I cycled on NCN1 from the east side of Edinburgh to the car park at the eastern end of the Pencaitland rail path at Carberry Hill. Here I joined the quiet A6124 for 500 meters before turning left onto a C class road up the steep hill to the village of Cousland. Heading east through the village and then south, downhill I joined the A6093 for another half a kilometre before turning right onto the B6371 across the rich East Lothian and Midlothian arable farmland to Humbie. Humbie is a quiet village with a wonderful coffee shop situated in a community-owned facility, the Humbie Hub. A frequent competitor in Cycling UK’s café competition, it is highly recommended. NB: the B6371 is quiet at weekends but does access a large sawmill, so some timber lorries are around on weekdays.
After coffee and cake, I cycled east on the B6368, taking the second right onto a C class road at Craig’s Cottage, passing Stobshiel House before leaving that road just past Stobshiel Farm taking the next right to Stobshiels Reservoir. From here the rough stuff begins in the form of an unsurfaced road. For those without mudguards, particularly on a wet day, do beware as mud and inevitable animal substances dominate the farmyard of a high-quality cattle and sheep farm.
Stobshiels Reservoir comes next. It’s privately owned, very pretty, and a good spot for a stop. Then you’re climbing steadily up to a left-hand turn by a wood to your right down to the little bridge over Sound Burn then into Stobshiel Wood. The wood and the next few miles lie within an area occasionally used by a rifle club. On days when live firing is taking place, your access will be denied and the standard warning of red flags will be flown. The club closes the area on around ten occasions a year, from March to July. The wood itself is a good mix of deciduous and coniferous planting.
This track, which might have been a road at one time, now wends its way upwards through the woodland and then onto the moorland itself. Again, note that throughout the area grouse shooting can be expected August-December, mostly in the early part of the shooting season. You will see and hear a lot of grouse on the moors, though there is very little other wildlife to see. I am always downhearted to see so few mountain hares around these days, I feel they were much more prevalent just a few years ago.
Once out of the woodland, the track follows the valley of the delightfully named Friar’s Nose Burn to its junction with the Kelphope Burn at a series of shallow fords, where an option is to follow the track straight up Crib Law for a short-cut to Lammer Law. This track is access for a line of pylons that cross the range and can be followed eastwards for several miles, known locally as Pylon Road. I opted to stay on the valley floor and head on through Kelphope Farm to the left hand turn up the steep gradient to Tollishill and a return to the moors. There are plenty of options for other adventures here, with tracks turning west to the windfarms on Soutra Hill and Carfrae Common.
Once back onto the moors at Tollishill, I followed the track and its spur to Lammer Law where I stopped at the trig-point for lunch. On a clear day, the views throughout this section are excellent, south to the Borderlands and the clearly distinguishable Eildon Hills, North East across the East Lothian plain to Fife and the North Sea, Berwick Law and the Bass Rock as clear as a bell. West to Edinburgh and up the Forth valley to central Scotland and beyond also adds a further view.
I opted to stay with the track and cycle down off Lammer Law, this includes a fairly steep grassy section to Longyester Farm, but other options are available, including a smoother track to Hopes Reservoir. At Longyester, where a delightfully worded, black and white, cast-iron, road-sign advises the track you have just cycled down to be ‘impassable for motors’ I pedaled west on a C class road to Kidlaw View farm, turning right to Petersmuir and on to East Saltoun village where there is a wee shop. Here I turned left to West Saltoun then took a right turn onto the Pencaitland rail path, a former rail line, which is now NCN regional route 196.
Route 196 is well maintained by East Lothian Council and is good quality, unsurfaced greenway running through the countryside to the car park below Cousland, which I mentioned early on in the ride at Carberry Hill. At this point, I re-traced my earlier steps back into Edinburgh following NCN196 then NCN1. In total, 80km with a total elevation of 1,200m. It took me five and a half very enjoyable hours.
Notes:
1. The route is very accessible: by train with stations on the NCN1 at Musselburgh and Brunstane. Car parking in Musselburgh and at the eastern end of the Pencaitland rail path (NCN196).
2. As with all upland areas, the weather can change quickly and become challenging, so pack accordingly. Likewise, expect a breeze the higher you get.
3. OS Maps: Explorer 345. Landranger 66.
4. Scottish Rights of Way Society: https://www.scotways.com/images/pdf/ScotWays_Lammermuirs_online_-_final_version_Aug2016.pdf
5. Where this area was once made difficult to access by some intransigent landowners, the (wonderful) Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the work of local authority access officers ensures your right to be on these tracks provided you observe the rules: https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/scottish-outdoor-access-code