountmarle Monument.

I can run along grass verges from here which provides some relief. Looking over to the Pentland Hills there is heavy rain there, and it'll probably be here before long. I'm on my way back to Roslin now, pounding the streets for a short while. Not such interesting running for me, but some pretty little cottages. Soon I return past the chapel and the castle and back down the steps through trees to the charming riverside and more wonderful woodland wildflowers. The rain is starting as I approach the car park and picnic area, so that worked out well. Five minutes later it was cats and dogs.

Nice soft grass verges provide some relief

Heavy weather over the Pentland Hills

Pretty little cottages in Roslin

Back down the steps through the trees ...

... to the charming riverside ...

... and wonderful woodland wildflowers.

Bliss!

Returning to the car park its just starting to rain

That was a very nice little exploration for me and a piece of luck on the timing at the end. I'll be back here sometime and I'll try harder to avoid the streets of Roslin. I've been on the go for about 55 minutes, I've just run 7.2km, and with all the rises and drops beside the river the ascent comes out to about 160m.

Enjoy!

Wether Law Wander

There seem to be no end of hills in these parts called Wether Law. This morning I'm heading for the one that stands above the village of Romannobridge. The skies are grey and the weather looks unreliable, last night I packed windproof instead of waterproof, the wind is blowing from the west, so I'll need to keep an eye on conditions in that direction today.

I find a space in the small car park at Newlands Kirk on the B7059 and just across the road the up starts on a rough farm road through trees. Soon I'm out of the trees and then over rough pasture on my way up the first little summit of the morning, Whiteside Hill. There's another ancient hill fort here so I have a wee run around the rings before I pause to look ahead at the next tiny top for this morning, White Knowe.

From Newlands Kirk ...

... the up starts on a rough bit of road through the trees ...

... and soon the trees are behind me.

Off the track and across rough pasture to little Whiteside Hill ...

... another ancient hill fort and ...

... ahead of me the next wee top of the morning, White Knowe.

I'm up White Knowe in a jiffy and looking ahead at the last and highest summit on this ridge, Drum Maw. I've got some decent ATV tracks to plod along but I'm finding myself surprisingly weary at the final section of ascent and my legs are having a wee bit of a hissy fit. Huff and puff over the top and a welcome bit of descent. I can hear tractors working the field below me to my left, the caw caw of gulls, and the bleating of sheep. I leave the track behind and continue the descent toward Fingland Burn on rough tussocky marshy ground, but it looks like I can pick up some more ATV tracks on the other side. Just at the bottom a quick skip over the wee burn and in a moment I've found those tracks. They're not great tracks but at least I don't have to battle with the bracken and there are little bridges over almost all of the streams.

The top of this ridge ahead, Drum Maw ...

... a bit of a slog to the top ...

... and then welcome descent toward Fingland Burn.

Below me tractors work the field and the gulls gather.

The track behind me, now descending on tussocky marshy rough ...

... looks like I can pick up more tracks on the other side.

Skip over the pretty wee burn and now find those tracks ...

... not the best but easy going through the bracken ...

... and wee wooden bridges over the small streams.

The tracks turn left down but I must turn right up to ascend this Wether Law, so its over the rough again for me and a cluster of thistles coming into flower. Now I have that song in my head "O Flouer of Scotland, When will we see, Yer like again ...". I must shake this out of my head, what a dreadful dirge. The blissful birdsongs do the trick for me. I'm finding the going tough in the rough so the sight of the summit trig is very welcome. The views from the top are some reward and its a good time to check out the weather to the west, which does not look great, rain will be here within the next couple of hours.

Flower of Scotland

Tough over the rough and at last the summit trig ...

... weather worsening to the west ...

... looks better over the Pentlands to the east.

I'm going to trundle along the ridge here over two lesser summits, Hag Law and Green Knowe, before I drop down to Flemington Burn, and then I'll think about the weather. To my surprise I meet a pair of chaps walking, I had not expected to see anyone up here today, the path less trod. We stop to chat, they too are surprised, of where we've been and where we're going, and exchange assessments of the changing weather. There are a few features along the ridge, perhaps a wind-talker, and a mast. The tracks pass under the guy wires.

Along the ridge, Hag Law then Green Knowe.

Maybe a wind-talker?

And a mast ...

... the tracks run under the guy wires.

It takes little time to reach the descent toward Flemington Burn and then along better tracks on the west side of the burn to a bench. Yes, a bench, out here in the middle of nowhere, for the benefit of tired walkers. Here it is time to decide time for me, cross the burn and ascend to Wide Hope Shank, or along the track above the burn. There are spits and spots in the air, the wind has freshened, so its an easy decision to stay on the track and traverse underneath Whiteside Hill back to Newlands Bridge. I have to splash through a wee feeder stream, and after a while leave the track on a narrow footpath, taking care at a bit of a wash-out. The views over the meandering burn are beautiful.

Descent toward Flemington Burn

Soon on better tracks ...

... and there's a bench out here!

Splish splash splosh

The views over Flemington Burn below ...

... meandering along the valley floor, are simply sublime.

The footpath departs from the track, and take care at the wash-out here.

I reach a gate and look down over an isolated farmhouse by the trees at Flemington. I must go up here, chasing sheep again, to traverse around Whiteside Hill. The views over Lyne Water below to my left are a real treat for my eyes. I spot a small structure to my right, enclosed by a rough fence, not a clue what this thing might be. There's a sheep lying on the track and reluctant to move, a good pair of horns there. I'm getting a little bored plodding along these easy hard tracks so I veer off to the left on a wee sheep run, this is more like fun. Then a bit of a slither down over a burn, just as well its dry here today. The sandy soil is so soft, even a wee stream over time can cut a good channel.

Isolated farmhouse below me at Flemington

I must go up here and chase some more sheep

Lovely views over Lyne Water to my left ...

... and a thing to my right ... 

... and what a feast for my eyes.

Great Horns!

Fun running along this sheep track ...

... and slither down to the wee burn here ...

... it has cut quite a channel through the soft sandy soil.

I'm back onto the rough road through the trees where I started about a couple of hours ago and the rain has arrived. I'll make a small diversion to visit the ruins of the old Newlands Kirk and there's an interesting gravestone here. I'm almost done now, a short jog along a track toward the bridge, and past the outstandingly pretty white-washed house called Bridge End, then back to the little car park and its over.

Back on the rough road into the trees ...

... and to the remains of old Newlands Kirk ...

... where we find a forbidding gravestone.

Newlands Bridge ...

... and a pretty house named Bridge End.

I've had a decent outing today, some lovely views, a mixture of farm tracks, sheep runs, and rough ground, and some gorgeous scenery. I've run about 14km, overall ascent about 550m, and I've been on the go for about two hours. I was surprised to see anyone here today, and it was nice to stop for a bit of a chat. There has however been one problem today. No, I tell a lie, two problems. Both of them legs. The old legs were not so willing today from the start to the end. The ascents were all moan, moan, moan, moan ... I'm off to punish them on the rumble roller now, muahahahaha.

Enjoy!