Cycle around Duns Estate

 

With a visit to Duns In Berwickshire we took the bikes in the van and got in a cycle around Duns Estate, 

A lot of the tracks were as expected blocked with fallen trees after Storm Arwen, but there was enough accessible to get short but pleasant cycle despite the horrendous mud!, you know I hate mud!, give me coastal sandy loam trail any day!, anyhow the plan was to show G the WW2 Auxillary Units Bunker location right behind me in the pic, but with the fallen trees pushing bikes to it would be more trouble than it was worth so we will return here on foot and do a specific visit...

We did happen across this stone construction in the woods just off of a track that we would later find out after G emailed the Estate is an Ice House, common on most Estates where meat was stored...

Here is a shore film, song is `Take Me There (Acid Washed Remix)` by Scratch Massive Feat. Jimmy Somerville, 

More soon...

Midweek Cycle; Heatwave - Cool in the woods...

 

Wednesday dawned a stunning day as clouds offshore burned away for what must be the hottest day of the year yet. It was in the mid twenties  by 3pm and was perfect for a late afternoon cycle in the woods where it was cooler under the canopy of trees and wetter ground...

6am at work...

4pm...

A quick half hour blast in a short loop around Seaton woods...

Wee film, song is `star Tripping` by Sinewave

More soon...

Isolation Cycle 60; Garlic Woodland Trails...

Check out this gem of a Wood we happened across!...

We were out cycling  and i mentioned to G about some dotted trackes on the OS map i never got round to checking, turns out these had been noticed by G also and were on her radar to check out sometime so we went for a look and found a lovely wee loop of singletrack trails through a wood full of Wild Garlic, it was stunning, and we were grinning ear to ear as we cycled around exploring...

These woods are obviusly walked often, prob by dog owners, some paths were dead end and too tight to cycle, others bone dry and easy to cycle...

There was enough to do some filming before moving on to check somewhere else,
Finding new places to keep fresh blogs every day during the Self Isolation has proved a good thing as keeps your brain busy looking over maps and Google Earth to find new routes, most of them have always been there, or were previusly un rideable in Summer but a dry Spring has made for great cycling off road and we have another week of this daily cycling at least...

Back out into the sunshine and time to move on...

My Vimeo has used up it`s monthly available 5G, so moving over to YouTube to post,
Wee film, Song is `Hope` by Max Cooper




More soon...

Isolation Cycle 58; Cycle to Pressminnon Pt 1...

A big sky day in the Shire!

Cloud over the Lammermuirs, but it was breaking up near the coast in the westerly breeze...

We cycled farm tracks to near Stenton then took a farm road to Pressminnon...

Lovely views behind us to the coast as we climbed up `Spanner Road`...

Spanner Road your asking? yeah check this in the road!, how did it get in there?...

Through the woods above Pressminnon Lake - one of 3 lakes in East Lothian (Balgone and also Smeaton) ...

I sat the phone for a time lapse here while we had some food before riding on through the trails,
Wee film, song is `Xtal` by Apex Twin,

More soon...

Isolation Cycle 56; Woodhall Dean

Woodhall Dean is a magical place, Native woodland trees include Sessil Oak, Silver Birch and Rowen grow on the banks of gorges cut into the rock by burns from the Lammermuirs, a Nature Reserve it is often quiet and feels a world away from the modern world when you slow down and have a look around...

After having a rumage around the burns low this now with the lack of rain we rode out on the paths and walked the step sections...

Wee film, Song is `Picking It Up` by Phontaine


Isolation Cycle 56; Woodhall Dean, May 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

More soon...

Midweek Cycle High Tide Cycle; Tyninghame...

Real high tides this week as we approch another full moon, I met Chris for a cycle after work at Tyninghame, despite the tide right in there is still plent of mud free dry sandy loam trails to ride if you know where to look here. We ended up riding 12 miles doing a big loop through the woods. so much riding i made 5 films, starting here cycling towards Mosshouse point using some of the winter Enduro Series from last year,

Pt 1; Moto Enduro Trail, Song is `Kompromat` by Barr Brothers...


High Tide Cycle at Tyninghame Pt1 Feb 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


You can see here at Mosshouse point just how high the tide was, at 5.7 meters we would have to go through the woods as the salt mash trail was submerged. Was a lovely eveningto be out cycling as we wound through more moto trails in the woods...

Film 2 more moto tracks, song is `White Noise` by Mogwai


High Tide Cycle at Tyninghame Pt 2 Feb 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Love this old gate with hinge designed to be operated from horseback...

Film 3, Using the moto trails we would join the tank block trail leading to Links Woods,
Song is `Miscrants` by Mogwai


High tide cycle at Tyninghame Pt 3 Feb 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Chris`s bikes chain was skipping now under any pressure and we soon diagnosed the problem with missing teeth on the front big chainring, we continued with Chris spinning away on the lower front chainring,  and we enjoyed have the trails to ourselves while the waves lapped the high tideline below us as we wound our way along the tails...

Stopping after the ditch on Secret Trail after Chris tried another line around the ditch and took a tumble but was ok, Chris noticed and pointed out the old tree i was leaning on was rotten and hung up above our heads!,  this could be dangerous, so we moved on!...

Film of Secret Trail next, Song is `George Square Thatcher Death Party` by Mogwai


High tide cycle at Tyninghame Pt 4 Feb 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Sun was setting as we stopped at Willowbrae Point for some coffee and snack, then along the last section of trail to Ravensheugh and from there back to the cars...
Last film of the ride, Song is `Sailor` by The Brian Jonestown Massacre


Hig tide cycle at Tyninghame Pt 5 feb 2020 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Loads of riding here even at high tide, a fun cycle to unwind after a busy day at work...

More soon...

Walk in the woods...

Out on foot and a stroll through the woods at the three bridges at Garvald village,
Jake dog enjoying a splash in the stream...

Stoneypath Tower...

Bacj through the woods...

Beach tree-often referred at `The Queen of the Forest`...

Lovely small glen...

Jake was happy he had found a good stick to carry!...

Lovely old road, full of history when you think of all the folk who have used it...

Then a stroll up another old road,  up over `Sled Hill`...

Hairpin bend that probably led to this road being discontinued fron being included as a through road as only room for one vehicle...

lovely old stone work in the walls...

In the distance is Bangley Hill and NB Law, forming a triangle for the bases during the Cold War...

Garvald ROC Monitoring Post...

If your new to the blog and don`t know what this is and their purpose during the Cold war,  watch this YouTube film i made here 10 years ago and some history of The Royal Observer Corps...
Class ideal song for the film!-`Only The Dead Deams of the Cold War Kid` by Hawkwind...


roc bunker, east lothian from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Down the hatch...

Chemical loo!

The room is trashed now by Neds...

I have visited over 40 ROC Posts now, loads more of these to visit and explore...



And superb food back at Tyninghame Cafe to round off a nice afternoon out...

More soon...