Route – Gorebridge to Newlandrig to Borthwick Crossroads to Gorebridge. For route map click here.
- Weather – cloudy but quite bright, cool with a bit of a breeze.
- Distance travelled – 6.78 miles
- Riding time – 35 minutes
- Maximum speed – 27.8 mph
- Average speed 11.4 mph
This evening we decided to go for a very short circular route around Gorebridge. Silly Dad forgot to bring a camera with him so for once, we have no photos to show you. However, we’ve cycled on all these roads before so there’s plenty of photos of this area already on the blog.
Leaving the house it was immediately uphill and very steep until the top of Lady Brae. Not an easy way to start a cycle route but at least it meant that the rest of the route would be much easier. After Lady Brae we headed along the B6372, slightly downhill and very fast for about half a mile until we reached the hamlet of Newlandrig. Here, we turned right at the Tyne-Esk Trail signpost onto a very narrow road. As we sped past some trees, a Buzzard screeched and flew away right above our heads which was an impressive sight. There was then a short but steep hill to negotiate before we zoomed back down the other side, passing a horse farm, with nice views of the hills in the distance. Soon we came to a junction, with the ruins of Crichton Castle visible on the left. We went right though, speeding along the smooth single track road on the way back home.
We stopped for a quick drink at the Borthwick Crossroads where Dad spotted a dead badger at the side of the road. We left the badger to rest in peace and went straight ahead, climbing gradually up to the highest point on the route where we got some stunning views of the Moorfoot and Pentland Hills. We then came to the fastest part of the ride as we free-wheeled down the narrow road at nearly 30 mph, even with the brakes on. At the bottom of the hill we turned right to go back home, mainly downhill, to Gorebridge. It was lovely quick cycle through some very nice Midlothian countryside. The roads were also very quiet and I don’t think we saw any cars at all outside of the town which made the journey all the more pleasant. Tomorrow, we are planning to go on a slightly more adventurous cycle so stay tuned for that. Dad has even promised to bring a camera this time…
Rowan's Recommended Riding Routes 