Dawn Ride...A new trail open in East Lothian...

I was up and out on the Pugsley before sunrise on Sunday, a sub zero night meant frozen solid ground and it was below 0 Celsius when i rode up to the ridge road - the old trail that climbs up the Garlton Hills, once the main road to Edinburgh it has a lot of historic importance,
Reason i was heading up there was to later ride a new trail recently made by East Lothian Council,
part of the Core Paths Plan ,
With the ground frozen solid it would be a mud free ride on normally saturated trails, so no damage done, as said before i do not ride with or agree with mud tyres as they cut into the ground for grip causing damage,
Lights still on despite 8am, but the sky was getting light, sunrise was 8.35am...up onto the ridge road...

The 3km ridge road trail was frozen solid, good job too as would have been muddy with the tracks from farm fork lifts feeding cattle in the top field...

Barney Hill, transmitters, cold clear sky, cows, and ice...

Transmitter, this was a bit too high for a `bike hanging` from structure picture..

Looking south over Haddington, East Lothians principle town, behind a snow speckled lammermuir Hills...

The other two transmitters, the sky had an amazing light as the evening before on the coast, and also that bitter cold wind...

Looking west to Edinburgh and a snow covered Pentland hills...

Trees up here take a battering in the wind...

One of two WW2 buildings which were used by the Royal Observer Corps...

Art?, windfall habitat for beetles and fungi?, or some nice firewood?...

It was too cold hanging around up here waiting for sunrise so i headed off down one of my favourite descents, with the ground frozen i could ride its full lenght including the usually wet and slow going bit through the long grass i usually avoid, i had the Go Pro so filmed from the helmet mount,
not an involving film angle, but the great song makes up for it, one of my favourites;
`How to Be a Werewolf` by Scottish band Mogwai

click on 720p to watch in HD



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A New trail;  Abbeymill to Hailes


This is the first new trail built in East Lothian since the building of new sections of trail for the opening of the
John Muir Way . To have any of the proposed new Core Path trails constructed in these recession hit times is great news.
Starting at Abbey bridge at Aimsfield east of Haddington this new trail follows the north side of the River Tyne approx 3 miles to Hailes Castle,
The contractors finished digging the route on the Friday i fell ill 5 weeks ago with double vision eyesight and loss of balance, i had planned to cycle the trail on the Saturday morning to stake claim!, so that was that!,
The route is still not all signed , and it is unlikely to be surfaced to an all weather track soon due to funding,
A friend who recently walked it said it was very muddy being in many places a dug channel,
Todays frozen conditions would be ideal to cycle it,
After riding this if you ride it on a normal MTb or walk it in wet conditions then it will be a bit of a slog,  it should in time get walked in firmer and become some nice singletrack, and interesting to cycle as it undulates alongside the river Tyne, as it is now it is great on a fat bike!, and were not going to cause any damage riding it  even if wet with floatation tyres.
So i have done a point to point picture of the trail to show what it looks like, it will be good to repost a ride every 6 months and see how it matures into a nice trail to walk or cycle through the changing seasons...

The trail starts over a style under the northern arch of Abbey bridge at Abbey Mill, the picture is taken on Sustrans cycle route 72 which comes along the river from riverside, Haddington...
Crossing a grazing field to a style and then along a field boundry...

Sunrise at last...

The trail then weaves through riverside woodland, looking back west...

Again looking behind...

Rubbish dumped and washed down the river in spate should really have been lifted...

On the south of the Tyne is Stevenson house and Estate...

Already a tree blocking the trail!, easy enough to detour up around...

A lot of the river bank is lined with old Oak trees ...

View behind...

Undulating trail is nice...

View behind...

East Lothian Bayou?...

View behind...

We pass through houses at Beanston Mill, for respect of  house owners here i skipped pics till through and onto the trail again...

Through a paddock and back to the river bank...

Trapain law in the distance...

Need to try this ford in summer -:)...

Early morning winter sun  casts amazing light...

View behind..

I wonder if this wood will be a carpet of Bluebells in spring?...

View behind...

In the distance is Over Hailes farm at Pencraig Hill...

View behind...

This trail is going to be lovely once packed down...

View behind...

Trapain Law...

Nice section through here...

Told you Scotland has amazing light...

View behind...

Hailes castle comes into view...

And we reach the trail junction at the foot bridge at Hailes Mill...

From here there is a choice of North up a farm road to Pencraig where trails lead NE to East Linton and North straight home for myself... or south over the bridge and trails up past Trapain Law...

Or East following the Tyne to East Linton where you can continue to the Tyne Estuary at John Muir Park or turn North on the John Muir Way off road all the way to North Berwick...

East it is to the coast for myself today... we are spoilt for choice for off road cycling here in East Lothian..